Thaihot Fuzhou Mall in China

Thaihot Fuzhou Shopping Centre, Chinese Retail Building, WuSi Bei Dajie Project

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall in China

Chinese Retail Development, Jinan District Building – design by SPARK, architects

30 Apr 2014

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

Architect: SPARK

Location: WuSi Bei Dajie, Jinan District, China

Fuzhou Wusibei Thaihot Plaza’s central location at WuSi Bei Dajie, Jinan District makes it Fuzhou’s most successful retail mall. Its design enhanced Thaihot’s brand as a forward thinking innovative retail developer. SPARK’s design entwines the plaza, the street and the mall interior into a continuous circulation route that transforms the building into a living entity full of movement and energy. 12-hour daytime retail activities are concentrated in a 7-level shopping mall from which routes to the rooftop are carved out. Here various activities such as full service dining and cinema effectively create 24-hour traffic-free streets and squares attracting visitors not only to shop but also enjoy as a new social and entertainment destination.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

DESIGN DESCRIPTION
It is recorded history that after visiting Fuzhou, Marco Polo described the city as “an important centre of commerce in precious stones.” Fuzhou Wusibei Thaihot Plaza is the modern day ‘precious stone’, a gem, located in the heart of Fuzhou soon to be discovered by many alike.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

The Building
The many facets of the building exist to serve different functions in plan and the building facade. Easing the edges of the building in plan increases sightlines into the pedestrian street, which helps draws people in. Unlike some straight streets that shoot pedestrians quickly through, an undulating tenant facade facilitates the natural ebb and flow of pedestrian traffic, creating a dynamic shopping experience.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

Colour shifting aluminium panels on the facade creates an exterior appearance that is constantly changing. While most panels are the building skin, select facets serve key visual functions such as illuminated signage boxes, advertisements, and three LED screens. At night, perforations in the aluminium panels allow light to pass through to create a starry night effect.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

The Circulation
The typical mall typology locates functions such as cinemas & KTV at upper levels of malls. These functions operate into the early hours of the morning long past the closing time of other retail facilities necessitating the public to navigate a difficult journey down out of darkened non air conditioned space.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

To mitigate this dilemma, Fuzhou Wusibei Thaihot Plaza has two complementary circulation routes, a 12 hour day route and a 24 hour route. Retail programs that operate in the day are consolidated into a shopping mall podium typology (12hour). Circulation routes and terraces are carved out of the podium facilitating access to the roof top where there are a variety of activities such as miniature golf and full service dining can be found(24 hour).

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

When the normal shopping functions have closed, customers are provided with an alternate route lined with shops and terraces snaking along the podium façade (24 hour). This route is further animated by its adjacency to the pedestrian street. The entire north facade becomes a living entity full of movement and energy.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

“The project is an important step for SPARK to bring our 24 hour vertical street concept to reality. The opening day has shown that it will make a big impact to this street culture city” says Jan Clostermann, Director of SPARK.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

The Interior Space
On a rare occasion, chipping away at a stone will lead to the discovery of a cavernous core lined with mineral deposits exploding with radiant colour and light. The experience of entering Spark’s proposed mall in Fuzhou is equally dazzling as a voluminous atrium filled with vibrant colour and light greets the visitor.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

As an extension of the faceted façade a crystalline LED advertisement gem hovers over the atrium concierge as the visual focal point upon entering the mall. The pristine white interior atrium is accentuated by colour highlights on the escalators which are sculpturally composed in the middle of the atrium. Linear LED light chandeliers sit over the interior events plaza. Back lit floor peepholes strew across the atrium bridges like scattered jewels as a playful addition to the space, attracting curious onlookers.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall

The key materials are: Black and white reconstituted stone, stretch ceiling light box, tinted laminated glass, rainbow tinted acrylic, composite aluminium panels and Glass Reinforced Gypsum board.

Thaihot Fuzhou Mall – Building Information

Total GFA (sqm): 300,000sqm (Above ground GFA: 212,600sqm, basement GFA: 87.400sqm) Commercial: 100,890sqm,SOHO: 199,110sqm)
Architecture and Interior Design: SPARK
Project Director: Jan Felix Clostermann
Team: Mingyin Tan, Christian Taeubert, Jian Yun Wu, Ben de Lange, Emer Loraine, Wang Haiyan Leo Micolta, Cary Cheng
Client: Thaihot Group
Photos: Shu He


Thaihot Fuzhou Mall in China images / information from the architects

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Location:Jinan District, China

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