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SOHO @ PODOMORO CITYREINTERPRETING THE MIXED-USE PATTERN OF JAKARTA

DP ARCHITECTS AT

WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL WISMA ATRIA

REGENERATION AND RETROFITTING

IN DETAIL

I12 KATONGA CONTEXTUAL MALL AS A NEW MODEL OF SUBURBAN MALL

IN DEPTH

INDUSTRY

IN DEPTHVOLUME 3NUMBER 4

2012SINGAPORE

THE SHOPPING

ISSUE

CONTENTS

The latest happenings in DP

BluePrint 2012

DP Architects on Orchard Road Book Launch

Short takes on new & notable projects01 eCO02 Jardin03 The Beverly04 Floridian05 Singapore Cruise Centre06 River Safari07 The Heeren08 One Prime09 Kuningan City

Featured projects I12 KatongDoha Festival City MallBoulevardi MallSOHO @ Podomoro City

Design solutionsWisma Atria

Architecture issuesRetail Thinking: A Circular Evolution

Awards & events

World Architecture Festival

ArchiTours 2012

Fête des Lumières 2012

Newly Registered Architects

DP personalities

Retail Experiences

Celebration of past projects

Tanglin Shopping Centre, 1970/1978

Volume 3 Number 4, 2012, S ingapore

Letter from the Guest EditorDear Readers, As we head towards the season of year-end shopping and gift-giving, we dedicate this issue of Design in Print to the pleasures of retail and shopping. This issue covers our recent retail projects in Singapore, Jakarta, Istanbul and Doha, and illustrates how we have contributed to the retail landscape in these cities. The In Person section features eight talented DPians who are behind some of our key retail projects; they share with you their professional and personal views on shopping.

For the cover of this issue, we have chosen to feature Wisma Atria which recently unveiled its new façade in September. We have had the good fortune to design this shopping centre for the third time in 26 years, and with each change, we have spearheaded the evolution and trend of retail design.

Wisma Atria, one of the eight projects documented in our latest book, DP Architects on Orchard Road: Evolution of a Retail Streetscape, brings to mind the many achievements that our Publication Team has made this year. The book on Orchard Road presents our on-going commitment in shaping this renowned shopping street and was launched at the World Architecture Festival in October. Early this year, we released our monograph, The Master Architect Series: DP Architects, putting in perspective over forty years of the firm’s works. This was followed by the June release of our second publication, The Dubai Mall: Sand to Spectacle, which explores the design and construction of our largest and most complex project to date. These three books celebrate the culmination of many years of dedication and hard work by the project teams; we present these works and their efforts with great pride.

We have reached the end of another fulfilling year and we hope you enjoy our final Design in Print for 2012. Here’s wishing you all the blessings of the season and may you enjoy memorable experiences ushering in the New Year.

Angelene Chan, Director, DP Architects Pte Ltd

Cover photo: Wisma Atria, SingaporeDESIGN IN PRINT TEAM Additional contributor: Jackie Poh

Gra

phi

cs

Fu Tingting

Ed

itoria

l

Chan Hui MinNartano Lim

Writ

ing

Leong Wei LinMandy Too

Toh Bee Ping Tong Tong

Lek NoonchooLoh Yew Cheng

| The latest happenings in DP

DP Architects launched its latest publication DP Architects on Orchard Road: Evolution of a Retail Streetscape at the recent World Architecture Festival held on 3-5 October 2012. The book documents the history of Orchard Road and presents a selection of retail shopping centres by DP Architects completed between 2003 and 2012.

See page DP25 for more about DPA at WAF.

Book LaunchDP ARCHITECTS ON ORCHARD ROAD

DP 01

DP’s annual corporate event, BluePrint, was held at Rock Auditorium on 10 September 2012. Following this year’s theme of Past Present Perfect, the event began with a chronicle of DP’s history by Chairman

DP BluePrint 2012PAST PRESENT PERFECT

| Short takes on new & notable projects

Mr Chan Sui Him. Mr Chan’s presentation provided a constructive back story to the success of DP today. CEO Francis Lee took on the Present and addressed the achievements of the firm since its 2010 Strategic Plan. With the firm’s 50th year in 2017 in sight, he ended his presentation with an important message – to work with Purpose, Hunger and Drive. Looking forward, directors Ms Angelene Chan, Mr Wu Tzu Chiang and Mr Teoh Hai Pin expanded on the firm’s plans and targets for 2017.

Located along Bedok South Avenue 3, eCO is a residential

development that covers an area of 28,644 sqm and offers

748 units with five lifestyle typologies. As one of the largest

residential developments since the implementation of the

Developer’s Act (Amendment) 2012, its sales gallery and show

units are also among the first to be formally audited by URA

for compliance.

The five housing alternatives – Condominium, Loft, SOHO,

Suite and Townhouse – address a variety of lifestyle needs in

a singular development. eCO has several unique site features

including a 12m high slope that cuts across the centre of the

site and 18 conserved trees that must be maintained as part

of the land sales conditions. The townhouses line the site in

an east-west orientation, commanding sweeping views of the

greenery below, while the rest of the towers are orientated in

the north-south direction with extensive pool facilities. All five

residential types enjoy the rich tropical landscape and beautiful

outdoor environment.

Located at a transitory space in between HDB estates

and private landed properties, the project was submitted

for Provisional Permission at a time when new strata sales

guidelines involving townhouses were being announced. In

spite of the ensuing four-week submission delay, this project

moved from Provisional to Building Plan submission and

Strata Approval within six months. The project was launched

twelve hours after strata application was approved.

eCOSingapore01

resi

den

tial

resi

den

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| Short takes on new & notable projects

Jardin uses the high-rise greenery concept to great effect and bestows

a visual treat. A landscaped berm raises the building dramatically,

providing a buffer from the main road. The building is also set back

by terraces of green, filtering away the noise and view of the main

road. Various vertical spaces, such as lift lobby walls and columns

are clad with plants to enhance the garden-like quality and reduce

building temperatures. At alternate levels, garden projects extending

from the loft units serve as communal ‘green balconies’, providing

shade as well as connecting the units’ living spaces. The roof top has

a clubhouse and recreation garden with a series of event pavilions,

providing panoramic views of the surroundings.

The Beverly is a five-storey residential development comprising two blocks

of 118 two to four-bedroom apartments. A modern interpretation of the

tropical ambience characterise this development. The elevation’s architectural

expression of horizontality and fragmented planes is achieved with planters

punctuating the vertical elements. The 45m-long façade wall fronting Toh Tuck

Road gives the development a definitive identity and unites the facing blocks.

On every floor, a single lift core serves two units; each with a private lobby.

Each unit opens to adjacent living and dining areas that extend into the

generous balcony. All units are oriented to capture the best views. Each

fifth storey unit has a roof terrace with a raised timber deck and a private

swimming pool. The majority of the first storey units enjoy an attached

self-sufficient basement unit complete with pantry.

A condominium along Bukit Timah Road, Floridian recreates the coastal

lifestyle of Miami, Florida. The ground level is designed to minimise

vehicular traffic and display a rich interplay of lush greenery, recreational

landscape and water features. The extensive water bodies along the

spine of the development is a key feature, with ground floor units enjoying

the luxury of water lapping right outside their living and dining spaces.

The architectural language is one of modern tropical living,

characterised by clean, simple lines and a rich palette of materials.

Sleek fenestration pattern mixes with warm textured screens to give

different layers of architectural readings.

JardinSingapore

The BeverlySingapore

FloridianSingapore

02

03

04residential

residential

The design of the Singapore Cruise Centre addition and alteration

introduces multiple back-lit elements in the column cladding,

feature ceilings and feature walls, utilising nature motifs such as

leaves, flora and branches. Varying shades of granite create a

contemporary character, and the continuity of pattern throughout

contributed to the feel of a larger expanse of space. Green

elements include a 20-metre long, full-height green wall to

separate the arrival immigration and baggage collection area,

as well as artificial landscaping in the atrium.

The design catered for a 25% increase in operation space for

embarking and disembarking passengers, and consolidated the

arrival immigration area for both cruise and ferry passengers. The

re-configuration of space allowed for the addition of a secondary

cruise check-in, integration of F&B and retail units, and almost

doubled the existing waiting hall for ferry passengers.

Singapore Cruise CentreSingapore05

infr

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Located at prime location Sichuan North Road in Hongkou District,

Shanghai, this project is an addition and alteration of a building

comprising an office tower and retail podium. The design provides a

new and bold identity to the exterior and interior of both components.

Inspired by the ‘treasure box’ of Qing Dynasty emperors, One Prime

employs a lively architectural language and a double-skin fritted glass

curtain wall to wrap the retail podium with a jewel-like facade. The

façade has over 30,000 LED modules that dramatically transform the

retail podium into a highly animated, ever-changing feature at night.

The façade partially wraps over the podium roof and turns the rooftop

M&E equipment area into a design feature – an elevated garden that

serves to screen the services and provide an urban leisure space.

River SafariSingapore

One

Prim

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hina

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DP 03

Kuningan City is an integrated mixed-use development that comprises retail,

office and residential components. The long site creates opportunity for maximum

exposure of the commercial components. The residential towers are placed on

the more tranquil end of the site, facing the low-rise residential areas and giving

residents the much needed privacy. The 165m-long mall has been strategically

zoned, providing clear circulation and optimum visibility for each retail space. The

mall’s continuous four season-themed linear atriums, each with a distinct ambience,

are arranged to enhance shoppers’ experience. The 41-storey office tower, standing

at 195m, serves as a subtle advertisement for the entire development. The simple

shape corresponds to the organic forms of the retail podium.

The Heeren Singapore

Kuningan CityIndonesia

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With retailer Robinsons as the new tenant, The Heeren’s facelift will transform

the existing urban verandah into an attractive modern departmental store

that will significantly enhance the liveliness of the Orchard Road shopping

district. The idea and principle of a jewel box as an ‘urban window’ allows

an interactive display of merchandise and activities of the store. The urban

window is articulated with a series of Mondrian-inspired modern, expressive,

transparent pop-out boxes. In contrast to the jewel box approach on Level

3, 4 and 5, Levels 1 and 2 have a seamless clear façade that allows the

corridor space on the low levels to blend into the interior space. To celebrate

the fashion-oriented departmental store, an abstract red carpet and catwalk

gesture connecting the bus stop to the main entrance will be introduced.

River Safari is Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife attraction

situated between Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. The wildlife

park features flora and fauna from eight famous rivers – Amazon,

Mississippi, Congo, Nile, Ganges, Murray, Mekong and Yangtze

– in a naturalistic landscape. The park brings together the best in

zoological architecture and design, with state-of-the-art exhibit

artistry and technology to give visitors an immersive experience.

Rated Green Mark Platinum, the first for a park, River Safari

is designed and developed with great concern for the

environment, particularly in the Mandai Nature Reserve and

Upper Seletar Reservoir area where the park is situated. Exhibit

levels are designed to suit the existing terrain profile. Elevated

boardwalks serve as connectors between exhibits to minimise

the impact to existing grounds while allowing plants under the

shade to grow and animals to traverse.

recreational

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| Featured projects

I12 KATONGBy Tong Tong

A CONTEXTUAL MALL AS A NEW MODEL OF SUBURBAN MALL

YEAR: 2011 | AREA: 26,200 SQM | SINGAPORE

DP 05

It is essential to judge I12 Katong on its merits

by seeing it in a historical context. In 1980, DP

Architects designed Katong People’s Complex.

Thirty years later, DPA had an opportunity to

revisit the site, and reinterpreted the same

idea and transformed the building into a new

model of suburban mall. In his discussion of

the evolution of I12 Katong, Mr Chan Sui Him,

Chairman of DPA, argues that there are three

factors which contribute to the success of

any shopping centre: location, management

strategy and design.

I12 Katong is perhaps one of the few shopping

malls that is sensitive and responsive to its

context in Singapore. This six-floor revamped

project, with new amenities such as a cinema

and a roof garden, accommodates a variety of

dining, shopping and entertainment choices

which were previously found only in the

traditional city shopping district. Unlike the

conventional modern shopping mall, whose

design tends to be inward-facing, I12 Katong is

porous to connect with its surroundings. The

design team aimed to create a unique addition to

the existing vibrant and walkable neighbourhood

while respecting its history and character.

I12 Katong is sited at the intersection of two

primary roads – Joo Chiat Road and East

Coast Road in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood,

the historical centre of Katong. As the first

national heritage conservation area, its urban

and architectural character traces its origin

back to the early 20th century, when significant

Peranakan and Eurasian populations moved into

Joo Chiat area alongside the Chinese, Malay

and Indian communities. The uniqueness and

multi-ethnic influences of the Joo Chiat area are

expressed in the street life and architecture. It is

best known for the colourful rows of traditional

Peranakan shophouses with the covered

‘five-foot way’ running continuously along the

streets. As the name suggests, the walkways

are five feet across, providing not only a covered

walkway to shield pedestrians from the sun and

the rain, but also functioning as a semi-public

permeable space where people gather to eat,

drink and chat.

The series of sketches

shows how I12 Katong

is experienced as

visitors approach along

Joo Chiat Road.

Far left:

Katong People’s

Complex, 1980s.

1

2

3

4

5

I12 KATONG IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE FEW SHOPPING MALLS THAT IS SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO ITS CONTEXT IN SINGAPORE

| Featured projects

Right: Longitudinal

section.

Below: Elevation along

Joo Chiat Road.

In keeping with the historical flavour, I12

Katong introduces a series of outdoor dining

terraces along the Joo Chiat Road façade as

an intermediate space between exterior and

interior, where the activities inside spill out onto

the sidewalk and become part of the street life

and vice versa. On the ground level, the façades

along the two main roads are also recessed

to provide shade for residents shopping in the

afternoons, echoing the ‘five-foot way’ of the

surroundings. For the visitor, I12 Katong is first

experienced from the intersection of two main

roads, where the public transportation networks

converge. The new entrance lobby is carved

diagonally at the corner of the intersection,

permitting the creation of a public square.

The much improved open, public space is

conceived as an outdoor relief space at the

road junction and plays a significant role in

DP 07

Team Members

Chan Sui Him,

(right to left)

James Soo,

Pang Mung Ching &

Carlo Magallanes Calleja.

Above: Elevation facing

East Coast Road.

Left: On the ground

level, the recessed

façades provide shade

and is reminiscent of the

‘five-foot way’.

the reorganisation of the flow and perception

of urban space. Deriving its scale from the

existing three-storey shophouses, the building

is stepped back as it rises. Visible are only

the three-floor transparent curved curtain wall

with strips of abstract imprints of Peranakan

tiles when the visitor approaches from the road

junction. This building is individually articulated

towards each side, and the dimensions and

scale are tailored to its adjacent buildings. The

elevation presents a new identity expressed in

glass curtain wall along East Coast Road, while

the façade along Joo Chiat Road reflects the

characteristic rhythm of existing shophouses,

which is modulated into human-scale intervals.

The abstraction of Peranakan pattern is

a recurring theme in this project, and the

elaborate patterns are also found on the floor

finishing and ceilings.

| Featured projects

It is interesting to note that there are many

aspects of this project that stem from Centre

Pompidou in Paris, designed by Renzo Piano and

Richard Rogers in 1977. The original scheme of

I12 Katong, completed by DP Architects in 1983

and known then as Katong People’s Complex,

was inspired by Centre Pompidou where half

of the site was left as an open public square for

exhibitions and visual happenings, meetings, etc.

Like that of the famed Parisian gallery, the newly

created public square of I12 Katong connects

the picturesque street life and culture along Joo

Chiat Road, where the dynamic social activities

flow into the square.

The second architectural strategy of Centre

Pompidou involved the decision to place

structure and services on the outside which was

driven by the need for internal flexibility, providing

huge expanses of uninterrupted space on open

floors for exhibitions. In the case of I12 Katong,

the architects have reconsidered the solutions to

increase the tenantable area, providing maximum

internal flexibility and future adaptability. The

modified design introduces diagonal beams and

eliminates unnecessary columns between the

bays above the parking levels, leading to a more

open and flexible retail layout. The only remaining

column in the atrium is reinforced as a glowing

feature ‘tree’, an installation that branches out

from the central column with a subdued lighting

that echoes daylight shining through foliage. It

creates an effect reminiscent of a common tree

in a Peranakan house courtyard.

I12 KATONG HAS BECOME MORE THAN

A RETAIL PLACE FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY – INVITING AND PERMEABLE, BUT WITHOUT LOSING ITS CONNECTION TO THE SURROUNDING

Right: The introduced

diagonal beams eliminate

unnecessary columns

between the bays above

the parking levels,

leading to a more open

and flexible retail layout.

The escalator provides

uninterrupted pedestrian

flow from the street level

to the upper levels.

Below: The only

remaining column in the

atrium is reinforced as a

glowing feature ‘tree’.

Top: Third-floor outdoor

dining terrace.

Above: First-floor

outdoor dining terrace

with Peranakan

patterns.

DP 09

A case could be made that the design of I12

Katong incorporates a contemporary take on

the piano nobile, which is the principal floor of a

large house in classical renaissance architecture.

The escalator cutting across the front of the

curved curtain wall at the entrance provides

uninterrupted pedestrian flow from the street

level to the atrium at the second level. The

continuous escalator that weaves throughout the

building facilitates easy access from the street

level to the upper levels. Here the piano nobile

has been reinterpreted in the scheme to place

emphasis on the importance of the second floor,

while the entire ground storey is reserved for

retail purpose. As a result, even though its gross

floor area is relatively unchanged at 282,000 sq

ft after redevelopment, its net leasable area rises

greatly, from 172,170 sq ft to over 212,600 sq ft.

As a site steeped in history, I12 Katong features

two levels of interpretation: an urban space

that encourages encounters in an area where

various ethnic groups intermingle; a building

that responds to the particular features of

the site, such as the height, scale, material

and shading requirements, knitting together the

interior and exterior.

As an alternative to the CBD and other concentrations

such as Orchard Road and Bugis, I12 Katong

has become more than a retail place for the local

community – inviting and permeable, but without

losing its connection to the surroundings. Devoid of

the associated negatives such as traffic congestion

and overcrowding, suburban malls like I12 Katong

have evolved outside the traditional shopping belts

in Singapore to offer shoppers an attractive and

unique urban experience closer to home.

Doha Festival City is an up and coming commercial development sitting on some 43 hectares located about 15km north of the downtown district. Doha, much like its well-known Middle Eastern counterpart Dubai, embodies a mix of traditional Arab customs with modern lifestyle and is slowly evolving into a metropolis of the Arabian Gulf region. Doha Festival City comprises a retail and entertainment hub complete with hospitality and business facilities, a theme park, and motor showrooms.

The Doha Festival City Mall, with 500 retail stores and a gross floor area of 327,000 sqm, is the largest component of the development. It houses more than 8,500 car parking lots spread over structured car parks, basement car parks and surface parking spaces. The scale of the project and the immediate surrounds inspired the design concept of creating an extension of the vast desert site. This was also largely a response to the client’s brief of limiting water usage.

It was essential to the concept to have a simple yet provocative exterior which paid homage to the desert and could also complement the more intricately designed interior concourse of the mall. The strategy was to create focal points at each entrance, all of which lie along the west-facing façade. Sand-coloured pre-cast concrete panels constitute the main façade element. Each entrance is then designed as a prominent

Team Members

Top picture:

(standing left to right)

John Alejandro,

Taufiq Rusdi,

Alfi Syahrifat,

Rahmanto Dharma,

Dimas Satria,

Ahmmad Trisyarahman,

Toh Sze Chong,

Clyde Uriarte,

Dzulkifli Noor,

Daniel Floresca,

Naga P Marimuthu,

Nugraha Irsan,

(sitting)

Anna Narciso,

Maureen Suryani,

Dania Siska,

Tan Cheng Pei,

Anastasia Widyaningsih

& Peach Phiengphis

Phinichrungruengkri

Bottom picture:

(standing)

Corazon Visayana,

Dettamole Jose,

Norazizah Hassein,

May Chan,

Tala Kammourieh,

Sonya Kundi,

Veronica Galleta Antones,

(sitting)

Loven Tolentino,

Ramasamy

Chandrasekaran,

Patrick Deno Bonotan

Desamparado,

Gregorio Mesoga,

Satish Rajan &

Satrio Utomo Dradjat

DOHA FESTIVAL CITY MALLRESPONDING TO THE D E S E RT L A N DSCA P E By Mandy Too

| Featured projects

Right: The fashion

atrium with its

dome-shaped

feature ceiling;

natural light fills the

main entrance lobby.

THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT AND THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDS INSPIRED THE DESIGN CONCEPT OF CREATING AN EXTENSION OF THE VAST DESERT SITE

volume extrusion which was envisioned as a structure emerging from the desert land. The design concept extends to the exterior plaza where a sense of arrival and outdoor activities were incorporated with landscaping designed as a structured arid desert.

The interior design challenge was to break down the massive scale of the mall and intrigue the shoppers to keep them moving. Four main zones were created with the intention of characterising specific retail segments of the mall. The largest of the four zones, Luxury Fashion, is designed as a circular atrium with a dome-shaped feature ceiling. The space is accentuated by natural light from high level windows on which the dome is elevated. The other three zones – Centre Court, Entertainment Centre and Market Place – are similarly distinguished by simple geometric shapes and characterised by different themes, making them uniquely identifiable.

YEAR: 2015 | AREA: 434,000 SQM | QATAR

DP 11

Right: The large sunken

plaza in the centre of

Boulevardi Mall.

Far right: The two-

storey subsurface

gourmet village inspired

by Istanbul’s lively

streetscapes.

BOULEVARDI MALL CHOREOGRAPHS A NEW WAY OF ORGANISING THE PARTS OF THE MASTER PLAN INTO A SEAMLESS WHOLE

| Featured projects

To experience the real Istanbul, one must not

only visit the Byzantine mosaics and colourful

bazaars, but also walk its tangled streets. Urban

living in Istanbul takes place in its streets. It is

the celebrated space of everyday encounters,

communal events and social activities which

link people together. What makes buildings in

Istanbul liveable is its intimate space pattern:

the streets, squares and other public spaces. It

is perhaps why cities like Istanbul with its vivid

street life and meaningful spaces are more

stimulating than those that are homogeneous.

The spirit of street life is the source of inspiration

for the architecture of Boulevardi Mall, designed

by DP Architects. It choreographs a new way

of organising the large-scale built environment

which brings the parts of the master plan into

a seamless whole. Boulevardi Mall involves

over 400 indoor and outdoor shops – 100 of

which are restaurants, cafés and entertainment

outlets – spanning three levels below the ground

and two levels above it. Moving away from the

tendency toward introversion of conventional

shopping malls, the design team turns the

shopping mall inside out and proposes a system

of paths as ‘streets’ to connect its ‘plazas’ and

‘public squares’.

As the name suggests, the circulation route

of Boulevardi Mall on the ground is a clear

loop which incorporates the main pedestrian

boulevard. Walking along it, different public

spaces present themselves. The architecture

and landscape design integrates contemporary

aesthetics with traditional architectural

proportions for the comfort of visitors, creating

a richly textured and inviting urban environment.

The sequence of activities and details such as

skylights, terraces and fountains along the route

are carefully arranged for the aesthetic pleasure

of the moving observer. There are a series of

distinctive nodes in the complex, for example,

at the core is a two-storey subsurface gourmet

BOULEVARDI MALLA CHOREOGRAPHY OF DISTINCTIVE SPATIAL SEQUENCESBy Tong Tong

village inspired by Istanbul’s lively streetscapes.

The skylights bring natural illumination and reveal

the daily weather and seasons of the year. The

large sunken plaza located in the centre of the

mall operates as a constantly active theatre

for people-watching, becoming a focal point

of activity. It is a multi-purpose space that has

outdoor dining around an interactive water

feature, which can be transformed into an ice-

skating rink in the winter.

Like any good built environment, Boulevardi Mall

is richly diverse; every part has an identifiable

character that allows choice and exploration.

The design team understands the importance of

legibility: to function easily and carry a dialogue

with the architecture or space, one must be able

to read and identify the environment. Seeking

to make the network memorable as a system of

clear and coherent sequences, the underground

shopping area is organised in a continuous loop

that passes through four retail zones themed

after the seasons. The Spring Zone features

‘tree-top cafes’ and an open air courtyard for the

food court, punctuated by a dramatic 12-metre

‘waterveil’. An aquarium forms the focus of the

Summer Court, which takes its inspiration from

the colours of the sun and the sea. A forest

canopy inspired the spaces in the Autumn Gallery

and the design of the Winter Corridor aims to

capture the crystalline quality of the winter light.

The essential component of the design involves

reinterpreting the local patterns as a spatial

sequence with distinct nodes and views. The

design team respects the everyday environment

in Istanbul and how it shapes lives and activities.

The views from the paths expose the major

social areas and their dominant functions. Here,

the shopping mall is as meaningful and delightful

as the lively streets in Istanbul. The design of

Boulevardi Mall inspires visitors to reveal their

most interesting activities and rediscover the

spirit of exploration and the joy of shopping.

Team Members

(left to right)

Frederick Chico Estacio,

Shiao Lin Liem,

Mike Lim,

Chan Hui MIn,

Goh Huiwen &

Krisnamurti Lumenta

YEAR: 2015 | AREA: 145,000 SQM | TURKEY

DP 13

| Featured projects

The history of Jakarta, a spice trade gateway

linking the east and west, goes back to

the fifth century. Jakarta has become a

melting pot of various cultures and people

– a cluster of self-sustaining communities

of concentrated and diverse use annexed

together. Today, Jakarta is not only a city

with deep historical roots; it has developed

into a massive metropolis of more than 10

million inhabitants. In terms of population size

and growth rate, Jakarta can be considered

as one of the most important major cities in

Southeast Asia. As the most populous city

in Southeast Asia, the overall population

of Jakarta increased 100 times in the 20th

century. The density of Jakarta plays an

important role in shaping the city and how it

functions. As in the older mixed-use areas in

Jakarta, despite high densities, the intensely

urbanised areas are vibrant day and night.

Inspired by the tightly knit communities

existing for centuries in Jakarta, SOHO @

Podomoro City aims to be a vibrant mixed-

use neighbourhood that revitalises the

diversity in a high-density area.

This intervention brings together the varied

building programmes, public spaces and

REINTERPRETING THE MIXED-USE PATTERN OF

JAKARTABy Tong Tong

natural landscapes, consisting of a six-

storey shopping mall, a ten-storey car park,

a 26-storey SOHO tower and a three-storey

business school integrated within a 30-storey

office tower. It is DP Architects’ second

endeavour to regenerate the diversity of this

area. It can be considered a continuation of the

successful Central Park development (Design

in Print, Volume 2, Number 2), which also sits

within the Podomoro City master plan and was

designed by DP Architects and completed in

2011. On a site of eight hectare, Central Park

steps back from the adjacent development,

allowing the central space to be a social centre

for the surrounding high-density and high-rise

areas. It has become one of Jakarta’s most

vigorous shopping destinations. Similar to

Central Park, consideration has been given

to the concentration of the building’s mass,

which generates generous public space for

interaction and gathering. SOHO @ Podomoro

City is conceived as the gateway to a greater

metropolitan region along Jalan S Parman

Highway in western Jakarta. Adjacent to

the important Jalan Tol Pluit-Tomang area

connecting the airport to downtown Jakarta,

the curved LED media façade of the shopping

mall could be visible from the main roads.

SOHO @ PODOMORO CITY AIMS TO BE A VIBRANT MIXED-USE NEIGHBOURHOOD THAT REVITALISES THE DIVERSITY IN A HIGH-DENSITY AREA

DP 15

YEAR: 2012 (DESIGN) | AREA: 102,800 SQM | INDONESIA

SOHO@PODOMOROCITY

A pedestrian bridge,

Eco Sky Walk, connects

SOHO @ Podomoro City

and Central Park.

It intends to interact with the surroundings and

strengthen the formation as a gateway to the

city centre by delivering messages through

digital displays and visual interfaces.

This development also features SOHO units,

a hybrid of residential and commercial office

space under one roof. Although SOHO is a

relatively new building typology in Jakarta, a

large percentage of people in Jakarta actually

engaged in small home-based business.

A great number of buildings in Jakarta were

developed as mixed-use structures, and most

neighbourhoods contain a diversity of uses.

This prevalent existing historical mixed-used

pattern has been reinterpreted in SOHO @

PROGRAMMATIC BUILDING ORIENTATION MOTION OF VORTEX

| Featured projects

Podomoro City, thus establishing a link with

the history of Jakarta.

Seeking to establish a visual relationship

between the Central Park development

and SOHO@ Podomoro City, the profile of

a dynamic vortex responds to the elegant

arch of Central Park. The landscape on

the ground is complemented by green

spaces surrounding and penetrating the

whole complex. The curtain wall façade

of the SOHO tower continues the arch

and integrates the downward tiered green

terraces. It breaks the two-dimensional and

closed appearance of a typical tower façade

and softens the sheer mass of the buildings.

Team Members

(standing left to right)

Rida Sobana,

Andi Anggoro,

Wu Tzu Chiang,

Dadi Surya,

(sitting)

Noer Ucen Hong,

Daisy Layadi,

Fransiska Wongso,

Andria D Adiputra,

(other members)

Krisnamurti Lumenta,

Iman Ashar,

Lee Chung Hong &

Stephanie Lie.

Left: The profile of a

dynamic vortex responds

to the arch of Central Park.

Right: The vortex

inspired atrium of the

retail podium.

CONTINUOUS PARK

The roof garden on top of the shopping mall

offers tranquil green spaces, accessible to

surrounding neighbourhoods. A pedestrian

bridge, named Eco Sky Walk, stretches 210m

across Podomoro Avenue with enhanced

interconnectivity and pedestrian flow between

these two developments. The entire complex

is a three-dimensional urban space, in which

buildings both under and above the ground,

central public spaces, green terraces and roof

gardens are fused together.

Undeniably, the diversity and complexity of

the city is vital to the life of Jakarta. In the

response to the city’s historical heritage,

DP Architects preserves the mixed-use

pattern of the city and builds a local sense of

belonging. The introduced SOHO units may

be seen as a contemporary complement to

the small home-based businesses in Jakarta.

Along with Central Park, this area creates

connected urban spaces that are inviting and

open to the public, providing an engaging

place that complements and supports

adjacent neighbourhoods. The design team

also recognises the importance of public

space in Jakarta, promoting interactions

within a diversity of spaces, which vary

from commercial, residential, recreational to

educational, while providing the complex with

an unmistakable identity within the greater

urban context.

DP 17

Originally where the Indonesian embassy was

located, the site was redeveloped in 1986 into

Wisma Atria and designed by DP Architects

as a 22-storey office tower with a 5-storey

commercial podium. The original architecture

of Wisma Atria was an introverted atrium-

centric, ‘rectilinear-formed’ mall which aligned

with contemporary global design patterns for

retail buildings of its time and scale.

Over the span of the last 26 years, DP

Architects has been involved in the

WISMA AT R I AREGENERATION & RETROFITTING – A FRESH AND DISTINCTIVERETAIL EXPERIENCEBy Leong Wei Lin

| Design solutions

reinterpretation of Wisma Atria where the

constant renewal allows the mall to respond to

changing societal trends and remain relevant

as the definition of retail experience is refined

over the years. The practice of retrofitting

not only introduces new uses to the building

and generates activities suitable to the

unban context, it is also a sustainable form

of development which gives a building a new

lease of life without extensive demolishment

and rebuilding.

Top: Wisma Atria’s

new crystalline façade.

Middle: Design

sketches showing

the evolution of the

Wisma Atria façade

from 2004 to present.

Left: Wisma Atria

1986 & 2004.

DP 19

YEAR: 2012 | AREA: 41,300 SQM | SINGAPORE

Wisma Atria’s 2004 facelift can be considered

the transition point for DP Architects’ retail

design direction towards the extroverted

urban mall typology found in Orchard Road

today. A façade expansion created new visual

and functional links between the interior retail

space and exterior promenade; the use of

glass increased transparency and an external

escalator connected upper retail storeys

directly to the street – design moves that

comprehensively resituated a 1980s retail mall

as a street-integrated shopping mall.

The 2012 transformation of Wisma Atria is

designed to further augment street visibility

and respond to the patterns of human

movement through the site. Strategically

located between and linking two of Orchard

Road’s most prominent corner developments,

the new Wisma Atria façade strongly asserts

its own unique character and presence. The

façade enhancement is also in line with the

Urban Redevelopment Authority’s on-going

effort to enhance pedestrian connectivity,

attractiveness and vibrancy in the Orchard

Road Planning Area.

Left: Approaching

from street level,

the distinctive new

frontage draws the

passerby’s attention.

In the new façade design, a high-visibility,

faceted glass enclosure performs as a dynamic

envelope, articulated to extend 7.5 metres from

the original structure at its furthest point. The

mall’s architectural progression, like many retail

developments on Orchard Road, continues to

take place within the contours of the building’s

original structure.

The materiality of the new façade is a dialogue

between triangulated, faceted glass storefronts

and a matte-aluminium finish for the cladding

of structure and mechanical systems. To

further engage the heavy pedestrian flow

generated by the adjacent MRT station,

the main entrance was realigned on-centre

with the interior circulation and the sunken

basement-level programming was sealed off

to create a uniform podium linking the street

to the mall via a set of grand stairs, which also

doubles as a multi-purpose event area.

The new stairs where the new frontage is raised

upon like on a pedestal, serves the double

purpose of a permanent flood barrier and as

a direct pedestrian link to the mall’s new main

entrances at the second storey. New ramps

were also designed to facilitate movement for

the less mobile and to channel pedestrians

arriving from the MRT station and flanking malls

directly into Wisma Atria’s retail spaces.

| Design solutions

Team Members

(left to right)

Mike Lim,

Edwin Tong,

Jane Han,

Elsie Ong,

Tan Ting Chun,

Alvin Arre,

Angelene Chan,

Chai Ming Kuang,

Claudia Sonia Nam &

Syahirah Binte Abbas.

Panoramic view of

the new Wisma Atria

façade.

Right: DP Architects

has designed the

façade of Wisma

Atria three times

since 1986, each

reincarnation

further increasing

the connectivity

between the activities

of the pedestrian

promenade and the

internal retail shops.

PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY – BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND COMMERCIAL SPACE

1986 2004 2012

DP 21

Left: Structural

study diagram

showing goal

post framing

concept; Lighting

concept study;

Diagrammatic

section of staircase

nosing with

recessed LED

fixture.

Drawings courtesy

of ARUP Singapore

Pte Ltd.

Below: Night view

of faceted glass

enclosure with lit

grand stairs.

The structural concept was based on the

goal-post frame structure – with two main

support columns spanning across a longer

distance, thereby freeing up the intermediate

space where the faceted glass façade would

be created. This allowed for the faceted glass

façade to become the focal point and also

maximises the visual porosity to the interior by

ridding the main shopfronts of any structural

obstruction. Coupled with the use of ultra-

clear glass, activities taking place within the

mall are clearly visible from street level, which

adds an inviting element to the mall frontage.

The intention of the lighting design was to

highlight the crystalline structure of the new

façade in an elegant and timeless manner.

Alluding to the crystal-like form of the façade,

some studies of light reflection in gems and

crystals were conducted. Careful consideration

was given to the mounting locations and beam

angles of the light fixtures were varied such

that the light was focused effectively along the

surface of the glass facets. Together with the

internal lighting, the overall lighting solution

emphasised the crystalline structure of the glass

envelope as well as the aluminium façade, and

created a visual sense of depth as one walks

down the street.

The lighting design also called for the monolithic

grand stairs to be used as a canvas for the play

of light. Together with the lighting consultant,

moiré patterns were studied, and through

the use of scripting software, patterns were

generated by overlaying layers of lines extracted

from the stair and façade geometry, resulting in

a logical and beautiful pattern which achieved

some element of perceptive illusion. The final

design delivered an intriguing animated ‘light

tapestry’ that directs people toward the central

Wisma Atria entrance and complements the

vibrant Orchard Road nightscape.

The combined redevelopment measures for

the mall have been conceived to strongly re-

position the Wisma Atria mall in the increasingly

competitive Orchard Road retail environment.

With the latest iteration of the façade articulation

for the mall, it further increases the connectivity

between the pedestrian promenade and the

internal retail spaces. By manipulating the same

structure as a host to a variety of frontages, the

mall’s personality has been periodically refreshed

to retain a strong customer draw over the span

of the last 26 years.

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| Design solutions

DP 15

YEAR: 2014 | AREA: 327.183 M² | QATAR

Ramp to promenade

Faceted glazing opens up the

existing curtain wall further to

permit greater internal visibility

and a focal point for the new

façade juxtaposed against the

solidity of the aluminium cladding.

A blue backdrop façade retains

the signature colour of Wisma

Atria and the horizontality of

the pattern creates an ordered

background to the dynamic lines

of the façade.

Double-storey shop fronts

framed by the façade articulation

provide pedestrians with a clear

uninterrupted view of the retail

tenants.

Grand stairs with a raised

podium affords opportunities for

active urban spaces. Ramps also

enhance accessibility from street

level and neighbouring buildings

to the mall, especially for the

elderly, less mobile, and parents

with prams.

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Retail Thinking:

A Circular EvolutionBy Nartano Lim

At the advent of the indoor shopping mall in

1956, Victor Gruen, widely considered the

father of the shopping mall, saw the mall as

a replacement for the traditional European

pedestrianised shopping boulevards and

American urban downtowns, replete with

public squares and non-commercial areas of

contemplation. The environment would control

more than just the climate, but also offer safety,

security and a condensed simulacrum of the

varied urban condition. For decades, this

concept continued to be adapted, some would

say mutated, into nondescript developments

surrounded by a moat of open car parks (or

massive multi-storey car parks in Asia), devoid

of any contextual or urban response, with the

sole aim to generate the highest amount of

revenue with the least amount of inefficiency

in cost or space.

While mall development remains commercially

driven, savvy developers and retailers realise

that the environment created needs to be more

than just a concentration of retail options. One

could also argue that the role of the shopping

mall in today’s society has greatly evolved.

In a country such as Singapore where the

climate is inhospitable, the shopping mall

offers a respite and a common collection point.

Moreover, Singapore, due to high density and

land costs, has long had a history of mixed-

use developments such that the lines between

commercial, infrastructure, residential and leisure

are often blurred. The shopping mall has evolved

to hold great importance as a space in modern

society that – beyond commerce and Gruen’s

original aims of comfort, security, familiarity –

start to approximate civic space. Many people

may never go to the traditional prescribed sites

of congregation – town hall, library, places of

| Architecture Issues

worship, but visit shopping malls and use the

space for social purposes beyond retail therapy.

The latest evolution of the shopping mall –

decentralised shopping centres that sit in the

middle-ground in terms of both scale and

retail offerings – perhaps return closer to the

original aims of Gruen. These decentralised

malls – myVillage at Serangoon Garden and

Katong I12 are perfect examples – combine

the comforts of a controlled environment and

the density of retail and food outlets with a

scale and approach specific to the context of

the neighbourhood they are sited in. Moreover,

these ‘new’ malls have a porosity that actively

encourages a dialogue between interior and

exterior – between content and context. This

occurs both physically, through the allowance

of large span transparent curtain walls and

naturally lit atriums, and programmatically, by

creating internal gathering spaces, landscaped

zones and cues from the local neighbourhood.

Both projects actively engage the local context

in such a way that they become a specific

product that addresses the programmatic need

to offer everyday retail such as grocery stores

and pharmacies as well as branded offerings

typically found in the larger malls in traditional

shopping districts such as Orchard Road.

In a sense, Gruen’s original intention of having

all the benefits of the traditional shopping street

within an idealised, conditioned indoor space

have now mutated again, but perhaps closer to

Gruen’s ideals. Realising that the site context

can be an important catalyst for the design

of the shopping mall, today’s decentralised

offerings build on Gruen’s core tenets while

further exploring issues of congregation,

occupation and contextualisation.

THESE ‘NEW’ MALLS HAVE A POROSITY THAT ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES A DIALOGUE BETWEEN INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR – BETWEEN CONTENT AND CONTEXT

Above: myVillage

at Serangoon

Garden represents

the new evolution

of intermediate-

scaled malls that

bridge the context

of the suburb

and the city, the

mundane and the

aspirational.

DP Architects at

World Architecture Festival

Playing tour guide

ArchiTours 2012

DPians to participate in

Fête des Lumières 2012

DP Architects’

Newly Registered ArchitectsSix DPians, the most number from one firm, received their

practising certificate for registered architects at the 2012

Board of Architects (BOA) Presentation Ceremony. The six

are Mr Goh Wei Kiat, Ms Lau Su Leen, Mr Lionel Leow,

Ms Wang Ying, Mr Matthew Yeo and Ms Yvonne Yeo.

Ms Yeo was also named the Best Candidate in the

Professional Practice Examination.

Registrar of BOA Mr Larry Ng singled out DP Architects

and the firm’s chairman, Mr Chan Sui Him, in his speech

for the exemplary effort over the years in encouraging

Continuing Professional Development and grooming new

generations of architects.

At the same event, DP directors Ms Angelene Chan,

Mr Teoh Hai Pin and Mr Wu Tzu Chiang received their

ASEAN Architects registration certificates. The presentation

ceremony was held on 3 November 2012 at Marina

Mandarin Singapore.

ArchiTours 2012, the popular anchor event

of ArchiFest, organised by the Singapore

Institute of Architects to showcase Singapore

architecture, was held on the Friday evenings

and weekends of October and included four

projects by DP Architects. ITE College West

and myVillage at Serangoon Garden were

stops on the Rethink Landscape tours, while

Wanderlust and Fullerton Heritage, including

Fullerton Bay Hotel, Clifford Pier and Customs

House, were part of the Rethink Hospitality

programme. Architects of the projects played

tour guide to participants who included

design professionals and students, and

members of the public.

DPians Mervin Tan and Huang Jiahui, founding members

of MINUS – a student interest group established in the

National University of Singapore – together with three other

members will be participating in Fête des Lumières (Festival

of Lights) 2012 in Lyon, France in November. From their

installation at Luminance! 2012, a light art festival, MINUS

and two other artists were chosen to create a collaboration

piece for Fête des Lumières. MINUS’s piece, titled ‘If you

please – draw me a sheep’ and inspired by Antoine de

Saint-Exupéry’s story of The Little Prince, takes the form of

an opaque white cube that houses the ephemeral quality of

light at the core and explores the book’s theme of loss of

imagination as one enters adulthood.

| Awards & events

DP 25

DP Architects director Ms Angelene Chan was an invited speaker and judge

at the renowned World Architecture Festival held at Marina Bay Sands from

3-5 October 2012. Speaking on the theme Renewing the City: Regeneration,

Reuse, Retrofit, Ms Chan discussed the renewal of Orchard Road and spoke

on DP Architect’s role in shaping the shopping strip’s present form.

DP Architects also launched its latest publication, DP Architects on Orchard

Road, at WAF. To commemorate the launch, DP designers Ms Fu Tingting,

Ms Leong Wei Lin and Mr Nartano Lim created a unique three-dimensional

display. Made of laminated plywood sheets, the display featured a grid of over

20,000 screws which were painstakingly adjusted by hand to form a map

graphic of DP’s projects on Orchard Road. The heights of the screws were

manipulated to create a three-dimensional surface, utilising the painted screw

heads as pixels to form a larger image. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black –

the colours used in four-colour process printing – were chosen to signify

DP’s foray into publishing. The design manually recreated the printing process

where an image is reproduced with dots of ink of the four CMYK colours.

Above: (left to right) Mr Patrick Bellew of Atelier

Ten, Mr Donald Bates of Lab Architecture Studio,

Ms Angelene Chan of DP Architects and Mr

Emre Arolat of Emre Arolat Architects.

Left: Calibrating the WAF book launch display.

Courtesy of ArchiTours Team 2012

From lett to right: Lionel Leow, Goh Wei Kiat, Yvonne Yeo, Wang Ying & Lau Su Leen

Courtesy of World Architecture Festival

retail experiences

Interview with

| DP personalities

Design in Print invites eight DPians behind some of our key retail projects to share their thoughts on retail – from their shopping habits, favourite retail spaces, to what makes a successful mall.

Interview by Toh Bee Ping

Mike Lim

Niew Pey Ran

Rida Sobana

Edwin Arokiyam

Chai Ming Kuang

Ng San Son

Ng Swee Hong

Toh Li Chuin

(Clockwise from top left)Tokyo Midtown; La

Rambla in Barcelona; a shopping street in Milan;

Ssamzie Market in Insadong, Seoul; resting

between shopping in Barcelona; Nicholas G

Hayek Center in Tokyo; MegaBox mall in Hong

Kong; and Milan’s Quadrilatero della Moda.

When I visit a mall, I look for something unique about the place, be it the shopfront design or layout. I look for ideas and inspiration. Most of the projects I work on are commercial; after a while, you ask yourself “What can I do here to not only make it different, but better?” People go to malls to shop, I go to learn something new.

I visited Barcelona last year and La Rambla, a tree-lined shopping street, made an impression. It is about 1.5km long, around the same as Orchard Road, and is filled with vendors, kiosks and street artists. Many side streets lead to more shops and markets. In comparison, the street scene on Orchard Road could be more happening.

I’ve worked on several malls in Jakarta. Because they are scattered around the city, Jakarta malls need to be of a certain size to be a magnet. The average Jakarta mall is easily two to three times bigger than the ones in Singapore. Also because of the traffic condition, it makes sense for the people to go to one place for everything. In a saturated market, malls need to differentiate themselves. Clients look to designers for inspiration to market their mall. A successful example is the large external park at Central Park in Jakarta. Having a large outdoor landscaped civic space is quite a new thing for the city. The client organises activities at the park during Christmas, Hari Raya and such occasions, and it has become a draw for the development.

Senior Associate Director

Mike LimDoha Festival City, DohaThe Dubai Mall, Dubai

Some people see shopping as retail therapy, but I find it stressful. Christmas shopping is the ultimate stress! I may do a bit of shopping when I travel, but I prefer street shopping to mall shopping because its more relaxed with less pressure to buy. The truly enjoyable shopping experience is incidental shopping. When you find what you like by chance, it makes you happy.

In Singapore, people no longer shop out of necessity; they shop for ‘wants’. Mall merchandise is largely the same from Orchard Road to Tampines to Jurong. It is the shopper’s experience that makes a successful mall. I find that true shoppers don’t like to think, they want to enjoy the experience. If a shopper has to figure out how to get to certain places or worry about carpark, they will not go to that mall. Similarly, if they think too hard, they won’t buy. Spontaneity is an important element.

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DP 27

In dense, developed cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, malls are everywhere. The mall has become an important element in family life. At a mall, you can perform all kinds of activities – banking, have meals, send your child to school, see the dentist; it is no longer a place to just buy. If a mall can become the heart of a locale, the focal point that community life revolves around – much like in ancient times, where the souk or trading place was the heart of a city – it will be successful.

Associate DirectorNiew Pey Ran

Guoson Centre, ShanghaiJoy City, Shanghai

What I consider the ideal shopping experience has evolved. From the pure utility of daily subsistence to the headiness of splurging on something which is just that bit more than you should spend, my haunts have veered from neighbourhood malls to that really kooky shop hidden in a tiny street off the mainstream. 3 CITIES AND 3 EXPERIENCESHarbour City, Hong Kong: The tendency to impulse buy in Hong Kong is overwhelming. Within walking distance, numerous shops vie for one’s attention. There is an almost egalitarian ethos, a classless vibe which facilitates purchase. We overspend tragically. Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan: The difference is in the ambience. Though these are the same brands, the entire district exudes an understated elegant charm.

Block Arcade, Melbourne: To wander the streets and chance upon that small hidden bistro you were brought to three years ago, to find a little gem of a store tucked in a small lane. Serendipitous shopping and a great flat white.

In China, there now exist three diverging group of consumers: The internet-savvy and well-traveled who will have a weekend jaunt in Hong Kong just to get that latest Chanel bag; an

increasingly affluent middle class still streaked in conservatism where grandness and pomp is still paramount; and a vast majority where shopping has only just been elevated above a chore. To cater to the general has become increasingly difficult as the entire shopping culture is being developed at such a condensed space of time. In the end, all you have are themes layered on artifice pitched in hyperbole, signifying nothing. Therein lies the challenge and all the fun.

Associate Director

Rida Sobana

Kemang Village, JakartaSenayan City, Jakarta

A recent trip to Hanoi provided a memorable

shopping experience. After the big modern malls in Japan,

US and UK, shopping in Hanoi was like going back to basics. It was memorable because the whole experience was different – narrow streets, outdoor shopping, the personal

interaction, the way the wares were displayed at

the shop front, and the merchandise comprising mostly

handicrafts and local designs. South Korea was also eye-opening in terms of how the retailers sold their goods at places like Ssamzie Market in Insadong and the 24-hour Dongdaemun Market. I was at Dongdaemun around midnight and the street was filled with people. It’s different from the conventional shopping malls we are used to.

I am an incidental shopper. If I don’t see it, I won’t look for it. I like to wander around places on foot and discover what is different from other places I’ve been to. The way I shop helped me understand circulation and the importance of having a presence. Malls that aren’t too complex are usually more successful. Mall planning is pretty similar everywhere, but malls need the x-factor to make it exciting. Elements mall in Hong Kong

Shopping spaces that have daylight infiltration, indoor landscape and orchestrated views of the external environment always leave a deep impression. Such spaces invigorate my senses in an otherwise mundane shopping experience. Frankly, and strictly my personal opinion, shopping malls in the past are meant to dumb one’s senses to just shop, especially so for internalised shopping malls with a monotonous horseshoe layout.

Times have changed. Shopping spaces have become more intimate with the clever use of details, daylight and hue. Thomas Heatherwick skilfully transformed, in 2011, the once kitsch Pacific Place in Hong Kong with innovatively detailed glass lifts, floor finish, signages, ceilings, even toilet cubicles and a calming hue that totally refreshed the utilitarian spaces. Lighting levels and detailing are also skilfully controlled as opposed to Singapore shopping spaces that tend to be over-zealous with internal lighting levels and cookie-cutter detailing. Tokyo Midtown, completed back in 2007 by SOM, utilises a mixture of high and low, day-lit and enclosed space, and subtle detailing. It remains refreshing and timeless five years later. The harmonious amalgamation of the different elements in both projects advanced my understanding of not over-designing a shopping space and the necessity to vary proportion of spaces to sustain a shopper’s interest in an otherwise predictable environment.

| DP personalities

I like malls with huge open spaces, atriums and courtyards that create a sense of openness and give a feeling of space and light. Wider aisle space, bigger volumes and bright lighting make the shopping experience more enjoyable.

I find inward-looking malls with lesser number of floors much easier to navigate and make the shopping experience more worthwhile. An exception is MegaBox in Hongkong. Standing at an impressive 19 floors, the design is eye-catching with its bold form and vivid colours; direct access to certain intermediate floors makes it easier to reach the desired destinations. In general, a façade with visual interest, transparency and F&B decks make a mall livelier and form a good visual connection to the interior.

Singapore has a wide variety of malls that cater to the cosmopolitan mix of shoppers on the island and also respond to the context of the location. Though overseas malls respond to a wide variety of local requirements, most often they fail due to lack of constant upgrading to meet the changing requirements of shoppers. Malls need to be designed to be adaptable to constant change, yet retain a unique identity.

Senior AssociateNg San Son

Orchard Central, SingaporemyVillage at Serangoon Garden, Singapore

Ascendas Park Square, BangaloreMG One Mall, Bangalore

Senior Associate Edwin

ArokiyamSenior Associate

Chai Ming KuangWisma Atria 2012, Singapore

Noon Square, Seoul

has a unique identity. The interior design is tastefully done, not kitschy as one might expect of a fengshui-themed mall. It is a very big mall integrated with a transportation hub, but surprisingly easy to navigate. The concept of using the five elements of nature as identity markers for the various zones is a great way to give a sense of orientation in a large space.

When traveling abroad, I tend to look for malls with the wow factor that stand out from the rest while maintaining a connection to the streetscape. Shopping in precincts that give a sense of time, culture and context is also an added bonus. An example is Nicolas G Hayek Center in Ginza, Tokyo. The first storey opens up to the street, with full-height greenery that stretches from the ground floor up to the roof. The shopping experience starts with the hydraulic elevators which also serve as dedicated entrances to each boutique at different levels. One of the most memorable experiences was stepping into the hydraulic elevator and being greeted with a 360° display of watches of all colours and sizes. Shopping begins before the doorstep!

When shopping in Singapore, I tend to be more ‘product-oriented’. Apart from high-end merchandise, mall products tend to be similar, with the same stores in both suburban and downtown shopping malls. Hence, as a local shopper, the software of a mall – visual branding, tenancy mix, ambiance, upkeep of the mall, and even carpark rates, etc – are more important considerations in the choice of destination than its hardware at times, i.e. architecture and interior design. To quote A Alfred Taubman, “architecture is only the

beginning”. Here, there seems to be a greater

need to refine and choreograph the shopper’s experience which cannot be determined by architecture alone. It must be orchestrated together with the soft elements.

I prefer street shopping; it allows shoppers to move in and out of individual shops to enjoy the exterior streetscape and environment. Street shopping is a fluid experience; there are always multiple permutations to the routes and entries, and the experience is always intertwined with the seasons and climate, whereas mall shopping provides a controlled circulation and environment. When I was working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my favourite shopping street was a cosy, 400m stretch in an up-market suburban district called Shadyside. That little street provided almost everything I needed, from groceries, clothing to a wide variety of restaurants and bars offering American and international cuisines.

Street shopping is best enjoyed in the temperate climate. In a tropical climate like Singapore, the high humidity can be a deterrent to street shopping, except perhaps during the evenings. However, Bugis Junction stands out as a mall in Singapore that offers street shopping within an indoor environment. For indoor malls, I prefer those with a simple and clear layout, where I can explore and compare the options in the shortest time possible. I enjoy indoor malls that offer plenty of natural daylight and, most importantly, generous circulation and public spaces. Additional amenities such as seating and free wifi are definitely a bonus, as it allows us guys to have something to do while our wives happily shop away.

DP Architects on Orchard Road is a record

of the design process that has greatly

contributed to one of the world’s most

celebrated shopping streetscapes. The book

documents Orchard Road’s evolution and

its transformation into a world-class public

space, and includes contributions from

Mr Fumihiko Maki of Maki and Associates,

and Mr Kenneth Frampton

of Columbia University.

Available at bookstores and online.

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Photo Contributors: Edwin Arokiyam, Chai Ming Kuang, Rory Daniel, Noel C Evardone, Mori Hidetaka, Wellington Kuswanto, Mike Lim, Loh Yew Cheng, Niew Pey Ran, Ng San Son, Ng Swee Hong, Shogo Oizumi, Jackie Poh, Jeremy San, Rida Sobana & Toh Li Chuin.All photos are credited to the mentioned photographers unless otherwise stated.

DP 29

EVOLUTION OF A RETAIL STREETSCAPE

DP ARCHITECTS ON ORCHARD ROAD

Senior AssociateNg Swee Hong

Senior Associate Toh Li Chuin

Mandarin Gallery, SingaporeOne Prime, Shanghai

Marina Square 2012, SingaporeParagon 2009, Singapore

1970/1978

Tanglin Shopping Centre is the first building in Singapore to use off-form concrete and timber as an

architectural expression. It is also the first shopping complex here to incorporate a spilt-level first

storey to provide two apparent ground floors of shops accessible from the road.

The second phase of the building, commenced in 1978, added extra amenities including

a large storage space for store-owners, a circular concourse for exhibitions and displays,

an antique art gallery and a landscaped pedestrian mall linking the Orchard Road

and Tanglin Road walkway systems.

Project Team: 1970 – Tay Kheng Soon, William SW Lim & Tony Blackard

1978 – William SW Lim, Chan Sui Him, Manop Phakinsri & Low Boon Liang

Tanglin Shopping Centre