Futuristic Chengde mall planned

Sunlay Design Group has created a stunning, futuristic design for the planned Chengde mall in China’s Hebei province.

The modern shopping center has heavy ties to China’s ancient cultural influences, inspired by classical dragon mythology and the principles of feng shui.

Named the Chengde Tianshan Retail Center, it will offer the Hebei province a mixed-use shopping experience that fuses contemporary form with traditional methodology. Construction is scheduled to commence within a few months.

In creating the mall’s exterior design, Sunlay faced a major challenge: such is the mountainous nature of the site, a conventional building would have lacked visibility from the street. Whatever design they settled on, the had to also maximise the centre’s usable area.

The result is best described as “a fluid form” that defines the site’s perimeter and creates a natural flow from indoor to outdoor food and beverage and retail tenancies.

Sunlay says that by wrapping the building around the site’s edges, the mall gained elevation necessary for it to become a landmark and focal point for the neighbouring city.

A tall cantilevered wing rests about 20 meters above the mall.

Besides a retail tenancy mixing local and international brands, Chengde mall, on a 27,535 sqm site, features a cinema complex, restaurants, a karaoke bar and a hotel.