K11 mall founder to build 17 more centres

1 min readUpdated May 28, 2025Aug 31, 20155:00 AM

In this article (5)

The founder of the K11 mall concept which debuted in Hong Kong and then was replicated in Shanghai is now planning 17 more centres in Mainland China.

Chinese billionaire Adrian Cheng founded the nonprofit K11 Art Foundation in 2010, and subsequently opened the K11 shopping centre in the heart of Kowloon, atop the Tsim Sha Tsui railway station.

Like its successor in Shanghai, the K11 mall features frequently-changing art installations and exhibitions, merging art gallery with a retail and dining space. Works by artists including Olafur Eliasson, Damien Hirst and Yoshitomo Nara can be found in the malls.

A spokesman for Cheng’s business New World Development Company says the grand plan is to have 19 K11 spaces – mostly retail centres but also offices.

Cheng is ranked among the world’s top 20 billionaires aged under 35 with an estimated worth of US$1.4 billion.

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What this means

Adrian Cheng’s bold expansion of 17 new K11 centres, including retail and office spaces, is a shrewd move likely to succeed by capitalising on demand for experiential retail. This strategy, previously proven in Hong Kong and Shanghai, elevates the stakes for competitors who typically offer more conventional mall experiences. By merging art and commerce, K11 creates a distinctive draw that few can replicate at this scale. The key risk lies in maintaining the curated art-retail balance across so many new sites without diluting the brand’s unique appeal. This aggressive push will pressure other developers to innovate beyond traditional retail offerings. We should watch the opening dates and locations of these 17 additional centres to gauge immediate market impact.

Sarah Chen

Questions & Answers

How many K11 spaces will there be in total once the new centres are built?

A spokesman for Adrian Cheng's business, New World Development Company, states that the overall plan is to have 19 K11 spaces. This includes the existing centres and the 17 new ones.

What is the defining characteristic of the K11 mall concept?

The K11 mall concept merges an art gallery with retail and dining spaces. It features frequently-changing art installations and exhibitions, showing works by artists like Olafur Eliasson and Damien Hirst.

Where were the first two K11 centres established?

The first K11 mall debuted in Hong Kong, located in Kowloon atop the Tsim Sha Tsui railway station. Its successor was then opened in Shanghai, replicating the original concept.

What types of spaces are included in Adrian Cheng’s grand plan for K11?

The grand plan for K11 includes mostly retail centres. However, it also incorporates office spaces, making for a mixed-use development strategy across the 19 planned locations.

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