A mall in Shanghai turned into a giant blooming garden

According to the concept’s authors, shopping malls don’t have to be “bright, white, and shiny,” according to the authors of the idea.

Malls are pretty much the same around the world. However, mall owners are often trying to attract visitors with something unusual and more appropriate to their modern vision of the world. It became crucial against the background of the coronavirus pandemic and a sharp decline in attendance. One of the most exciting mall design concepts created by AIM Architecture was implemented in the Xintiandi mall in Shanghai, transformed into a space filled with plants and natural materials.

The central atrium of the mall, previously empty and tiny, has now been transformed into a garden-like space, with wooden surfaces, plants hanging from balconies, and natural light streaming in from above through a specially reworked roof and large windows. Many plants are located throughout the mall on special wooden constructions, which give visitors the impression of walking through a garden or a tropical forest rather than a giant shopping center.

Photo by Wen Studio.

The impression is strengthened by the natural fiber carpets that help divide the space into separate zones and benches, and other interior details are stylized as park furniture.

Photo by Wen Studio.

Unlike most large malls, which can overwhelm visitors with their sheer size and sterility, shoppers here feel like they’re in a green oasis. Visitors can relax by using natural colors and shapes that are much more attractive than the traditionally used shiny, white and bright materials and textures that do not give a sense of naturalness.