Broadway Malyan’s Lefo Mall Shopping Centre, Suzhou, China


SHOPPING At a glance EXPERIENCE Crawley New Town shopping centre, 1955


✹ “Experience” or “lifestyle” centres are the new buzz words for mall schemes ✹ Shopping centres are being designed with the “green” issue in mind ✹ New technology means that malls could need a revamp within six years ✹ Centres of the future will have numerous attractions and facilities


Developers and architects alike have


encapsulate everything from eating, drinking, cinema going, pampering, various forms of leisure, live entertainment, even hotels and offices, as well as, of course, shopping. “Retail has become more than just a function: it has become a leisure activity, a tourist destination, and a way of life,” says Peter McCaffery, a director at architect firm, Benoy. “Because of this, the way we shop has also changed. Retail environments are being specifically designed to entertain visitors, extending beyond the traditional model of shopping for necessity and increasingly becoming a real leisure pursuit.”


been quick to incorporate this new thinking into the thousands of new malls built every year. As well as designing for visual appeal, there have been huge strides in making centres greener (see Design and sustainability). “What we have to work with today is


Cardiff Central Library Manchester ferris wheel


so vast and wide-ranging that you can create almost whatever you want; it is about pushing the boundaries,” says Keith Whitmore, Westfield’s head of design and construction. “As part of the ‘experience’, there is


growing importance in improving the development of conveniences and services,” says Benoy’s McCaffery. These include hotel-standard rest rooms, concierge services and child-friendly


Summer 2013 www.estatesgazette.com 35


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