PROJECT REPORT: MIXED USE SCHEMES 37
“nodal” spaces for rest, events and social encounters, “while immersing the surrounding retail activities in an ecological setting.” The Oasis Walk is a series of connected, elevated ramps that allow visitors to “immerse themselves” in the botanical garden, and “take a journey of discovery” through the multiple levels. The walkways were created using an open steel truss structure with steps to allow people to walk comfortably between floors. The structure is clad with a system of glass balustrades and flooring, which allowed for lighting and greenery to be integrated in a way that would make maintenance easy. A pair of steel tree-columns were used to support the main structure, as they can cantilever wider spans. This meant that the number of traditional steel columns could be reduced.
In tandem with achieving the aesthetic and structural goals, what Lead8 call “cutting-edge indoor environmental protection technologies” were also needed to construct the gardens and thereby “produce an oasis for the city.”
‘Mountain City’
The interior design centres on a ‘Mountain City’ concept; “bringing together natural environments with enriched engagement and experiential opportunities to create a diversified lifestyle offer,” comments Chua. The designers hope this will resonate with local visitors, by “reimagining the natural terrain of Chongqing and expressing it in a contemporary way.”
The interiors blend these natural features through the main atrium in such a way that it “feels like one unified space,” with the assistance of flooring design, ceiling materials and last but not least, a 24-metre high waterfall. The result is a stunning, year-round green space for the community in Chongqing to shop and socialise in. A natural, earthy interior design palette was selected to complement the biologically-inspired spaces inside. “Environmentally-friendly” products were prioritised to support the architects’ strong drive to maximise the building’s performance. Also, says Chua, “handling a project of this magnitude meant sourcing local materials wherever possible is a very vital move.” This also has the practical benefit of making future planned maintenance interventions easier, in terms of replacement materials.
A glass curtain wall opens up views to the multi-storey indoor gardens and ‘Oasis
ADF APRIL 2022
Walk’ from outside. Lastly, “a large-scale sculptural installation looks into the building from the outside, to draw visitors’ attention to the attractions within.”
Programme The development’s programming features a “diverse collection of spaces that form a creative mix and offering that spans sports and leisure, ‘edutainment,’ family, dining and culture,” says Chua. The retail planning adopted a ‘single spine’ approach, with a central garden “to create a draw for people from both ends of the building.” This strategy allows a simple circulation route as well as flexibility in arranging retail units, and also means visitors “will always be able to see all the retail units from both sides anywhere from the corridors.” As part of meeting the brief’s requirement
to “innovatively combine urban living and the beauty of nature in one space,” Lead8 introduced further spaces which are claimed to offer a unique combination of facilities in the region – in schemes of this type. These include “interactive sports and culture facilities, family and child-friendly activities,
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Lead8’s design team worked to expand the interior landscape into a “major design
intervention that integrated a multi-level living garden into the retail mall”
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