close
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall
scroll
CR Land: Wuxi MixC MallWuxi, 2021–2024

The Art of Shopping

Exper­tises
Shopping Malls

CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall

Shopping malls are changing, because their customers are changing. In China, in particular, expectations of urban shopping and leisure facilities are high: They must offer maximum convenience, a sophisticated design, interactive and customised experiences, as well as attractive spaces for social interaction. Shopping malls are therefore increasingly becoming community gathering places tailored to specific target groups, thereby reconfiguring public spaces as a whole. For project developer CR Land in Wuxi in eastern China, we designed a mall that is much more than a shopping experience: it is an inviting meeting place for shared activities. A blank canvas upon which to showcase a vibrant mix of people, brands, fashion and artistic expression.

City of art

With 360 shops, event spaces, a cinema, a food court, a rooftop garden and a Riverside Market that extends into the outside space, the Wuxi MixC Mall offers a diverse spectrum of attractions with a high sojourn quality: transforming time spent here into cherished memories. Reflecting its immediate surroundings and linking Wuxi’s business district with local recreational areas such as Tai Lake, Huishan Forest Park and Meiyuan Hengshan Nature Reserve, the interior skilfully blends bustling activity with references to the region’s natural and cultural heritage, showing them like exhibits in a museum.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  City of art
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l1 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l1 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l2 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l2 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l2 3

Specifically, this means that the interior is presented as an urban space with architectural structures and distinctive façades, while functional elements such as balconies, bridges, escalators and signage are clearly highlighted as sculptural artworks that seem to float within this urban landscape. The mall environment is accessed via three atriums of different sizes that double as exhibition spaces. The result is a network of distinctive streets, squares and plazas that inspire strong emotional bonds, encouraging people to explore and fostering vibrant urban sub-centres where people interact and enjoy spending time.

Artistic highlights – natural skylights

To help visitors navigate the sprawling 70,500 square-metre space, each of the three atriums that lead to the mall features a different design. They all share a neutral white architectural base, which contrasts with the bright red accent colour of the staircases and walkways spanning the space, creating memorable environments each in turn.

The dramatic escalators and bridges in the east atrium, the main entrance, draw visitors dynamically into the mall. Like in a city with narrow alleys and towering façades, the entrance expands and contracts again, revealing tantalising glimpses into the depths of the mall. The undersides of the escalators and bridges are decorated with faceted metal panels that mimic the shimmering water reflections of the nearby lakes as the light strikes them.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Artistic highlights – natural skylights1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Artistic highlights – natural skylights2

In the west atrium, the sculptural arrangement of the escalators draws the eye upwards: Branching out like the branches of a tree, they lead to the respective floors, with square metal plates evoking the paved paths of the lakeshore and the city’s historic alleyways.

The central atrium, which is also lit from above, is inspired by the local waterways, with sunlight refracting in kaleidoscopic patterns on reflective surfaces. Here, the red accent colour is concentrated on the balconies, designed as meeting places with seating and green planting. The balconies feature triangular metal fragments that create a dynamic interplay of reflective cubes when viewed from below.

An integrated, large-format display acts as both an information screen and a backdrop for larger events that are regularly held in the main atrium. Like a marketplace, the appearance of the space is constantly changing and evolving, creating a flexible space that can be adapted to different occasions and requirements.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l3
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l4 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l4 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l4 3
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l4 4
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l5 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l5 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l6 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l6 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l6 3

Interactive stages

In addition to the spacious atriums of the Wuxi MixC Mall, a number of other public spaces have been created to promote social interaction and collective experience. One of the most notable is the Yummy food court in the basement, which offers not only a wide variety of culinary delights, but also many opportunities for personal interaction: A central area, framed by a striking ceiling installation – a playful adaptation of the red leitmotif – provides guests with greened seating islands, as well as additional seating areas for communal dining and hanging out.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Interactive stages1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Interactive stages2

On the upper floors, interaction and communication are at the heart of the open space concept. The two-storey Moon Garden is a dynamic event space, framed by restaurants and hosting live music, exhibitions and other appealing events on a smaller scale. The ceiling design is equally striking here: a large, semicircular light sculpture reflected off a metallic surface, resembling the moon shining on water. And polygonal, mirrored columns, which soar upwards like shimmering crystals, extend infinitely into the undulating stainless steel ceiling.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l7 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l7 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l7 3
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l7 4
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l8 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l8 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l9 1
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l9 2
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l9 3

A canvas for experiences

The result is a gallery-like atmosphere, enhanced by dramatic spatial compositions and precise lighting design, which contrasts the white canvas with shimmering highlight installations in otherwise minimalist spaces. While major collaborations with renowned artists and brands feature in the atriums, constantly reshaping and redefining the space for visitors, even the corridors and washrooms are exhibition spaces: Works by emerging artists are displayed in the corridors and elevator lobbies, and our holistic design concept is continued more abstractly in the washrooms. Here, natural stone surfaces are treated as artworks, framing large-format design elements in illuminated frames to create an eye-catching display.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  A canvas for experiences

Moments of yeah!

By combining spectacle and commerce, we redefine the concept of the shopping mall. Our aim is to transform the shopping mall into a multifunctional experiential space and generate unique moments that are real rather than digital, rendering them unforgettable. We wish to create social spaces that are inviting and endlessly explorable. The hybrid concept of the Wuxi MixC Mall offers inspiring places with a high sojourn quality that foster a strong connection to its users, as well as an exceptionally high-performance shopping experience.

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Moments of yeah!
China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  l10

Plans

China Resources Land Limited CR Land: Wuxi MixC Mall  Plans

Facts & Figures

Client
China Resources Land Limited
Status
Completed (2024)
Photo­graphy
Zhu DiCreatAR Image
Exper­tises
Shopping Malls
Team
  • Jacques Chan
  • Holiday Guo 郭亚丹
  • Shark Huang
  • Chenyu Huang
  • Peter Ippolito
  • Maggie Jia
  • Jose Miso
  • Olivia Weng
  • Zhao Xie
Partner
  • AICO AICO, Architecture
  • Design Republic , FFE designer
  • EAD, Signage design
  • HDA, Lighting Design
  • Pland, Landscape architecture
  • TIANHUA Architecture Planning & Engineering Ltd., MEP & LDI

Awards & Publications

Awards
top