Xinyu Yan

advisor

University of California, Los Angeles

United States of America

sports, entertainment, hospitality more

This project shows clear and bold concept-The "spider "which translates into the building's striking form – a central body (lobby) with radiating corridors (legs/arms). This gives the project a strong, memorable identity visible in both the plan and renderings. The large central lobby effectively functions as the core of the "spider," serving as a clear point of orientation and distribution for visitors. This plan layout implements a deliberate commercial strategy in a very smart way. By placing key destinations at the ends of corridors lined with shops, the design actively encourages foot traffic past retail frontages, potentially increasing exposure and impulse purchases as intended. The highly geometric, faceted design creates a bold, modern, and potentially iconic appearance. The renderings, especially the night views with vibrant lighting integrated into the facets, showcase a visually dynamic building.

Suggestions for Consideration:

-Visitor Experience Quality: While the marketing-driven circulation is clear, consider the quality of the experience walking down potentially long corridors lined uniformly with shops. Is there enough visual interest, natural light, places to pause, or variation to prevent monotony?
-Human Scale & Interior Environment: The exterior form is very distinct. How does this translate to the interior scale and atmosphere? Does the faceted geometry create comfortable and functional retail spaces within the shops and corridors? How is natural light managed within these spaces during the day (the renderings focus heavily on night)?
-Materiality & Climate Response: Clarify the primary materials (is it mostly glass/translucent panels?). Consider how the extensive use of faceted surfaces responds to climate – particularly managing solar gain and glare during the day.
-Exterior Context Integration: The building has a very strong, self-contained form. Consider how it interacts with the immediate site context (landscaping, parking approach) and any surrounding buildings or urban fabric.

This project has a very strong conceptual basis and a visually exciting architectural expression. Focusing on the quality of the interior human experience, adaptability, and climatic response will further strengthen the design.

Thanks Xinyu Yan,
I'm glad you enjoyed your comments and your insight into the project.

The exterior cladding already includes solar cells and a light-filled window. They cover the lobby's surface, allowing natural light to penetrate. The mezzanine will also allow natural light to reach all levels. There are some metals where the light falling on a specific point makes the iron appear shiny and fully illuminated. This is what I would like to use in the glass frame that connects the glass pieces to each other, adding illumination to the building, both inside and outside, even when the exterior lighting is turned off. This makes the building look interesting during daylight and at night. Natural light may not reach the corridors sufficiently, and there will certainly be sufficient artificial lighting to illuminate the space.

I would like to clarify that the exterior walls of the stores are solid because their presence reduces shelf space for displaying products inside the store (more space for displaying products will help the investor display more merchandise). Given that products require direct lighting to be displayed more clearly, this is what I'm looking for. Natural lighting is not available, so I believe artificial lighting is a better option.

Having one cashier for a group of stores could cause congestion, so each store has its own cashier due to the variety of merchandise available.

The aisles are wide enough, with some plants and benches for resting in the middle of the aisle. This will more accurately define traffic flow. I may not have made this clear in the plans. Every few meters in the aisle, there is a sign indicating the paths, in addition to a space for advertising, which can also be used by store owners. This will also increase profits for the mall.

The project will be subject to a study by interior design and art specialists, so I haven't determined exactly what materials will be used inside.

The project will be located in a newly expanded area where there are no adjacent buildings yet, which allowed me the freedom to design.