The shopping complex, located in one of the most prestigious districts of the city, has become a "representative office" of the world's most expensive and popular brands. In addition to numerous shops, it also houses several restaurants and a multiplex cinema. UNStudio received the right to design this object in 2011, having won a large architectural competition.
The project is based on the idea of “synergy of flows”. The building itself is inscribed in a trapezoidal section and has the shape of a polygon in the plan, but smooth lines dominate in its interior space. The complex is connected to the city by means of three entrances, through which visitors enter one of two atriums - oval or round. Between themselves, these multi-level multi-lumen spaces are connected by two passageways, in terms of reminiscent of smooth arcs.
The atriums differ from each other not only in configuration, but also in decoration. The larger oval hall is decorated in golden and bronze tones, which, according to the architects, makes this space related to traditional Chinese culture. But the round atrium is designed in steel and gray tones, which symbolizes the modern urban landscape. The skylights of each of the atriums are "recruited" from 2,600 glass panels decorated with a complex abstract pattern, and they are connected to the ground floor by transparent "funnel" columns with panoramic elevators running inside.
The same combination of materials - polished steel and patterned glass - is used in the design of the shopping center's facades. At the level of the first two floors, most of the complex is completely glazed (the only exception is the cinema area), but for the upper levels UNStudio has developed a unique shell in the form of square panels, with a metal ball attached to the center of each. A total of 42,333 balls were made for the cladding of the building.
From a distance, the facades with shiny "beads" resemble a silk drapery or a surface of water rippled by a light breeze. And upon closer inspection, it turns out that the balls are by no means the same: the architects have developed as many as nine types of spheres, which range from fully metal to half glazed. In those elements that have a transparent part, LED lamps are mounted, in addition, all balls on the back side are also illuminated, which allows you to make the artistic illumination of the building as diverse as possible.
