Place Design Group spotlights its rooftop activation for one of China’s flagship malls

Strategic planners, Place Design Group, recently completed a rooftop activation project for one of Central China's flagship malls, Paradise Walk Wuhan Jiangchen.

Jiangcheng Paradise Walk , far beyond being a commercial, retail centre, is a recreational destination in the sky - blurring the lines between commercial, retail and active public realm.

The way we shop and view retail outlets has shifted. What people want out of retail is changing, as traditional commercial or retail centres are adjusting to incorporate more engagement, collaboration, and cultural exchange.

As the first Paradise Walk in Wuhan, Jiangchen Paradise Walk embodies this new way of thinking that combines a diverse range of offerings, that sit within retail, commercial and residential apartment buildings.

When conceptualising Jiangchen Paradise Walk, Place Design Group focussed on the rarely utilised urban rooftop. With the building’s vacant space on the fifth to seventh floors, they felt the opportunity was too good to pass up, taking full advantage of the space to offer rooftop activation for both commercial and community value.

Working closely with the client, architects and engineers, Place Design Group managed to establish a multi-use sporting zone, combining a rooftop running track, viewing deck, a basketball court and grandstand seating on the seventh floor.

In collaboration with the client and consultants, the rooftop service equipment was relocated, releasing a landscape area of 4,000㎡, creating more opportunity for active use. A lot of design thinking was taken to establish a strong connection between the upper and lower floors, as well as understanding how people would use the space and move around easily throughout. The principle of ‘barrier’ arrangement was also a key focus, using barrier-like structures and planting to cover and soften the often harshness of a grey rooftop.

The revitalisation of this space has strengthened the retail centre’s identity offering a real sense of place and somewhere locals want to return time after time.

Place Design Group in partnership with Murphy Builders and Fleetwood Urban are also delivering the multimillion dollar Northern Parkland project in Mooloolaba, Queensland.

For more information on Place Design Group