3rd Award: Spring City 66 by Concept i

Spring City 66 is the single largest commercial complex in Kunming, China. It is the city’s latest landmark and the ninth Mainland project for Hang Lung Development.

Situated in the heart of Kunming’s city center Panlong District, Spring City 66 is a ‘Total Lifestyle’ shopping, work and play environment. It celebrated its soft opening in August 2019. With an investment of RMB12 billion (US$1.75 billion), the project comprises 432,000 sqm of commercial space including a 160,000sqm shopping mall, serviced apartments and a 66-level Grade A office tower (350-meter tall, which is currently the city’s tallest building).

In 2017 Concept i was commissioned to carry out the interior design for the public areas of the retail space covering a total of over 60,000 sq.m. Drawing inspiration from KPF’s architecture, the interiors celebrate the city’s rich cultural context and unique natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. Concept i have designed a sinuous, material rich retail environment as a harmonious destination for nearly 300 top retail brands, dining, lifestyle, and entertainment experiences.

From the outset the designers strived to capture subtle contextual and cultural emotions in the ambiance of the interior design. A minimalist design aesthetic was developed, suitable for 1st line brand retailing, streamlined in its simplicity, yet vibrant in its passion for natural materiality, art and cultural references. The project celebrates light and dances with space throughout its vast interiors.

Form the outset, the 7 level mall was conceived with large, urban scale atriums connected by smooth sinuous passages in a simple, and easy to navigate format. The prime location of the site and immediate connection to two MTR lines, drove the landmark scale and character of the space. The vast central atrium, bathed in daylight is the heart of the development. Its functionality is completely flexible for large scale activation. The retail passages and spaces were sculpted and honed to create a sense of soft angular spaces in harmony with the architecture. Angles and corners were transformed into a radiused forms, and a spatial language of serpentine lines, soft curves, and sculpted layers was established.

The Spring City 66 ‘Customer Experience’ is conceived as a journey rich in visual textures, natural tones, sinuous lines and cultural accents, yet contemporary and simple. Utmost emphasis was placed on materiality and detailing. The interiors are designed as a luxurious showcase of stone, wood and arts craftsmanship, to compliment the first line brand positioning of the mall. Visitors meander through a simple network of natural spaces accented with cultural motifs, patterns and comfort zones. Social hubs are located throughout the mall. Luxury furnishings, concierge counters, planters, bins etc. are designed to reflect Hang Lung’s commitment to customer care.