The Xi’an Hopson One retail project is located in the vibrant “Dananmen Commercial District”, which is also referred as the “City’s Reception Lounge.” It marks the debut of Hopson Commercial Group in the Xi’an market.
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Xi’an Hopson One
Retail Interior (Built)
Firm
Wong & Tung International Limited
Architect/Designer
Wong & Tung International Limited
Design Team
Ronson Lui, Chen Jing, Gene Salonoy
Location
Outside Yongning Gate, Xi’an, China
Country
Hong Kong
Photographer/Copyright
©Wong & Tung International Limited
This comprehensive commercial renovation project is in approximately 100,000 square meters of commercial space, spanning on one underground floor and five above-ground floors. WT is responsible for the interior design of the above ground in this project.
Design Concept
This project is right next to the ancient Xi’an city wall, where Xi’an’s urban roads present strong horizontal and vertical axis, as well as urban pattern based on the enclosed city wall. Our client had clearly expressed that the target of this commercial project is for Generation “Z”, which is significantly different from the adjacent SKP which is towards the middle and high-end market. And their request on the interior design is for digital natives value unique experiences, sustainability, and social media-worthy moments.
Our design concept is developed on the most representative ” brick wall ” of the ancient city wall and grid-like urban pattern. We have integrated “Xi’an texture” in its simplest form into the interior design through the use different materials, plays on proportions and colours.
Challenges and Opportunities
• The entire project consists of two shopping malls built at different years in the eastern and western side. The long strip of skylight atrium running south to north is actually for EVA serving both buildings. Due to the strict requirements on fire safety requirements along EVA, limited visual and physical connection were allowed between the east and west commercial areas;
• Dictated by the nature of site, major pedestrian flow is from the western side entrance. How to bring people from west to east retail area to enhance the overall commercial value?
• The original floor height is very low, and nearly half of the space on the 5th floor was closed. How to bring natural light into the west atrium and recreate a relatively vibrant space?
• The cost constraints from client were very explicit at the beginning of design stage, so we need to fully consider the materials, the convenience and optimized for future maintenance during design process to match budget control..
• The construction was carried out during the covid, the entire design team faced great pressure during the construction stage;
Design Exploration
• All public areas are designed with open ceilings to facilitate maintenance while maximizing clear height;
• Re-frame the indoor pedestrian flow and use the original bridge connecting the east and west to form a completed “commercial loop” to bring the flow of people from the west side main entrance to the east area;
• Open the closed walls on both sides of the “EVA atrium” and use the “box” space with transparent sight to create visual interaction between the retail on both sides of the atrium;
• Reinvent a white skylight on the 5th floor on the west side to brighten up the entire space;
• We have make use of the elevation of sightseeing elevator on the eastern side of the “EVA atrium” by placing a full-height LED screen to form a visual focal point of the entire atrium;
Project Progress
• The entire design and construction process encountered the covid, and it was not as convenient as usual to go to the site to understand the actual situation. Especially for A&A projects, the on-site conditions may often be different from those reflected in record drawings, our team hold intense zoom meetings with clients and contractors to ensure design expression was on track.
• Fire protection examine requires close communication with the LDI. For example, the location of fire shutters and the layout of fire protection facilities are greatly related to the final interior design effect;
• In renovation projects, we often encounter structural uncertainties caused by historical renovations, where in intend of a complete “commercial loop” might be affected. So, the design needs to be re-studied and refined according to actual conditions.