LuLa Light Mall is a largely open-air shopping center in the developing Luxelakes Eco-City district of Chengdu, China Mainland.
The design is a loose stack of boxes with openings between them, resulting in large terraces, walkways, and staircases where visitors can enjoy views of the neighboring lake.
Rather than a typical mall typology, in which a shell of commercial spaces encloses an atrium, the plinth section breaks apart these commercial units into smaller boxes. It stacks them to allow light, air, views, and people in the gaps between, forming the “light mall” concept. On the eastern end of the site, a series of large boxes are stacked and rotated in various directions to take full advantage of the views of the lake.
The different floors shift in size and placement, so the west facade of the building forms a single vertical wall, while the other three facades feature terraces and overhangs. The largest deviations are found on the lower levels, so the tower blends with the more loosely arranged boxes of the plinth where they meet.
All the stacked boxes have created multiple large outdoor terraces, which are connected by walkways and stairs, which also lead down to the water’s edge.
Each box features a thick frame along its edges, and glass walls with colorful mullions are inside.
MVRDV Architects worked on this project.
