Revolutionizing Shopping Experience: The Lihpao Plaza

Alex Chiang - MAS Transforms Shopping into an Immersive Experience

Located in the bustling Hongqiao Central Business District in Shanghai, the Lihpao Plaza stands as a testament to innovative design. The Plaza is not just a shopping mall; it's a story told through six thematic spaces, each offering a unique experience to the consumer. The themes - The Feast of Jiufen, He Feng Ri Li, Liu Mang Wu, The Secret Garden, The Future World, and The Vivid Food Court - are designed to enhance the consumer's perception of place and memory, making shopping an unforgettable experience.

The Lihpao Plaza is a perfect blend of art and technology. The design team used common materials to meet construction schedules and budgets, but the result is anything but ordinary. The Taiwanese theme park of reminiscence is recreated with zigzag alleys, stairs, and red lanterns. Zen and Kyoto styles are transformed into a natural space using light, shadow, and window grilles. A cultural market is created using books and stairs, and a recreational court is brought to life with botanic elements and butterflies. All these elements are combined with new technologies such as VR and 3D interactive projection to create an interactive smart space.

The project, which spans an interior design area of 100,000 square meters, began in April 2017 and was completed in April 2018. The mall, which opened in Nanyang, China in October 2019, is equipped with a corresponding style bathroom for each of the six themes, along with maternal and child rooms, barrier-free toilets, vertical lifts, and multiple escalators.

Despite the challenges posed by the original structure of the building, such as low floor height and large beam height, the design team managed to create a beautiful space that fits the consumption structure of the city. The design emphasizes the combination of shopping and interactive experience, aiming to increase consumer cognition and memory.

The Lihpao Plaza is a testament to the power of innovative design and technology in transforming spaces and experiences. It's more than just a shopping mall; it's an urban paradise that combines humanities, nature, art, and technology to create an immersive experience. This unique approach to design has earned it the prestigious Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2020.