Longhuli: A New Chapter in Chinese Architecture

Alex Chiang - MAS Unveils a Garden-Inspired Shopping Plaza

The Longhuli Shopping Mall is not just a commercial space; it's a cultural hub that reflects the essence of Chinese classical culture. Inspired by the Chinese-style space, the design incorporates the concept of "garden" and "li". The "garden" represents the enclosure and semi-enclosure of different scales after the house is split and reorganized, while the "li" is the exclusive outdoor space of the occupants formed by the long scale of the street. This combination of atrium space and external space naturally forms an "open garden" space.

Located in the core area of Longhu area of Zhengzhou, the project covers a site area of 12,107.89 square meters and a total construction area of 45083.19 square meters. The design concept of "open courtyard" space is used to create a "garden-style" shopping plaza that emphasizes the experience of natural living atmosphere.

The project incorporates the essence of Chinese classical culture and transforms into elemental symbols to interpret the soul of the Central Plains culture. Combined with modern and simple techniques, it expresses the charm of the building and constructs a unique new Chinese style. The open garden structure is fully integrated with the surrounding environment, creating a local community hub and becoming the preferred place for family and friends to gather and chat.

The interior design area of this project totals 46,000 square meters. Using the concept of vertical greening, the greening landscape area will be scattered on the first floor, the three-level aerial platform and roof to create a one-stop open-block consumption center that integrates shopping, dining, entertainment, leisure, culture, and public services.

The project was designed in Henan, China in April 2015, the design was completed in February 2016, and it was opened in Henan, China in December 2019. The project faced several challenges, including the transformation from a financial office space to a commercial project that responds to the surrounding population structure. The design team managed to create a memorable theme image of the shopping center while maintaining the soft Chinese space intention with the original framework.

This innovative design has not gone unnoticed. The Longhuli Shopping Mall was awarded Silver in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.