Hangzhou Neobio: A Family Park Redefining the Future of Shopping Malls

Li Xiang's Award-Winning Design Fosters Parent-Child Interaction and Exploration

The design of Hangzhou Neobio Family Park is divided into four major functional areas, each with multiple accessory spaces. This division considers the age groups, interests, and behaviors of children while simultaneously incorporating elements of entertainment, education, and rest during parent-child activities. The design also emphasizes parent-child interaction by incorporating adult furniture and transparent recreational facilities, allowing children to play under supervision and feel accompanied by their family.

Li Xiang's design stands out for its unique approach to utilizing the atrium space of the shopping mall. The developer removed all luxury shops on this floor, allowing the design to integrate all parts of the original layout as a whole. This design scheme adds to the uniqueness and depth of the project, making it not just a blend of function and aesthetics, but an experimental design that explores the diverse layout of shopping malls in the future.

The realization of this design involved several innovative techniques. In the reading area, the structures serve as bookshelves while also allowing kids to enjoy climbing and going through holes. The occupational experience area uses abstracted stone elements to build a virtual town for children. In the comprehensive area for rest, parasol-shaped structures mark out the location of different functional spaces.

Despite the challenges of coordinating the flow of people and ensuring only one exit, considering the active nature of children, and resolving design issues in the comprehensive area, the design team managed to create a space that takes into consideration the experience of all potential target populations. The result is a comprehensive family park that integrates entertainment and education activities.

Hangzhou Neobio Family Park, completed in July 2018 in Hangzhou, China, is a testament to Li Xiang's innovative approach to design. The project is a continuation of the success of the first Neobio Family Park in Shanghai, which also achieved high recognition among parents for its diverse functional areas and color combinations. The Hangzhou Neobio Family Park, however, takes a step further by experimenting with the layout of shopping malls in the future.