The Dalian MixC One is a large-scale shopping mall project in China. It was developed by CR LAND and opened in December 2022. Located in the coastal area of "The Romantic City of Northeast China", away from the city center, our interior design draws inspiration from the maritime environment cherished by the local people, replicating a variety of landscapes from the surrounding nature. This mall offers a customer journey focused on discovery, diversity, and excitement. It functions as an engaging and exciting space to buy what you want or need and explore the space while having a good time and connecting with others around you.

Our approach is grounded in the belief that we're not simply designing a building filled with retail stores, but rather a social space that is engaging and inviting, a place to meet up and do more than "just shop". Therefore, it's important to us that the mall is welcoming and hospitable. Especially today social spaces are even more important. We wanted to create an exciting experience for the customers with an extra emphasis on the social and discovery aspect.

While trying to create mood and aiming to replicate the beautiful and loved variety of landscapes, we came up with some materials and shapes that could represent the maritime theme and bring a warm and welcome refuge to the visitor. Visual guidance and places of orientation are vital elements in creating a readable space that invites users to connect and stay. Visitors will find five main areas to explore, all with unique points of interest to discover. The general atmosphere is aimed to be relaxing, organic - with a coastal feel. This is also reflected in our material choice: many wood elements, fluted aluminum panels and stainless steel.

The floor plan was adjusted to create spaces for people to interact and experience the scale of the atriums and the function of each floor, while enjoying the natural light from multiple skylights. By strategically layering the floor levels, shifting the atrium voids, and relocating escalators at different points on each level, we have crafted a sculptural space for the entire shopping mall. Visitors can grasp the scale of the space while uncovering hidden elements as they explore. This approach naturally encourages more extensive vertical circulation, enabling customers to cover larger areas of the retail space without feeling overwhelmed.

So many of us spend so much time apart from others, in our own home, in front of a screen. The more digital our society becomes, the more customers long for real experiences. The Dalian MixC One Shopping Mall creates a space for us where we can meet friends, get together with family, and perhaps even meet new people. It’s a social, lively atmosphere and the well-designed environment of the mall enhances these social activities. A part of going outside into the world is discovering the world. Why is discovery important? Because everything you discover becomes a part of you.