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Dubai Mall Chinatown

Kokaistudios

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the moon gate - Anique Ahmed
the entrance lobby on GF - Anique Ahmed
the mall entrance - Anique Ahmed
the moon gate - Anique Ahmed

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Multi-Brand Store
4.98
6.49
5.54
3.97
5.25
Ronnie Belizaire
Ronnie Belizaire Studio Practice Leader and Principal at HKS Inc.
6
7
6.5
5
6.13
Andrea Zickhardt
Andrea Zickhardt Managing Director at Holzer Kobler Architekturen
A big building without en energy co...
4.25
7
5
3
4.81
Preeti Singh
Preeti Singh Brand Director at India Design ID
6
7
6.5
4
5.88
Anne-Laure Pingreoun
Anne-Laure Pingreoun Founder at Alter-Projects
6
8
7
3
6
Liz Gallagher
Liz Gallagher Studio Director at March and White Design
Sustainability does not appear to b...
6
7
7.5
3
5.88
Claude Saos
Claude Saos Head of interior architecture and design at LISAA Strasbourg
4
7
3
3
4.25
Julia Chiaramonti
Julia Chiaramonti Founder at Julia Chiaramonti
no sustainability project?...
5
5.86
5
3.64
4.88
Judy Dowle
Judy Dowle Associate Design Director at Studio XAG
5.5
7
6
4
5.63
Tanya Suvannapong
Tanya Suvannapong Design Director at Gensler
5
7
6
3
5.25
Leendert Tange
Leendert Tange Creative Partner at Storeage-Group
5
5
5
5
5
Yan Pan
Yan Pan Cofounder and Chief Architect at SpActrum
3
6
5
5
4.75
Peter Pan
Peter Pan Founder and CEO at Noa Galaxy
4
6
4
5
4.75
Quan Huang
Quan Huang Chief Designer at WJID
5
6
6
5
5.5
Servaas Vehmeijer
Servaas Vehmeijer Partner and Managing Director at The Invisible Party
5
5
5
4
4.75
Client
Emaar Properties
Floor area
9100 ㎡
Completion
2023
Budget
confidential
Social Media
Instagram Facebook Linkedin

Located inside Dubai’s biggest shopping mall, Dubai Mall Chinatown lays the foundations for a cultural bridge between the UAE city’s locals and visitors, and China’s multifaceted history and traditions. A new lifestyle destination for shopping, relaxation and F&B promising to bring an Asian experience, the commercial space is conceived as a contemporary take on traditional Chinatowns, and as a place of discovery.

Evocative of the sloped tiled roofs of a traditional village, the external facade is dominated by a moon gate: a circular entrance passage typically found in classical Chinese gardens, here it is imagined as a literal gateway to Chinese culture.

Figuratively transporting visitors to the Middle Kingdom are four thematic areas that collectively construct a narrative of China. The first is “Lantern Street”, the commercial space’s main thoroughfare and festooned with contemp orary versions of the traditional Chinese light. Thousands of hexagonal red lanterns hang high above open shop fronts, while metal mesh awnings, mortice and tenon wood structure and a system of different-sized floor tiles recall a Chinese street market.

Elsewhere, the traditional garden-inspired wellness themed space “Tea Room Garden” is composed of both central island shops and surrounding stores, alluding to the careful balance of plants and herbs found in traditional Chinese medicine. The structural columns of the central shops are designed as stylized brass willow trees, and custom-made oversized red fans float in between, nodding to Chinese culture and making for a dramatic canopy.

Similarly sensory in approach is the enticing food court “Bird Market”. Overhead custom lighting comprising metal bird cages recall the bird and flower markets of Chinese cities. The space offers visitors an array of East Asian cuisines, served from metal latticed stands and surrounded by courtyard-style tiled floors. The guests are welcome on seats and banquettes decorated by Chinese floral fabrics.

A fourth thematic area strikes a thoroughly contemporary tone and takes inspiration from China’s dense metropolises such as Hong Kong and Shanghai. “Neon City” is a three-storey atrium with skylight, lined with signs advertising eateries, cafes, and bars, as well as LED screens depicting animals of the Chinese zodiac. The multidimensional light show installation, designed by Jason Bruges Studio, is already a proving a captivating centerpiece among visitors, and a social media favorite.

Dubai Mall Chinatown responds both to its specific mall context, and the global travel hub of Dubai. To that end, the space makes playful use of instantly recognizable visual tropes of China, such as fans, lanterns, and the color red. These identifiers convey a pop-infused, international vision of China, creating an exciting destination for visitors to discover everything from the country’s newest brands to its age-old traditions.