City Crossing Phase Two is due to open soon and successfully join its Phase One cousin. This will mark the conclusion of a ten year design and construction journey. It will also highlight the transformation of a non-distinct urban core into a thriving and bustling heart of a mega metropolis. The arrival of Phase Two will clearly denote City Crossing as a 24/7/365 ‘urban experience’. The second phase brings a flagship state of the art Grand Hyatt super deluxe hotel, 3 distinct high end residential towers branded as ‘Park Manor’ and a distinct and unique collection of luxury brand shops with destination dining and entertainment experiences placed in an outdoor ‘collective’ environment. Very few developments world-wide will be able to boast the incredible ‘Collection of Uses’ that this unique city hub of Shenzhen can boast!
There are numerous stories to be told surrounding the incredible transformation of this urban site. However, this article will focus on the ‘Flexibility’ and resilience that the outdoor retail element sustained over a decade of transformation. Since the early master planning days, there has always been a desire to augment the fashionable enclosed shopping center known as the MIXc with outdoor oriented lifestyle retail focused environment. The early thinking was to create a mix between a modest cluster of luxury brand shops catering to the boutique hotel clientele with a robust and engaging pedestrian focused street entertainment district laden with distinct dining experiences and ‘one of a kind’ retailers. Soon this outdoor environment will open as one of the world’s premier luxury brand retail districts.
From the onset, the China Resources Client Team embraced a design policy incorporating “Flexibility” as the pre-emptive approach to the Retail Development outcomes. This required a focused approach to four key areas; flexibility in the retail diagram layout; flexibility in the podium architecture aesthetics; flexibility in the Shop Front Guideline Criteria; And finally, flexibility in the Owner’s acceptance and tolerance of ‘Change’ for the greater good of the Development, Community and the City. These Four Principles of Flexibility became the catalysts towards achieving the ‘Vision of the Shenzhen City Crossing MIXc’.
The first principle of flexibility involved the initial layout of the diagram. It was important to maximize all external edges particularly key street intersections. Embracing the link with the first phase of development was also paramount as the hotel and residential towers could not serve as the sole retail anchors. The width of the internal street, the length of the pedestrian ways and the meandering, casual approach were also critical to enhancing tenant visibility and customer interest. The ability to constantly re-subdivide tenancy spaces per the request of the leasing team became an adventure of their own. This requires layouts that are not too deep, nor too shallow and a focus to minimize the effect of the inordinate amount of egress stairs required in a multi-level development.
The second principle dealt initially with building height. There was concern to not create an external environment that would not have the effect of a canyon. The client team elected to eliminate a level of retail to enhance the pedestrian experience through human scale. In addition to height was a sensitivity to create a walking edge that incorporated a series of awnings, canopies, covered trellises and the like to respond to the local climate’s intense heat and rainfall. Customer comfort was key and handled in a way that would allow individuality of expression as prime tenants appeared wishing to express their corporate brand.
The third principle is the flexibility to allow for individual expression of tenants with a ‘lenient shop front criteria’. This involves an approach that allows the tenant to plug in at any stage of the design or more importantly during the construction phase and be prepared to change or alter the Design. In many instances it requires re-design and a fresh look to the street experience. There has to also be a ‘Balanced’ eye towards scale, color, materials and signage. It is important to not have the tenants create a ‘free for all’ where the initial concept designs by Owner and Base Architect are diminished. However, the tenant’s desires need to also be fully observed and understood. This requires an open mind and attitude by the Design Team. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of the ‘Flexibility Attitude’. The key to this principle is an appreciation and respect to a collaborative process of design required by Owner, Tenant and Design Architect!
Finally, and perhaps most important is the ability of the Owner to create financial avenues to enact the Changes. This is no small task! The China Resources flexibility to explore multiple courses of action to change has been phenomenal. The impressive aspect to all of the transformations to an outdoor environment rich with luxury brand retail has not come without a price! China Resources long term ownership view and their commitment to creating China’s finest shopping district has allowed them to embrace the key design principle of ‘Flexibility’ which has allowed an inordinate number of tenants to come in and change, alter and improve the existing environment. Every decision has been in the best interest of the Community and Residents of Shenzhen. Rarely does an Owner/Developer care to create an environment that will leave a ‘LEGACY’.
In closing ‘Flexibility’ comes with a price and is not easy to achieve. It requires egos on all fronts to be placed aside for the collaborative good of the Whole. The journey to create the Shenzhen City Crossing development and its retail environment known as the MIXc has been interesting and exciting. The ultimate success of the project will be told by the number of sales executed, the quantity of people enjoying the multitude of experiences available and the professional institute’s desires to analyze the MIXc. A truly great development will stand the test of TIME with its ability to transform when needed. None of this can happen without foresight in DESIGN and DEVELOPMENT.
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