Retail Environments As Community Hubs

Quill City Mall

Project Photos

Quill City Mall was originally abandoned in the late ’90s. Its columns and slabs were preserved and a new vibrant façade was designed to revitalize the existing structure consisting of cascading terraces under a main roof. Its shell has been converted and transformed to address structural issues, changes in traffic patterns and local requirements after nearly two decades. Located on a major road, the complex was reconstructed to create a missing link between existing infrastructure.

The mall offers an alternative shopping experience and is designed as a meeting space to bring people together. Spanning eight floors, the complex offers an exciting mix of retail, dining and entertainment options—including a large supermarket, a 24-lane bowling alley, a ten-theatre cinema, a department store that spans over four levels, an IT mart, food court, restaurants, and a broad range of retailers. A public gathering place hosts regular events and performances, bringing people together and injecting new energy into the community. A large spherical digital media pod that appears to float along the top levels engages patrons with the built space by creating a sense of interest through active graphics and messaging.

Located on the seventh floor is the centrepiece of the overall development—an alfresco dining area featuring a clever skylight canopy that protects patrons from the elements after the regular mall operating hours. The combination of elements in this complex is composed in a creative, layered manner and presents an innovative concept that reinvents how people access, interact, and socialize with each other and their environment. Sheltered walkways host a refreshing mix of retail outlets that are weaved into the design to promote better connectivity to key amenities such as the university, train station, residential and office spaces.