SKP Wuhan redefines the interior experience of contemporary luxury retail with an ambient and curated destination centred on the act of the promenade.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2025
Third Award | Interiors – Retail (Built)
Project Name: SKP Wuhan
Category: Interiors – Retail (Built)
Studio Name: Sybarite
Design Team: Torquil McIntosh, Co-Founder; Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder; Aldo Sanzo, Director; Enrico Falchetti, Associate Director; Andrea Facchinato Senior Architect/Designer
Area: 130,000 sqm
Year: 2024
Location: Wuhan, China
Consultants: Local Architect, CC8; Lighting, Speris Major Lighting Architecture; Fire Protection Engineering, ARUO & CC8; Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, AECOM; Structure Consultant, CABR; Advanced Engineering, Eckersley O’Callaghan; Robotic Installations, JIN ARTS
Photography Credits: Nick Kuratnik; Wan She Tang
Render Credits: Sybarite
Other Credits: Sybarite
As the brand’s first location in central China, the project is conceived as an immersive, curated environment, where interior and exterior blend, becoming both the setting and the catalyst for cultural and commercial engagement. SKP Wuhan presents a forward-thinking example of integrated retail and lifestyle placemaking.
Located in Wuhan’s central cultural zone, along the Yangtze River’s east side, the vast 130,000 sqm development champions the creation of intimate spaces for connection within a blended indoor-and-outdoor shopping enclave.
Like a glowing lantern along the waterfront, SKP Wuhan’s first impression is its subtly pulsating, illuminated façade, designed to echo the rhythm of the surrounding streets. At ground level, four sculpted entrances transform into framed canopies beneath the unfolding façade. Geometric paving stones subtly guide the flow of movement, offering tonal variation and tactile cues. These thresholds invite discovery whilst establishing a sense of place. The use of carefully curated materials, scale, and proportion leads the visitor on a deliberate journey through the interior that feel expansive yet personalised.
From the moment visitors step inside the space, two soaring, light-filled half-moon atriums are framed by towering walls of breathtaking book-matched marble walls, which anchor the experience across multiple levels. The consistent rhythm of the structural columns creates a visual and spatial language that is both intimate and monumental.
With a cohesive and fluid configuration of escalators at north and south ends, the consumer is invited to explore each floor and the offerings available – from elegant luxury fashion flagships, to varying food & beverage options – until they reach the fifth floor. Here the interior experience opens out to the rooftop garden, providing an unexpected sanctuary above the city. Lush landscaping follows the elliptical form of the building, framed by a climate-controlled glass ribbon connecting restaurants and retail. Two reflection pools echo the atriums below, extending the design language into a tranquil, contemplative atmosphere for events and pop-ups.
From spectacular heights to dramatic depths, SKP-S Wuhan, titled ‘Paradox Planet’ builds on previous SKP-S themes such as ‘Moving to Mars,’ ‘Earth Rebirth,’ and ‘Parallel World.’ The interior challenges norms and encourages experimentation, using robotic art installations and futuristic design elements as a tool for storytelling and subversion. The metric of success here is not ‘sales per square metre’, but ‘experience per square metre.’
Sustainability is embedded in the fabric and interior of the space, with the preservation of 60% of the original structure, creation of layered interiors that balance innovation with respect for context. Design cohesion, material longevity, and authentic storytelling all contribute to an environment designed to endure.
Extending east, Sybarite’s transformation of K Avenue adds a final chapter to the interior journey. The retail promenade, K Avenue, presents a balanced environment that respects both the house of SKP, and the individual brand identities. As a new addition to Wuhan’s retail landscape, the promenade is a seamless experience, providing a timeless stage for brands to connect with their audience.
