The brief for Unipark was to introduce a new offering and retail destination that brings cultural, lifestyle, experiential and entertainment opportunities, creating a place for family, youth and children in a predominantly residential district.
Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2024
First Award | Interior (Retail) (Built)
Project Name: UniPark
Category: Interior (Retail) (Built)
Studio Name: Lead8
Design Team: Lead8
Area: 115,000 sqm
Year: 2022
Location: Jinan, China
Consultants:
Photography Credits: Lead8
Render Credits: Lead8
Other Credits: Developer: China Overseas Land & Investment LTD & China Overseas Property Group Co. LTD
Creating a Dreamscape
The design, inspired by the idea of a “Dreamscape”, creates a place full of discovery and possibilities. To capture the imagination of children, the story of a fairy and creating wishes is played out through the key design elements, coming to life across the whole development, from the main entrance to the design detailing, washrooms, lift lobbies and signage.
The idea of making a wish as you blow a dandelion has informed the design and the development journey. As dandelion seeds blow away, they scatter into different places to create new destinations. The flow of experiences and programs through the development is inspired by this concept.
The main events atrium gives a nod to this idea, with dandelion-inspired balconies and skylights forming intriguing backdrops that encourage further exploration.
Design Innovation
The design has innovated the way architecture and art come together as an artform in themselves. The Magic Garden atrium is one of these examples within UniPark. This is the main events atrium and a place of social gathering. The design has created a platform for events, and an attraction within the development, with photogenic “dandelion-inspired” balconies and a large-scale sculptural skylight that connects the interior with the exterior leisure rooftop.
Technology has been integrated to bring a kinetic element to the space. A hanging, adjustable and translucent LED screen hangs above the events area and hosts soft media content and becomes a changing backdrop for a wide range of occasions and performances.
The key objective of the design was to deliver an experiential family-oriented destination. The design strategy aimed to achieve this through immersive experiences, multi-directional customer circulation, creating unique selling points and feature spaces.
Elevating Lifestyles
Aspiring to meet wider ESG principles, the philosophy for UniPark was to create a destination that would elevate the “quality of life” for a new generation in Jinan that expects more from their city and community.
Considering the local environment and sustainable impact, UniPark has ensured all the development construction materials were sourced locally. This strategy has reduced transportation costs and supported the local economy of material suppliers and manufacturers.
Market Acceptance
UniPark has been incredibly well received by the local community. On its first day of opening, more than 200,000 people visited the development with sales exceeding RMB 16 million.
The success of the project positioning has seen nearly 300 high-quality brands enter the development, with 60% of those being first time stores in the area.
Overall, UniPark has successfully filled a gap in the market, delivering a large-scale commercial development for the community. The design has provided a diversified commercial format, focusing on the “new aesthetics of life” and providing a “new living” guide for Jinan citizens.
