Designed Indonesia's first "semi-open-air" outlet mall

Design concept: "Shopping in Nature": A commercial space sprinkled with motifs unique to the region

The design was based on the theory behind outlet mall planning, which is to create a single line of traffic flow to ensure equal access to the stores, while incorporating regional characteristics at the nodes of that traffic flow. We developed five motifs inspired by Indonesian nature - "Forest," "Bamboo," "Water," "Flower," and "Rice Terrace" - to create a diverse pedestrian space.

The Green Hub, located in the center of the outlet, is a flexible space that can accommodate a variety of events. The three-dimensional greenery inspired by rice terraces transforms the experience of ascending and descending the stairs into a rich spatial experience, and increases the ability to attract customers to the upper floors, which is generally considered a challenge for shopping malls.

Creating comfortable semi-outdoor spaces in tropical Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia, where the average maximum temperature exceeds 30°C throughout the year, outdoor shopping malls are unlikely to take hold and completely indoor types are the norm. On the other hand, in order to differentiate this facility from existing commercial facilities, the premise of the development plan for this facility is to aim to provide an environment where people can enjoy shopping while walking comfortably outdoors. However, it is physically difficult to realize a completely air-conditioned environment in such an outdoor space.

The theme of this project was to find an architectural solution to this dilemma. First, we divided the building into an area where the strong, almost vertical sunlight that is unique to Southeast Asia is filtered out by a glass roof, and an area that is completely outdoors. We then attempted to improve the environment by running thermal environment simulations for each area.

The Giant Canopy glass roof and airflow control realize temperatures 10°C lower than the outside space

The area covered by the large glass roof named "Giant Canopy" uses three types of materials with different light transmittance: ① Low-E glass, ② Low-E glass and silk print, and ③ aluminum panels, and achieves the target value derived from simulations with an average value. Furthermore, the silk print pattern created by computational design creates light and shadow like sunlight filtering through the trees, providing a comfortable walking space. At night, indirect lighting installed in "Giant Canopy" creates a different look from the daytime.

To further improve comfort, pole-type fans that supplement natural ventilation provide a comfortable breeze in the walking space. Combined with the effect of the large roof, this achieves a perceived temperature drop of about 10°C compared to the outside space.

Combining the know-how of our experienced Japanese team and our Southeast Asian team with extensive local knowledge

For this client's first new-build outlet mall project in Southeast Asia, MJDA Japan and MJDA Singapore formed a mixed team that was able to make the most of their respective know-how, and they handled everything from the volume check stage to post-completion support.

MJD acted as the design architect and drew up concept design based on their extensive track record in Japan. Utilizing their business know-how and communication skills in Southeast Asia, MJDA detailed and materialized this as schematic design. With smooth communication between the parties involved, MJDA supervised design development and construction to adjust details that took into account facilities, structure, and maintenance, verify mockups, and improve quality on site, leading the project not only from a design perspective but also from a technical standpoint.

By precisely implementing our design, we were able to create a comfortable semi-outdoor commercial space with effective shading and a warm thermal environment.

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