Re-Imagining Retail - Approaching Mixed-Use Design through a Hospitality Lens

In conversations around the future of brick-and-mortar retail in the United States, claims have been made about the rise of e-commerce (especially mobile e-commerce) bringing about the supposed downfall of the shopping mall. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the retail industry as people opted for online ordering from home rather than visiting an enclosed mall, for health and safety reasons and the convenience of one-click ordering. According to World Economic Forum, department store sales in the first quarter of 2020 and those from other "non-essential" retailers declined by 25%, and in the second quarter, the decline was up to 75%.

It's undeniable that consumer behavior has shifted, with more people working, shopping, and even connecting with friends across the globe online from the comfort of home. Yet, while this has implications for brick-and-mortar retailers across the country, the shopping mall isn't dead, it's ripe for transformation.

The Rise of Experiential Retail

Since the internet forever changed our relationship with retail, developers and designers have been inspired to create retail experiences that provide something that an online experience cannot. With smart phones, shoppers can easily research a product, conduct price comparisons, and be influenced to buy something through an advertisement or suggestion by an influencer on social media. However, a feeling, atmosphere, and sensory experience in a physical location can also influence buying decisions, creating opportunities for innovative solutions in the realm of experiential retail.

The award-winning Miami Design District introduced a multifaceted and experiential - as opposed to purely transactional - approach to retail with the integration of art, architecture, and urban design. With growing consumer trends toward experiences, Miami Design District offers something more emotionally engaging and personal than goods and discounts, with cultural institutions, design showrooms, and public art integrated into the development. In collaboration with the developer, Dacra, we created the architectural skeleton for the entirety of an 18-block, 2,699,095 square-foot Miami Design District, addressing building structure, overall identity, and the movement of people through newly created urban spaces as a multifaceted community experience. The pedestrian-oriented urban design transformed a once gritty area into an international luxury shopping destination unprecedented in the city of Miami.

Miami Design District is designed around how brands - and art, architecture, fashion, and food - have the power to evoke strong feelings. The district elicits a range of emotions based on sensory experiences that are just not accessible through the digital images and written descriptions online, in turn, drawing luxury retailers, restaurants, and art galleries to carve out their own space in this unique destination. Without a traditional anchor, the Miami Design District features retail spaces with façades created per the specifications of each tenant, so that their brand's identity can be expressed both through the design of the interior space and exterior face. This significant departure from the homogenous storefronts of mega malls indicates how in retail, just as in the hotel industry, personalization and customization allows you to make more authentic connections with your audience.

Miami Design District is not myopically focused on being a shopping destination; instead, it is equally compelling as a cultural destination, a place to hang out and experience art, dine, socialize, and experience aspirational retail. Key to its success is the reduced scale and pedestrian-oriented aspects of the design creating a neighborhood feel.

Harvard Business Review described "The Growing Business of Helping Customers Slow Down" in an article that, despite being dated years ago, still feels very relevant for the current retail landscape. In a saturated market, brands need consumers to pause and take note of the distinguishing details and quality of their offerings. The same is true for hotels who want guests to notice their locally inspired design, creative programming, and local art programs because it will make them want to linger in spaces and feel inclined to book another stay.

Dynamic mixed-use districts like Miami Design District have embraced a European-inspired mindset of Slow Shopping as an alternative to speed of service and ordering food, rides, clothing, gifts, music, and movies with a single click online. Slow Shopping increases consumer touch points and conversations between seller and community and creates more opportunity for immersing in experiences beyond a point of sale.

Modern Shopping Destinations Where Dining is an Expression of Values and a Desired Lifestyle

Luxury shopping destinations have become havens for food enthusiasts, where reimagined food courts inspire people to linger (in the spirit of Slow Shopping) and share with friends and family a dining experience that fits with their lifestyle. At Miami Design District - home to a vibrant food hall, indoor/outdoor dining experiences, and concepts by world-renowned chefs - food is the reason for visiting rather than being something to do quickly in between shopping. Across the United States and internationally, we are seeing mall food courts taking on a new dimension, adding locally relevant restaurants with loyal followings and even Michelin-starred eateries to their rosters.

At Esplanade at Aventura, a 215,000 square-foot ground-up development located in Aventura, Florida that offers experiential retail, unique entertainment, and fine dining, in addition to the luxurious open-air retail setting, the F&B component is a significant driver, drawing residents and international visitors to a site where a former Sears store is being reimagined through modern mixed-use design.

In addition to a first-of-its kind food hall featuring Latin cuisine and live music and the first restaurant that Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser has opened outside of New York, Esplanade at Aventura features the recently opened two-level modern oasis named JOEY Aventura, which the Canadian-based hospitality collective JOEY Restaurant Group recently debuted in summer 2023. The 241-seat dining room is anchored by a modern, circular bar surrounded by an open kitchen where guests can be part of the excitement of watching their dishes prepared by chefs. Seating options extend to an upstairs mezzanine space with a bar overlooking the main dining area, and an expansive patio for an al alfresco dining experience. With natural materials, lush greenery, unique lighting, and art installations, the restaurant's design makes guests feel that to dine there is beyond having a meal and more about partaking in an elevated lifestyle.

The restaurant reflects a trend in modern retail in which designers and developers are taking a tailored approach to the feelings and experiences they want to evoke and looking beyond the shopping experience to achieve it.

Lukasz Wawrzenczyk, Design Principal at the international architecture practice 10 Design (part of Egis Group), notes that Asia is particularly progressive in creating retail environments in which shopping becomes the secondary driver of retail design.

Asia is coming out on top in terms of innovative retail development. The market is galvanized by new developments that break away from the conventional 'big box' mall and integrate immersive, experiential offerings, with commercial and cultural elements combined, stated Wawrzenczyk.

In these environments, demand is high for dining experiences that deliver one-of-a-kind moments with family and friends. Especially considering places in Asia where the living spaces may be smaller, limiting social gatherings at home, malls represent a public space where one can relax, have a unique gastronomic experience, connect with a community, and indulge in something novel.

For a mixed-use project, MixC Sungang, in Shenzhen, China that departs from conventional shopping mall design, 10 Design converted a former warehouse site into a retail-gastronomy destination topped by two Grade-A office towers. The Shenzhen development merges the concept of a traditional marketplace with experiential retail, becoming a lifestyle complex and vibrant central meeting place for the community in the bustling city of Shenzen. The two high-rise towers frame the edges of a pedestrian-friendly street for shoppers and diners, while the shopping mall entrance is animated by three floating food truck-inspired structures, creating a unique spatial experience for dining and gastronomic experiences. Visitors can also engage in interactive workshops, arts, culture, and entertainment programs integrated into the development.

In describing the project's desired impact, Design Principal, Chin Yong Ng shared, MixC Sungang is a catalyst of growth in this emerging Central Business District. By weaving the concept of traditional marketplace and experiential retail together, the destination provides an immersive sensory experience to attract a diverse consumer base.

The master plan for the mixed-use project includes residential and serviced apartment towers, resettlement housing and public amenities. It is worth noting that a new vision for urban development acknowledges the importance of not just transforming malls into live-work-play destinations, but introducing a vibrant mix of tenants, services, and amenities to contribute to the evolution and long-term success of neighborhoods. A high-end office building, hotel, and residences are being planned in the Miami Design District, indicating the "beyond" retail experiential approach provides fertile ground for creating new districts and neighborhoods in a city.

Where Creativity, Culture, and Commerce Intersect

In the next era for retail, we'll see shopping centers taking on roles of cultural and civic importance. These will be designed as spaces to gather around food, nature, performances, and art, with inviting pathways guiding people to different experiences. In addition to offering opportunities for social interaction and instilling a sense of community, these places will reflect architectural uniqueness true to locale and align with the unique dynamics and needs of their surroundings.

In Rionegro, Columbia, in a location near Jose María Córdova (MDE) International Airport and at the crossroads of two major road infrastructure projects that will drive greater growth in the region, a mixed-use destination, Río Arts District, is reinventing the traditional shopping mall experience with a retail component that promotes economic vitality and quality of life for members of the community. The retail is designed as a luxury and cultural anchor that will draw people to art galleries, museums, flagship and concept stores, and signature restaurants, in addition to creating a platform for thousands of artists in Colombia who will have more opportunities to be seen and for their artwork to be valued at a level commensurate with their talent.

Porousness permeates Río Arts District, with numerous pathways by which to enter the development, wander through it, and explore the perimeter, which is dotted with sculptures and greenery, in harmony with the lush flora of Medellín. This represents a departure from the boundaries and lines demarcating disparate retailers in a conventional shopping mall. Design is trending toward a more organic flow between like-minded brands, and venues that act as creative incubators where artists and businesses can test new ideas in pop-up type fashion. At Río Arts District, temporary installations, rotating murals, and exhibitions, and even stores and boutiques may shift over time, reflecting a theme of creativity and transformation.

Welcoming the visitors and setting the tone for the experience at Río Arts District is a brand-name building, with two nearby structures - featuring a hotel with a third-floor pool deck - forming the retail heart of the project. The third and fourth buildings are centered around food and beverage experiences, where chefs can display their art in an environment that allows the incubation of new dining concepts in addition to giving space for the established industry players to shine. Located along the central axis and anchoring the project, an events plaza with stepped terraces and an intimate stage setting will host performances, fashion shows, yoga classes, and more. Finally, a multistory art hub in the fifth building - the cultural heart of the project - will function as an experiential tourist destination for viewing and purchasing art.

The project serves as a window into Colombian culture and introduces a unique business model in which the discerning shoppers visiting the destination for its unique food and beverage experiences, events, and luxury retail components will be inspired to invest in the artwork being showcased, thus supporting locals in the community. Employing placemaking strategies aligned with the unique strengths, points of pride, and needs of the region, the district provides the essential civic infrastructure needed to build resilient communities and fuel further economic growth.

Blurring the Lines Between Retail Space and Nature

The outdoor plazas, open-air experiences, and pedestrian-friendly pathways in places where outdoor retail experiences are closely linked to nature continue to resonate with a need for calming, restorative environments that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Miami Design District, open-air plazas with native trees and contemporary sculptures engage visitors on a visceral and emotional level. Named after the dynamic flux of a river ("río" in Spanish), Río Art District leverages biophilic design to create a softer, fluid experience for visitors that reflects nature's influence, with five buildings and open-air pathways running throughout and encircling the site. The orientation of the buildings was inspired by how water moves over rocks, boulders, and natural bridges. Visually, this idea informed the flow and movement of the design, including how people will move from one destination to another and pause at points of interest.

In such a pedestrian-friendly setting, shoppers can wander and take pride in rare finds and unexpected moments, and even practice more conscious shopping, investing in quality items that will last a long time versus consuming clothing or items that are made quickly and cheaply available to customers. In addition to being more conducive to the benefits of Slow Shopping, pedestrian-oriented pathways in a retail environment allow a closer connection to nature and appreciation for art elements that might be integrated into a development.

10 Design created a visitor experience akin to a meandering stroll through a garden at Jinwan Mall in Zhuhai, China, starting from the entrance to the mall's atrium and retail street, and opening up to the garden and lake by multiple pathways and interwoven spaces. In addition to a façade that takes the form of Chinese stacked stone walls, the development's unique retail planning involves features such as a courtyard fountain and flexible waterfront space for pop-up shops and performance stages encouraging gathering and lingering by visitors to the area.

Another nature-inspired design that works together with an element of discovery and exploration exists at Río Arts District, where elements of nature are culturally significant and raise locals' and visitors' environmental consciousness. Created in harmony with the built environment, the open-air pedestrian pathways are intertwined with living nature native to Colombia. The design divides the project into four quadrants based on the country's biomes; one quadrant reflects a sandy beach, and another captures the characteristics of a dense jungle. Unique plantings and landscape expressions reflect the distinctive biomes, inviting locals and visitors to learn more about the environment and local conditions.

With endless possibilities for integrating nature, exciting culinary, art, educational experiences, and meaningful public gathering spaces into mixed-use hubs, there is ample opportunity for brick-and-mortar retail to thrive.