Sanlitun Taikoo Li Beijing China
A shopping trip in China’s capital Beijing’s Sanlitun district has in nearly 10 years gone through a major transformation but it’s the changes in 2016 that seem to be setting the tone for what Chinese consumers are demanding: accessible luxury independent and local brands and entertaining experiences. Across the street, the recently opened Topwin Center and Mercedes me as well as the incoming InterContinental hotel hope to meet the demands of the young fashion-forward crowd from all over China that Taikoo Li has captured. Taikoo Li has been long setting a tone for what China’s major shopping malls can aspire to be—a self-labeled “hottest fashion destination and the coolest place to hang out.”
Sanlitun is divided into two distinct sections North and South partly separated by Swire’s The Opposite House boutique hotel. The two areas feature two distinct atmospheres and offerings. While the Southside focuses on more accessible luxury brands like Michael Kors and Kate Spate in addition to fast-fashion brands like H&M and three floors of restaurants the Northside is home to big-name luxury brands and Chinese independent labels. However, those clearly defined lines are beginning to shift with locally owned multi-brand stores like Artemis and Magmode opening in the South and more accessible luxury stores like Scotch and Soda in the North. Outside walkways are used for pop-ups by new brands and launch events like H&M’s eco-conscious collection debut. Two huge event spaces are reserved for fashion shows and gallery openings from both local and international brands and artists ranging from a Porsche event to a Beijing fashion school graduation showcase. Sanlitun is now aiming for a ‘Community Lifestyle Center’ Status to Compete with E-Commerce. Update information about this project and ext Jessica Rapp, Shanghai Daily 2016.
Roberto Cavalli one of the most prominent and well-known names in Italian fashion celebrated the opening of its first Chinese flagship store in Sanlitun Beijing in 2018. Take a close look at the doors of the photo and look closely at the 3D visualization of the Cartier facade design. The main structure is kept the same. Also, you can see on the overview render, that the building where currently Uniqlo is situated, was on the initial plans.
In 2005 Yeh worked and lived in Shanghai for 2 years. In collaboration with Screampoint, she worked on this project to draft urban plans and architecture visualizations. It’s amazing to be part of a project of this size from the very start and to be able to see after so many years the district has become successful and made an impact on society.
Architectural Design, Sketch Urban Planning, Retail Consulting.
*OMA is the Office for Mettropolitan Architecture run by Rem Coolhaas, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.