The advent of the sharing economy, the growing prominence of drones and our increasing demand for authentic and memorable experiences are among some of the factors architects must take into account when designing the malls and shopping destinations of tomorrow.
That’s the view of Bryan Croeni, Advance Strategy director at global architecture and urban planning giant B+H, who revealed to B+H’s vision of the Mall of Tomorrow
MOBILITY – WAR OF THE PARKING SPACESAs the car becomes detached from consumer habits, designers will need to account for emerging modes of transportation and embed future mobility options into present-day shopping experiences. The world is preparing for the autonomous vehicle and empty parking lots are already presenting opportunities to introduce mixed uses. But we need to think bolder. Taking the Hyperloop home, for instance, will be more appealing if a drone is there to carry your shopping bags.
SPACES – EXPLODE THE BOXTraditional big box anchor tenants and corridors full of rigid spaces make less sense in the domain of online shopping. Since physical space no longer dictates where and how we do commerce, a shift to modular flexible spaces that can expand and contract based on the needs of the shopper will become the norm. At its core, the mall is a forum for experiences and commerce – the reasons to confine both to a prescribed physical space are rapidly dwindling.
TECHNOLOGY – THE DIGITAL DIVIDEToday, the mobile share of global e-commerce is estimated at 70 per cent, fueled by the 6 per cent of the global population that owns a smartphone. Malls need to fight fire with fire, by ensuring the integration of technology acts in service to human experience and not as the experience itself. Technology can be best leveraged to make spaces instantly programmable and customisable.
INFRASTRUCTURE – PLUG AND PLAYBuilding on technology, the increasing pressure to update antiquated infrastructure to align with the global energy transition is the perfect opportunity to embed flexibility and customisation into the makeup of the mall. The mall can act as the spine that everything plugs into – receiving and sending the information to potential retailers, programmers, vendors and guests.
TENANT MIX – SYSTEMIC CHANGEA mall programmed around social attractors that draw people together can invariably change based on shifting user wants, needs and desires. At the Crystal Galleria in Shanghai, B+H designed space for food offerings in 40 per cent of the six-level building to accommodate for a shifting focus to experience and good. Flexibility and change should be embedded into the mall’s structure to allow for pivots in use and function. An extension of the Airbnb/Uber models can be leveraged to facilitate an element of purposefully transient tenant spaces.
USER EXPERIENCE – CAMPFIREBuying stuff will not survive as the primary purpose of the mall. In the future, we’ll go to the mall to 'wake up'. Retailers are already increasing their programming with a focus on experiences. As the lines between live, work, and play continue to blur, community and social activity will become the generators of retail and not the other way around.
INVESTORS – SHARING SPACESChange, not growth, is shaping an increasingly global investment market. A mall that is a collection of experiences and opportunities for commerce lends itself to a new kind of ownership model built around multiple stakeholders, community ownership and the sharing economy.
GUESTS – THE NEXT DISRUPTORSJust three major consumer groups will generate 50 per cent of total global urban consumption growth between now and 2030: the retiring and elderly in developed economies, China’s working-age population, and North America’s working-age population. The next disruptors are Generation Z, who have demonstrated a willingness to trade in technology for authentic experiences that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
