Open season

Major new developments are scheduled to open across the world in 2023.

These developments show a clear trend towards ‘live, work, play’ concepts with malls being incorporated as part of larger, mixed-use developments and moving away from stand-alone schemes with retail as the core anchor.

Pavilion Damansara Heights in Kuala Lumpur is a 16-acre integrated development featuring a large mall, five residential towers, ten corporate towers as well as a proposed five-star hotel. The development is designed around the ‘live, work, play’ concept that has been central to new developments worldwide over the past few years. It aims to be a lifestyle hub to foster a sense of community through the provision of retail, F&B, entertainment, residence, offices, and leisure facilities. Phase 1 of Pavilion Damansara Heights Mall is expected to open this year, involving over 533,000 ft² of lettable space and over 70% confirmed retail tenants.

11 Skies in Hong Kong (seen above) is a new mixed-use retail development, expected to be the largest retail-entertainment landmark in Hong Kong upon completion. Developed as an entertainment and business centre, it will feature retail, F&B, entertainment, and office space, with a gross floor space of 3.8 million ft², including 2.7 million ft² of retail. The development is opening in phases between 2022 and 2025, with office spaces having opened in 2022, but the first four entertainment facilities are expected to open this year. This involves the world’s largest indoor and outdoor karting track, immersive and interactive entertainment, a 4D motion flying theatre and an immersive media art exhibition.

Marassi Galleria in Bahrain is a beachfront mega shopping mall on the southern island shore of the Diyar Al Muharraq islands, part of an urban mixed-use project, Marassi Al Bahrain. Scheduled to open early this year, the mall will consist of over 2.15 million ft² of gross floor area, including over 560 retail outlets spread over three floors. In addition to retail, the mall will feature five interconnected urban lifestyle districts, including a high street, a family plaza, an animated rooftop for events, a waterfront dining promenade, and a luxury courtyard. An extensive range of entertainment will also be provided, including a ten-screen cinema, a trampoline park, a VR theme park, and an aquarium.

Milanord2 Retail and Entertainment Centre in Milan is also expected to open later this year, and will house a range of retail, F&B, leisure, art and culture, and entertainment spaces. A unique and innovative feature of the centre is the rooftop Sky Plaza, which will enable visitors to engage in a range of outdoor sporting events and cultural and entertainment activities, featuring a trampoline park, a surf wave pool, a skate park, an ice rink, and a cinema.

Jio World Plaza Mall is opening this year in Mumbai and is set to be the new destination for luxury goods in India; a luxury shopping destination featuring high-end retail, dining, and entertainment. The mall sits within the Jio World Centre development, a new landmark location for business, leisure, and entertainment that was developed in anticipation of India’s next decade of growth. The mall will be spread over four floors featuring numerous luxury brands including the largest Louis Vuitton store in India, new and innovative dining concepts, and a six-screen cinema.

Though retail remains an important attractor of both visits and rental income, its increasing accessibility – through online to its presence in travel hubs and more local stores – makes it less of a point of difference in attracting footfall. Retail provision is increasingly orientated around providing suitable provision to an audience, rather than the sole generator of that audience.

Due to this evolving dynamic, leisure and entertainment has gained significant importance, with more experiential, innovative and unique attractions being used to anchor schemes and attract visitors. Crucial to the development of successful schemes is an understanding of each specific locations' addressable audience and how concepts, brands and environments can combine to address deficiencies in existing provision or steal market share by providing something new, compelling and superior to what is already available.

Emily Brown