Project Description

The shopping centers of Dhaka city are becoming the landmark of the urban fabric with the rapid physical development and enhancement of the consumer character of the urban dweller. The growing pressure of providing the urban amenities into these shopping centers demanding more creative thoughts in design. But the platform for preparing a modern shopping centre is still in threat.

(The inconsistency between the government authority in terms of ensuring / forcing the owner of these centre to be responsive towards the need of proper parking, services and urban amenities, leading to a chaotic situation. The excessive land value and higher priority of traditional window-shopping at ground level has turned the development more or less focused to horizontal development rather than the vertical one. Though there are numerous number of shopping centre turned into glass boxes accommodating as many shops as possible with minimum focus in vertical circulation led the shopping activity to meet the basic needs rather than an entertainment and positive experience. The traditional constrain of horizontal shopping, reluctance of going vertically for shopping and coming out from the box shaped shopping complex were the main design challenge. Our intention was to develop a vibrant shopping experience which will accommodate all the basic requirements as well plaza, sculptural stairs, fountain, open cybercafé, food court and upper level terraces for eating and sitting.

Designing a new shopping centre in the already established shopping strip of Dhanmondi (a residential cum commercial area), our key design objective was to improve the existing trend and to create a new identity within a tight site. At a nodal location between the primary & secondary road the site opens a huge exposure for the new building in terms of circulation (Pedestrian & vehicular), view and climatic consideration. Thus the intention purely focused to make an urban living space of the community where people can take rest, meet their friends, do their shopping and participate in the interactive activities.

Within a very tight site the creation of a moderate scaled atrium along with adequate space for shopping (to be feasible for the entire project) as well as a continuous and linking vertical circulation were the main challenges. The entry from the two major roads and drawing the people into the heart, the atrium with ease and disbursing to the vertical circulation through the atrium are the main experience of the project. One who enters the shopping centre immediately experience / encounters the fountain, goes up to the first floor plaza level (just at the bottom of atrium), steps up to the stairs along with the atrium, circulate through the shopping arcade and rises to the top floor food court with such a ease that suddenly he finds himself at the outside terrace sitting area 70’ high from the road level.

Ample day light in the atrium and the shopping arcades imbues the place with liveliness, freshness, festivity and enchainment. The clear day light creates some interesting light and shadow pattern and expresses the changing mood of the outside atmosphere, season and ambience. The skylight with indoor neon lights, outdoor neon lights, lights at footpath and glowing effect of terraces enriches the shopping experience and reinforces itself as the focal point at night time.

The panoramic lift, stairs at different levels, escalators around the atrium creates the shopping experience as an entertainment. Its functional aspects efficient energy utilization and defined and clear circulation provides a human – oriented environment that operates smoothly everyday. The filtered light though the vaulted skylight produces a quality of spatial depth that transcends the physical space. The regular structural grid resulting from both basic function and maximization of car parking optimizes the building support systems to achieve a higher flexibility and results in lowered maintenance and operation cost. Two basement level car parking provide the customer the maximum ease with longer period of shopping.

The architect also visualized and carefully designs the interior which would fit the requirements as well as harmonize with the overall design scheme. The variation in the height & pattern of false ceiling, grouping and variation of sizes and ambience of artificial light, floor & wall materials, aluminum cladding, stairs- rails, hand rails all are articulated the relationships of materials with the space and with each other. The exterior composed of concrete surface, aluminum panels and curtain glass intended to be balanced and coherent to each other. As the building grows out from the site, evokes a mood of transparent living within the firm bases of life and give a nice repose of busy urban life while moving out to shop at.

Project Data