Lead8 Designs Botanic-Inspired Retail for Hongkong Land

Lead8, the international firm of Architects, Masterplanners, Interior and Graphic Designers, has announced its appointment to Hongkong Land's recently unveiled "Yorkville - The Ring" in Chongqing – an innovative retail development possessing one of the largest indoor botanic gardens in China.

Interior Design: Lead8
Developer: Hongkong Land
Location: Chongqing, China
Year: 2019
Size - Overall GFA: 430,000 sqm
Size - Retail GFA: 154,500 sqm
Executive Architect: PH Alpha Design
Landscape Designer: ASPECT Studios

Project's description: The commercial development is the inaugural project in Hongkong Land’s new retail series ‘The Ring’. This will also be the developer’s first wholly-owned commercial development in Southwestern China. Lead8 is delivering the Interior Design for the future development.

“We are incredibly proud to be working with the prestigious Hongkong Land team to conceive their future retail series. With half of all Fortune 500 companies now operating in Chongqing, the city is primed for a new innovative retail destination to excite its ever discerning population. We believe our design will do just that,” said Chris Lohan, Co Founder & Executive Director at Lead8.

Located in the Jinzhou Business District, within the Liangjiang New Area, Yorkville – The Ring is being developed in the residential centre of the city. The retail-led destination is situated next to Yorkville, the high-end residential development also by Hongkong Land, which borders the Zhaomushan Forest Park.

The scheme occupies a total of 430,000 sqm with approximately 154,000 sqm dedicated to the seven-level mall, 14,000 sqm to the retail street, 111,000 sqm to the super grade A office building and 6,000 sqm to the indoor botanic garden. Direct connections to Chongqing Metro Line 5 (completed) and Line 15 (still in planning), will offer convenient access across the entire city.

The mall is set to introduce new retail experiences for the industry and Chongqing. The development comes to life with a 42-metre-tall botanic garden, sports and culture themed interactive spaces, and a creative tenant mix, together providing first-of-their-kind attractions to the city.

Allowing visitors to feel as though they have walked into a rainforest, the indoor botanic garden will feature three distinct themes – the Soul Tree, the Aerial Forest and the Riverside Hills. The garden has a 24-metre airborne waterfall that will nourish over 70,000 plants of over 300 different species. Speciality activity hubs such as the ‘Free+’ dynamic sporting facility and ‘Open Lab’, a calm space for reading and gathering, help meet the diverse demands of a wide consumer profile.

“The concept for ‘The Ring’ series pays respect to unique local cultures and brings new vitality to their host cities. Our approach to the design of the interior environment of this truly exciting and sector-leading development has mirrored this aim. The space unites people with nature, people with people and people with technology, to create an intelligent, dynamic and living and breathing retail experience,” said Ada Ng, Regional Director at Lead8.

The inaugural development is due to complete by the end of 2020 with Hongkong Land planning to bring ‘The Ring’ series to other cities across China in future.

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