In this age of consumerism, customers are the royalties of capitalism. Manufacturers are in constant search to create the next big thing that consumers would want, and of course want it in the most convenient way possible. The solution? Shopping malls – the one-stop centre where you could get almost anything you need, from grocery products to luxurious clothing all under the same roof. Since their inception, these commercial centres have been both lauded for being an easy-shopping destination for consumers and chided for being a gross embodiment of capitalism. Love them or hate them, shopping malls are definitely here to stay. Recognising their resilience, Top 10 of Malaysia takes the opportunity to share its random list of the country’s top ten latest and upcoming shopping centres in this issue of the publication.
Damansara City Mall
Unique in its mix of trade and offerings, the Damansara City Mall is planned to house a wide variety of restaurants, bistros and bars, making it a comfortable journey into a realm of international and local epicurean delights. The entire Guocoland Malaysia project is spread across four floors and a rooftop terrace, together with an essential aspect that makes a mall desirable these days – ample parking space. Visitors could also look forward to a covered outdoor dining experience with natural ventilation, as well as vertical gardens on feature walls, and a modern landscaped two-tiered roof garden with spaces for relaxation and outdoor performances.
Star Avenue Lifestyle Mall
Strategically located at the centre of a booming neighbourhood, this all-encompassing complex by the Mah Sing Group include a shopping mall, an attached covered boulevard that is tailored for weekend bazaars and a wide selection of gourmet restaurants, al fresco cafes and vibrant outlets. Considering its proximity to housing areas, the mall will also be anchored by a great value supermarket to provide patrons with everyday low prices. Furthermore, its layout design is specially catered to suit all vibrant of retail needs with emphasis on food and beverage, besides fashion, entertainment, supermarket, IT and telecommunications, book stores, toys and other accessories.
Sunway Putra Mall
Sunway’s maiden mall in Kuala Lumpur re-opened its doors this year after an extensive facelifting project that breathed new life into it. Now sporting an all-new look inspired by the sun-drop diamond of South Africa with its bright red, orange and yellow façade, the architectural brilliance successfully picked up the Bronze medal for Best Refurbished Building at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2015, the only Malaysian recipient to do so. Part of an integrated development comprising a hotel and office tower, the mall also stands out thanks to its uniquely themed precincts, such as the Selera Street for local food and Asian Avenue for regional fashion pieces.
Sunway Velocity Mall
Touted Kuala Lumpur south’s leading lifestyle centre, the Velocity Mall by Sunway in part of an integrated project that spans a whopping 23 acres of land. Anchored by the shopping mall and seamlessly connected to a hotel, condominiums, shops and an office tower, the development even boasts a two-acre garden that is the perfect sanctuary for urbanites. Strategically located alongside TRX Exchange and IKEA Cheras, the mall will be served by various public transportation options, including two new MRT stations, existing LRT line and highways, and is slated to open its doors at the end of 2016.
Atria Shopping Gallery
The Atria was an iconic neighbourhood shopping mall in Damansara during its initial launch way back in the 1980s, before losing its shine soon after. Now, after being acquired and restored by OSK Property, the Atria Shopping Gallery is born to serve all the neighbourhood shopping needs once again. Spanning across 5.5 acres of land with a total of 392 units for its SoFo development, the mall has also been designed to be vehicle-friendly, with five different drop-off and pick-up points surrounding the mall, not to mention 1,700 secured parking bays for visitors. For its excellence, Atria is also the proud recipient of the Best Retail Interior award in Asia Pacific Property Awards 2015.
Empire City Mall
Part of a greater development called Empire City in Damansara Perdana, the mall is a project undertaken by Mammoth Empire Group of Companies to create a new shopping landscape for the people of Petaling Jaya. Artfully combining the beauty of colonial-style architecture and the sophisticated style of modern construction, the new mall boasts over two million square feet in lettable area (NLA). Besides retail stores, the mall is also expected to house an Olympic-sized ice skating rink, a 4DX cinema and a luxury courtyard. Beyond its recognition as the next-big shopping destination, the mall is well-known for hosting the “Party of the Century” with Paris Hilton and 2 AM earlier in 2015.
GLO Damansara Mall
A premier lifestyle and neighbourhood mall located between housing areas and office buildings, the brand new GLO Damansara Mall is set to fulfil the shopping needs of surrounding families and working professionals alike. Boasting over 200 units of retail lots in a 360,000 square feet of total net lettable area, the mall will have six floors of shopping space and four storeys of carpark with approximately 800 bays. Next to the mall are various high-storey shop-offices, Residensi Damansara, a 365-unit serviced apartment, and another Glomac Berhad development, Menara Glomac, a 25-storey office tower.
MyTown Shopping Centre
A new family and lifestyle shopping centre in the heart of KL, the MyTown Shopping Centre is anchored by the largest IKEA in Malaysia, the IKEA Cheras. A joint development by Boustead Holdings Berhad and Ikano Pte Ltd, the mall will be built with lush green surroundings for fun and sun in a relaxing environment and alfresco dining in chic restaurants and stylish cafes. With more than 460 lots catering to retailers, the mall is expecting to brim with shopping experiences like no other in its five spacious levels. Seamless connectivity to the destination will be provided by major highways as well as a direct tunnel link from the Cochrane underground MRT station.
Bangsar Trade Centre
Built by Twin Pavilion Development Sdn Bhd, the developer famed for bringing more growth in the Pantai area, the Bangsar Trade Center or BTC for short is expected to become the face of Bangsar upon completion. Featuring a total land area of five acres, the new commercial centre will have four million square feet of built-up area with 230,000 square feet of retail podium and three levels of basement car park to save space. Strategically located along the Federal Highway, the construction has a wide frontage exposure to the highway for the patrons’ easy access.
Evolve Concept Mall
Developed by MNH Global Assets Management Sdn Bhd, Evolve Concept Mall is located in the increasingly upmarket Ara Damansara township, just minutes away from the busy Subang Airport Road. As the first full-fledged mall in the area, Evolve offers 5 levels of air-conditioned shopping, dining and leisure activity with brands such as H&M, FOS, Samsung, Peninsula Chinese Cuisine Restaurant, Food Zine food hall, Jaya Grocer, The Grand Pacific event hall and more. Evolve is also home to LOGO Fashion Gallery and Lounge, a large format concept store offering 500 designer brands at outlet prices. Access is easy via main highways such as the NKVE, LDP, Federal Highway and an upcoming LRT station adjacent to the mall.
Issue 23/2016
