Wuyue Plaza, completed with retail planning and interior design by Benoy, officially opened in September 2021. This new flagship commercial complex is the outcome of a collaboration between Benoy and Seazen. Its opening not only represents the future of innovative city living, but also reconfigures the layout of Nanjing’s central business district. Taking advantage of Jianye’s rich cultural resources, the project, born of an internationalised vision and a command of leading trends, is transforming Nanjing’s image with unparalleled commercial charisma.
Wuyue Plaza in Jianye, Nanjing, is a 360,000 square metre building in the heart of the Hexi CBD, the second largest business district in East China. Building on Nanjing’s unique commercial qualities and humanistic elements, the project aims to create a new, high-quality living and social space for high-net-worth customers. The plaza features six above-ground levels and three below-ground levels. The main functions contained within it are a shopping centre, commercial boulevard, hotel, office tower and underground supermarket. Opening day featured 300 brands and an initial store occupation rate of over 35%. The project, which has captured all of Nanjing’s attention, is transforming the city’s image as a vibrant commercial destination.
Benoy has created a unique space for Seazen by combining modern and ancient styles and devising themed scenes that provide an evocative and immersive all-round experience. Based on the project’s customer positioning, the development focuses on young, trendy, fashion-conscious white-collar workers, while also catering for consumers of all ages. With its above- and below-ground levels, the shopping centre is positioned as a one-stop leisure and experiential hub that brings together fashion, food, retail, entertainment and other functional formats.
According to the book, On the Origins of the Six Types of Chinese Characters, brocades are a form of “colourfully woven text.” The Nanjing cloud brocade, the pinnacle of Chinese silk weaving, was first made in the thirteenth year of Yixi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (417 A.D.), more than 1,600 years ago.
Within the plaza’s interior commercial space, the design for floors 1 – 6 draws on the concept of the cloud brocade to represent Nanjing’s antiquity. It also employs abstractions of cloud shapes and patterns to impart both ancient and modern sensibilities, while showing the beauty of contemporary art. Everywhere one looks, cloud-shaped details simultaneously pay respect to the history of this ancient city and look to the future. By combining modern cloud technologies with traditional cloud patterns, the shopping centre takes on a very high-tech feel. In particular, the large above-ground commercial space exhibits a modern elegance, exquisiteness and agility, all inspired by the concept of clouds.
At the entrance to the atrium, a cloud-shaped platform tops a harmonious scene. Dynamic and light, the perfect blend of function and beauty, the setting encourages people to interact with the space around them. With no use for space barriers, the secondary atrium is open from the geometric glass ceiling all the way to the canal at the below-ground level, with the water and sky faithfully reflecting one another. From above, the scene is like a stage complete with bridges; the performance is a rendering of classical literature and art that infuses the space with soulful vitality.
In the central area, a unique triangular sky atrium spirals upwards in a traditional cloud pattern. Three rotating LED displays hang from the centre, each facing a different direction as they turn. The aim is to help city dwellers slow down and enjoy this luxurious retail experience. In addition, a secondary atrium near the cinema takes inspiration from a spiralling cloud pattern and distils it into a layered, upward climb.
The top of the corridor atrium uses a modernistic, undulating cloud shape to evoke drifting clouds and flowing water. The result is a unique spatial rhythm and a sense of clouds and water in motion. The entire space has a feeling of lightness and a tone of unified modernity and stylishness.
The public lavatories employ ultra-modern design elements in mainly dusty pink and champagne – colours favoured by the younger generation. The staggered arrangement of mirrors caters attentively to the needs of people of different heights, while the standalone dressing tables in the ladies’ rooms are an additional thoughtful touch.
The lift lobbies feature granite verticals separating recessed lift doors clad in champagne gold steel. The effect is one of stylish simplicity. Elsewhere, the shopping centre’s seating and information desk make use of the cloud theme as well, imparting a feeling of fun and lightness.
Close consultation with the development’s business owners revealed they wanted an environment that reflects at once today’s culture and the historical traditions of Nanjing. The below-ground level offers an exclusive commercial space with a quintessentially Nanjing theme, ‘the New Qinhuai River’, featuring a canal composed of an indoor and outdoor portion. The 0.8‑metre deep indoor portion is designed with historical elements from around the Qinhuai River and is currently the longest indoor commercial canal in China. Along the canal, three main attractions, Dockside Lights, Winding Brook and Moshan Pavilion, share water as their theme and are interspersed with four bridges: the Smoky Water Bridge, Moonlight Bridge, Cultural Hub Bridge and Snow Crystal Bridge.
The design employs architectural elements found in the vicinity of the Qinhuai River, namely boats, terraces, verandas, corridors, towers and pavilions. These features tie the underground-themed shopping area together while delighting shoppers at every step. Walking through the area, visitors experience a Qinhuai Lantern Festival and hear sweet notes from a Nanjing Opera Stage – sights and sounds of Nanjing that inspire deep reveries.
Across the the above- and below-ground levels, Benoy has employed the concept of time travel to connect the modernity of the former with the antiquity of the latter. This approach enhances the thematic and characteristic feel of the overall commercial project and creates an unforgettable experience. Benoy has also used cutting-edge technology and novel commercial ideas to give each area its own unique character, packing the project with highlights and attractions at every turn.
Overall, this project offers Nanjing a high-quality urban sitting room that is characterised by “quality living”, “exquisite fashion” and “social experience”. With its opening, Wuyue Plaza in Jianye, Nanjing, stands poised to take consumption trends in this historic city to dizzying new heights.
Project overview:
Scope of services: Interior design, retail planning
Category: Commercial
Client: Seazen Holdings Co., Ltd.
Total floor area: The project has a total area of approximately 360,000 square metres, with a commercial space of approximately 80,000 square metres.
Design director: Pang Qin
Principal project designer: Xu Chunming
Project designers: Chen Zhonghua, Zeng Zhaohua, Song Liping, Liu Xinqi, David Baik, Yin Lixue, Zhang Linjuan, Zhang Yuelin
