Grand Opening of Shanghai Huamu Time Edition
The new commercial landmark Shanghai Huamu Time Edition, for which Benoy provided interior design and commercial floor plan optimisation services, has recently celebrated its grand opening. The team is proud to have contributed to the development of Pudong’s future urban and cultural core.
A Mixed-Use Development in the Heart of Lujiazui
Shanghai Huamu Time Edition is a 400,000-square-metre urban and cultural mixed-use development located in the heart of the Lujiazui financial district. Jointly developed by Poly Real Estate and SPE, the project is surrounded by high-end residential communities such as the Huamu quality neighborhood and Lianyang high-end international residential area. It caters to three key target audiences: white-collar professionals, the urban middle class, and dynamic younger generations. The complex offers a rich blend of cultural and artistic experiences, boutique retail, high-end fitness, and fine dining options.
A Fusion of Art and Commerce
Benoy’s interior design concept, “Framed – A Fusion of Chinese and Western Commercial Art Galleries” revolves around creating an artistic space framed by commercial elements. The design emphasises an atmosphere of artistic expression, presenting a sophisticated and dynamic retail environment.
Grand Opening Highlights
At its launch, Huamu Time Edition introduced Shanghai to its first world-class international art gallery, alongside flagship stores from popular lifestyle, entertainment, dining, and sports brands. By blending lifestyle aesthetics, commerce, and art, the project positions itself as an “Artful destination” fostering a commercial atmosphere of elegance, art, adventure and inspiration.
Highlights of the opening include the debut exhibition of international artists, the POIZON trend market, and China’s first XR immersive exhibition, “Whale Wonder: A Wonderful Night of Terracotta Warriors”. As one of the Pudong sub-venues of the 2024 Shanghai International Light Festival, Huamu Time Edition also hosted light shows and performances, offering a visual feast for both residents and visitors.
The design concept draws inspiration from refined elements of Chinese and Western culture, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in the mall with a mindset of appreciating the art. This creates a unique shopping experience — one that doubles as a cultural journey.
Unique Design Features
Central Atrium
A standout feature is the “floating” central atrium, which enhances spatial flexibility and visual interest. It also serves as a foundation for future expansions of the artistic commercial space.
Central Atrium
On level B1, the design merges dining and retail space areas, seamlessly blurring the boundaries between public zones and stores. The use of structured ceiling blocks creates a soft spatial division while maintaining openness and transparency, resulting in a more open and welcoming modern entertainment venue.
Entrance Transformation
The original entrance, which was narrow and had a low ceiling , has been transformed in the new design. The adjustments effectively reduce the oppressive feel of the space, while the use of reflective materials expands the visual experience.
Emphasis on Sustainability
In line with modern consumption trends, Poly Huamu Time Edition actively adopts a sustainable development strategy. Transitioning from a traditional retail venue to an energy-efficient architectural space, the mall tackles the challenges of excessive sunlight, particularly during summer, which increases heat and air-conditioning energy consumption.
The newly designed and tested ceiling structures balance lighting and energy usage, creating a more sustainable environment.
A Cultural and Commercial Destination
Building on its unique geographical advantages, Huamu Time Edition aims to continue establishing itself as a vibrant “Next Destination”, where art and culture seamlessly integrate with commerce to inspire dynamic urban living.
Project overview:
Scope of services:
Interior design, commercial floor plan optimisation
Category: Mixed-use, commercial
Client: Poly Real Estate, Shanghai Pudong Exploration (Group) Co., Ltd.
Scale:
GFA（Retail） 47,000 m2
Principle project designer:
Qin Pang
Project director: Louise Ma
Design team: Daniel Shi, Jiangyin Wang, May Zhou, Leo Ding
