Archinect - Kuala Lumpur Mega Malls

Sunway Pyramid

2013-01-31T09:45:34-05:00

Some subtle essence of Las Vegas has made its way to Kuala Lumpur via the Sunway Pyramid. This project is a world within a world-- a family-friendly destination for recreation, shopping and adventure. It's a resort with a mega-mall attached; a water park with an Egyptian theme; an internalized environment well outside of the urban core. It has its own freeway exit. There are 2 or 3 hotels here, a water park, amusement park, a mega-mall, condominium tower, all internally interconnected and extending to the Sunway University Campus across the valley. Its prominence is geologic in scale.

The mega-mall itself encloses a large rectangular promenade, with a themed atrium at each vertex. The peripatetic wayfarer that braves this institution, making a circuit through all four vertices would have walked over 1000 feet. A complete examination of each of the mall's five floors would have our wayfarer bear witness to at least one mile of retail on each flank.

Pavilion

2013-01-28T14:57:57-05:00

Pavilion is situated in the heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur. It may actually have become its heart. All of the international designer houses are here, set like jewels within a promenade of marble and glass. The renowned below-grade food court offers an abundance of in-your-face temptations, spanning national boundaries.

Pavilion combines both shopping mall and condominium towers. It's not a huge mall: only 5 stories of shopping, 3 stories of parking underground, connected to two 39-story condominium towers. Traffic in the vicinity can be a total blockade: indeed it is often easier to park elsewhere and arrive on foot.

Solaris Mont Kiara

2013-01-24T10:28:18-05:00

This might be the project that inspired this blog. My first experiences of this mega-mall were as a passenger in a car. Solaris Mont Kiara is positioned along the arc of a freeway, on top of a hill. The sheer length of the development coupled with its prominence make it unmissable: driving by it at speed limit takes a little while!

Solaris Mont Kiara is less of a mall, and more of a district. It essentially defines the edge of an urban block of pedestrian-friendly streets. All pedestrian circulation is pushed to the outside edges of the building, along sidewalks and an elevated promenade, enhancing life on the interior street.

The project comprises offices, condominiums and a two story collection of bars, restaurants, and a grocery. There are 4 levels of parking below grade, occupying the entire 650 foot length of the L shaped configuration.

The Gardens

2012-12-20T23:30:39-05:00

The Gardens is a very recent entry into the increasingly upmarket development mix. It comprises the second half of Mid-Valley City, sharing an urban island with the Mid-Valley Mega Mall (http://archinect.com/blog/article/63563539/mid-valley-mega-mall). The two mega-malls are connected with an extensive below-grade promenade-cum-food court. A photo diagram is included that describes their physical relationship.

The Gardens encompasses a residential condominium tower, a hotel tower, and two office towers all resting on top of a pedestal comprised of retail space and parking. The Gardens mall contains three stories of retail above grade, two stories of private-use space above that, one partial story of below grade retail, and four stories of parking underneath it all. The curved pedestal is over 950 feet long along its arc.

Kuala Lumpur City Center

2012-12-19T08:09:55-05:00

Much of the world recognizes these towers in profile, if not in name. While most people would call this the Petronas Towers, locals call it KLCC - the Kuala Lumpur City Center.

The Kuala Lumpur City Center boasted the tallest skycrapers in the world for a short while, but their eclipse by taller towers in other countries hasn't faded their popularity or the pride in which they are held. The towers contain, almost entirely, office space, but also have a symphony hall tucked below their base. The 6 story mall includes 1 level of below-grade retail, and 3 additional levels of parking below grade. KLCC has its own metro stop, and a dedicated freeway exit. This is one of the most popular malls in Kuala Lumpur.

The Wikipedia entry describes KLCC further (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_City_Centre).

Mid Valley Mega Mall

2012-12-16T22:42:11-05:00

I always have to work to get my images, but sometimes I have to push boundaries--those of propriety and of private property. Here is a brief story about how I didn't get my photo of Mid Valley Mega Mall.

My goal in each of these posts is to produce a photo that captures these mega malls in a single frame. This creates two challenges: locating a good vantage point and gaining access to that vantage point. For each subject, I have to do a fair amount of walking and exploring in order to determine that vantage point. In almost every case I am looking for a tall building, set a proper distance away, with an intervening space that allows a clear view. In one case (http://archinect.com/blog/article/62910593/axis-atrium), there was a public housing project with an accessible stairwell that allowed me to get my photo. In another (http://archinect.com/blog/article/63379642/sunway-putra-mall), I had to let myself into the stairwell of a health clinic, to access an employees break room wit...

Sunway Putra Mall

2012-12-14T04:59:01-05:00

This mega-structure, built in 1987, was the first major mall in Kuala Lumpur. At that time, and for years after, it was simply called The Mall. The Sunway Putra Mall comprises a central atrium with undulating glass roof, 5 stories of retail above grade, 1 story of retail below grade, and another 2 stories of parking below that. 30 stories of office space wrap around and above the central atrium. There is a brief Wikipedia entry that describes it further (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mall_%28Kuala_Lumpur%29).

The entire exterior walls of the building have a ceramic tile surface. The primary facade, visible in the photo, is over 500 feet in length.

Berjaya Times Square

2012-12-11T08:30:55-05:00

This mega-structure is one of the main centers of urban life in Kuala Lumpur. It is a popular, bustling urban destination. You can read about the extraordinary statistics of Berjaya Times Square at the Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berjaya_Times_Square). The theme park that is referred to in the Wikipedia entry is located behind the dark, curvilinear glass curtain wall in the foreground of the building. The theme park starts on the fifth floor, and is contained within a 5 story atrium.

In addition to the portions of the building readily visible above grade, there is one level of retail below grade, as well as five levels of parking--all sharing the same massive footprint as the above-grade envelope. The main facade is over 500 feet long.

A photo of one of the primary interior atria is included, as well as the main facade of the building, which fronts a main street on the edge of the downtown core. Unlike many of the mega-malls that will be posted here (http://a...

Axis Atrium

2012-12-07T05:03:47-05:00

This mega mall is located within a residential district called Ampang, and is within walking distance to a metro station. I wanted to begin my documentation project (http://archinect.com/blog/article/62286076/introduction) simply, and the metro station near this project is only one stop down the line from nearest station to my place. Axis Atrium serves as a good example of what I find unique in the mega-malls here: it's an ambitious project, massive in scale, and stands in stark contrast to its immediate surroundings.

Axis Atrium contains over 700 condominium units, 3-4 stories of parking (both private and public), and sits over a 2 story mall. The building is approximately 450 feet long on its longest edge, and the taller tower, built over a 7 story base, is 31 stories tall. Notice the townhouse roofline on top of the base on the left side.

Introduction

2012-11-27T22:57:00-05:00

If you spend any time with friends or family in Kuala Lumpur, you will spend a lot of it in shopping malls, with much greater frequency than you might be accustomed. I generally avoid shopping malls back home, and if I have an option for a local shop or downtown purveyor, I'll choose that. But I've learned to embrace the mall experience here: they are everywhere, and most day-to-day needs are fulfilled in them--dining out, shopping for groceries, or just passing time in an air conditioned, upscale environment.

Kuala Lumpur (KL) is one of the prime shopping capitals in Asia. The Malaysia Star recently published a piece on the subject (http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/11/19/central/12260112&sec=central ), calling shopping the "national pass time". The Globe Shopper Index recently ranked KL #2 in Asia (http://www.globeshopperindex.com/en/destinations/asia?ranks=1) for the quality and quantity of its shopping, second only to Hong Kong. According to the Wikipedia ent...