© Tord-Rikard Söderström

Emporia shopping centre in Malmö by Wingårdhs

Located to the south of the city, in Hyllie Boulevard, the Emporia shopping centre is Wingårdhs’ first realised building from a competition-winning masterplan of proposed housing and office blocks. Once all the buildings have been completed, the “amber entrance” will be the only section of the shopping centre visible from the surrounding new streets.”The main idea of our winning competition entry was to hide inward-looking retail behind a wreath of residential and commercial buildings” said the architects.

© Tord-Rikard Söderström

The curving golden glass stretches across a gridshell structure, which curves up and back to allow daylight to penetrate the entrance courtyard. From here, shoppers are led towards three storeys of retail arranged around a figure-of-eight plan.The roof of the structure accommodates a large park with a faceted landscape made up of lawns, terraces and pavilions.

© Tord-Rikard Söderström

“In the future the roof will be developed with outdoor dining and a spa facility” added the architects. “Like amusement parks, shopping centres need to offer new attractions at regular intervals”. Atriums in bold shades of blue, green and red help shoppers to navigate the building, while the adjoining car park can be identified by an assortment of coloured panels.

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