Field Notes
It felt like life here was bookended by eating and shopping, with little else in between. Many pointed to the lack of public spaces, conservation of historic buildings, and even safe walkways as foundations missing in the city.
One reason is convenience. In a city marred by traffic jams, a public transport system that’s not fully integrated, and few sheltered pavements or cycling paths, malls make daily life easier. Many are built close to or connected to train stations and come with several floors of parking for those who drive. If you need to visit the bank, grab groceries, have a meal, or watch a movie, malls provide a one-stop destination without getting stuck in traffic moving between places. There’s also the year-round heat and humidity, which makes malls an easy refuge.
The challenge is they all look the same. Same layouts, same brands, same offerings. There’s little to distinguish one from another. Remove the names and logos, and most look as though they were designed and built by the same company. Some try to make things more interesting with indoor gardens, sky views, water fountains, or scattered art sculptures, but they still feel like four walls and a ceiling with a basement.
That curiosity led me to visit Korea, Japan, and China to understand what else was possible. In Chengdu, I found the closest example of what people had described in our interviews, the kind of place they imagined and would have loved.
Built around an open-lane, low-rise design, the pedestrian-friendly lanes connect boutiques, restaurants, tea shops, a cinema, and supermarket, with a direct link to the metro, making it feel more like part of the city than a mall.
Found is a new series of field notes on what can be learned from the objects around us.
Felix Ng
Co-founder, Anonymous
@felix.anonymous