Luxelakes is an eco-town that, for the past 20 years, has been gradually developing in the southern part of Chengdu. Covering 5.5 square kilometres, it is notable for its 1.4 square kilometres of winding lakes and its abundant greenery, which lend the district a park-like quality – as well as a significant amount of lakeside projects. LuLa Light Mall’s location, with a section of this lake and greenery to the south east of the site and dense skyscrapers to the north west, place it at a liminal position between city and nature.

All of these stacked boxes have the benefit of creating multiple large outdoor terraces, and they are connected together by walkways and stairs, which also lead down to the water’s edge, meaning a visit to LuLa Light Mall also serves as a promenade by the lake. This is reinforced by the colourful façades of the boxes. Each box is clearly expressed by a thick frame along its edges, inside which are glass walls with colourful mullions that reference colours in the existing pavilions in the parks of Chengdu.

An additional benefit of this approach is to reduce the cooling requirements of the project, lowering the amount of energy required for operation. Part of that energy will be supplied by solar panels on the roofs of the building.