Firm： The Oval Partnership

Type： Commercial › Pop-Up Retail Shopping Mall Cultural › Cultural Center Gallery Memorial Religious Government + Health › Community Center Hospitality + Sport › Bar/Nightclub Hotel Information Center Movie Theater Restaurant Landscape + Planning › Masterplan Public Park Urban Green Space Transport + Infrastructure › Train/Subway

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2015

Photos： HEZHENHUAN (2), ZhangJiaHui (1)

Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li is the living urban heart of future Chengdu. Set in the context of the Buddhist Daci Temple, the low-rise, project provides a unique mix of shopping, dining, drinking, entertainment, live performance, workplace, and hotel accommodation in an exciting and enjoyable setting of lanes, squares, streets, alleys and courtyards. Interwoven into this master plan for urban regeneration is the strategic conservation and adaptive reuse of six preserved buildings and ancient lanes associated with ancient Daci Temple at the heart of the development.

The project has evolved out of a unique retail planning concept of “Fast Lane” and “Slow Lane” (play fast, live slow), delivering a diverse shopping and spatial experience to visitors. The “Fast Lane” incorporates luxury brands and high-end contemporary fashion while the “Slow Lane” comprises a line-up of outdoor diners, al fresco cafes and lifestyle stores.

The architectural style adopted is both timeless and contemporary, embracing the local spirit and reflecting the details and language of the traditional Sichuan style without resorting to pastiche. It is inspired by the architectural tradition of great shopping streets - the charismatic retail buildings, colorful signage, and attractive shopfronts serve to create a vibrant atmosphere. The layout of the streets and lanes further reinforces the historical context of the project. The ground level buildings create a level of transparency that allows shops and restaurants to express their individual brand and identity. The main structure of the buildings is steel with high quality cladding and glass curtain wall systems. The beauty of Dacisi architecture is manifested in well-proportioned low-rise buildings and sensitive landscape design, creating great public open spaces.

The project is positioned as an Urban Retail and Entertainment Destination. The developer aims to recreate a whole-day city-centre shopping and entertainment experience in the town centre by providing everything a modern Chinese consumer could possibly need or want in one complex while maintaining the intimate feel of a boutique-lined side street. The project’s design team focused on creating an environment that would attract and retain consumers, and the leasing team set ambitious targets for brands that are not yet in Chengdu.

The Oval Partnership is the Master planner for the Daci Temple Project and Lead Architect for the Retail Complex of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu.