The Journey of Sanyi Urban Complex: From Startup to Industry Leader

In recent years, the rapid pace of urban renewal in first- and second-tier cities, combined with shifting consumer preferences, has driven a transformation in the business formats of urban complexes. As consumer demands evolve, people increasingly value the comprehensive offline shopping experience. Consequently, a diverse range of multifunctional urban complex projects has emerged.

Against the backdrop of urban renewal, key challenges include how to plan and build urban sub-centers, promote the upgrading and integration of business formats, and increase customer loyalty through experiential retail trends. Exploring new avenues for urban renewal and iteration under evolving urban functions has become a central focus in the field of urban complexes.

San Yi, an established architectural design firm, has been involved in the development and construction of urban complexes since 2006. From its beginnings as a “beginner” to its current status as a “leader” in urban complex design, San Yi has witnessed and contributed to the vigorous growth of urban complexes in China. With years of valuable design experience, the company is widely recognized for its sharp insights into commercial architecture, strong problem-solving capabilities, and precise, effective strategic responses.

Over the past 15 years, San Yi has contributed to numerous representative and influential urban complex projects. Here, we highlight selected projects from different stages of development to illustrate the changing characteristics and transformations of urban complexes through various eras. This overview also explores future development concepts and long-term planning strategies for urban complexes in the current landscape.

Early Beginnings: The Prototype of Urban Complexes

Since the 1980s, following China’s reform and opening-up, many cities, especially major metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai, experienced rapid development. This growth of core urban areas created opportunities for the emergence of urban complexes. Early examples include the Beijing International Trade Center and Shanghai Mall. At this stage, urban complexes were primarily concentrated in the core areas of cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, characterized by relatively small scales and simple business formats.

Emerging Brilliance: Rapid Growth Fueled by Foreign Investment

From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, China’s accelerating urbanization, population growth, and rising living standards fueled the rapid expansion of urban complexes. During this period, many urban complexes adopted foreign-funded business models prevalent in Hong Kong and Singapore. Their scale increased, and their locations expanded from city cores to sub-centers.

As one of the earliest design firms engaged in this sector, San Yi embraced a development strategy focused on exploring urban complexes. Acting as a “beginner,” it quickly absorbed advanced design concepts from foreign-funded institutions. Notable projects from this era include the Shanghai Hongkou Kaidelong Dream Shopping Center, a transportation and commerce hub that set a record with an average daily footfall of 100,000 on its opening weekend. San Yi also contributed to the design of Shanghai Greenland Zhengda Colorful City and Wuxi CR Wanda Plaza.

Shanghai Hongkou Kaidelong Dream

Wuxi CR Wanda Plaza

Pioneer Boom: The Real Estate Engine Driving Urban Economic Growth

By around 2010, rapid urbanization and city expansion broke the traditional “one city, one core” pattern. Urban commercial centers evolved into multi-core structures. Influenced by national strategies to expand domestic demand, urban complexes entered a phase of accelerated development.

These complexes became vibrant 24-hour destinations, integrating diverse functions such as commercial, residential, entertainment, leisure, and exhibition spaces. They emerged as “new engines” driving urban development and became key to establishing urban identities, branding, and internationalization strategies nationwide.

At this stage, urban complexes expanded beyond first-tier cities to second- and third-tier cities, driven by major real estate and financial enterprises. These projects grew in size and complexity. To maintain competitive differentiation and adapt to evolving consumer habits, leading developers introduced diversified commercial product lines tailored to specific land features and consumer groups, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Over the past decade, San Yi has been involved in designing a wide range of urban complex brands in major cities. These include China Resources Wanda Plaza, Greenland Center, Poly Ruobin, Kaidelong Dream, Aegean Shopping Park, Zhongjun World City, Yintai City, Suning Plaza, Zhengrong Wealth Center, Bailian Outlets, and more. Through extensive practical experience, San Yi has established itself as a leader in urban complex design.

▲ Selected urban complex projects involving San Yi

Zibo Huarun Wanxiang Hui

Kunshan CR Wanda Plaza

Ningbo CR Wanda Plaza

Taizhou CR Wanda Plaza

Ningbo Red Star Aegean Shopping Park

Yancheng Red Star Aegean Shopping Park

Ningbo Greenland Center

Beijing Changping Wanda Plaza

Changsha Zhengrong Wealth Center

Nanjing Poly Tang Yueruo Bentley Mall

Merchants Yantai Sea World Zhifu Bay Plaza

Chongqing Jinke Meilin Hui

Cross-Border Circles: Experience Spaces Blending Culture, Business, and Tourism

In recent years, China’s consumers have diversified preferences, with shopping centers serving purposes beyond mere purchasing. Shoppers now seek comfortable, immersive experiences. This shift has driven significant changes in the functions and forms of urban complexes.

Retail spaces now emphasize experiential and themed elements, focusing on consumer participation, engagement, and emotional connection. Scenarios, experiences, and themes have become defining features of modern urban complexes. New consumption experiences have emerged from multiple perspectives—visual, tactile, gustatory, and cultural—offering comprehensive living spaces that integrate leisure, business, culture, social interaction, and humanistic values.

San Yi’s designers leverage their keen design sense and extensive experience to continuously innovate and develop the next generation of urban complex products. By focusing on interactive and personalized experiences that blend material and spiritual consumption with diverse cultural, artistic, industrial, and historical elements, they have created multiple cross-boundary, novel urban complexes.

China Merchants Shekou Qidong Caribbean Navigation World Core Cultural and Tourism Commercial Zone

The country’s first Caribbean-themed vacation town

China Merchants Shekou Qingdao Shiguangli Commercial Street

The first historic, cultural, and commercial street on the country’s fishing coast

China Merchants Shekou Yantai Marbella Commercial Street

A stylish “seaside living experience center” nestled between mountains and sea

Jining Huarun Wanxiang Hui

A circular double street city living room blending old and new

Jiangxi Jiujiang New Tourism Cultural Tourism City

The first indoor theme IP park complex in China

Embracing Change: Leading the Future by Adapting to Evolving Trends

In this rapidly changing era, the evolution of urban complexes is far from complete. Concepts such as sharing economy, emerging new formats, big data, smart environments, community integration, super IPs, ultimate experiences, and advanced consumption are shaping ongoing transformations in physical commerce.

With nearly 20 years of experience designing urban complexes alongside China’s urban development, San Yi understands that only by staying current, innovating, and adapting can their designs meet the demands of future urban life.

As new opportunities and challenges arise, San Yi is well-prepared. The future is here, the path lies ahead—let us look forward to it together.

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