Project Summary
Kaide MALL · Xinduxin is situated in Qingdao’s northern district, at the bustling intersection of two major urban roads, Heilongjiang Road and Hefei Road. Conveniently connected to Qingdao’s first subway line, the M3 Line, it enjoys a prime central city location. The project spans an area of 23,744 square meters, with a total construction area of approximately 160,000 square meters and a commercial area covering 100,000 square meters. It stands out as the first shopping center in Qingdao to incorporate ocean-inspired elements, open terraces, outdoor dining, multi-level dining experiences, and sky garden concepts.
△ Night view of exterior facade © Brandston Partnership Inc.
△ Street view facade © Fu Xing
Qingdao’s vitality is deeply connected to the sea. Reflecting the city’s history and culture, many design elements are inspired by marine themes. The architect divided the six-story commercial space above ground into several streamlined volumes, which are stacked and combined to create a dynamic, staggered image. This design features three outdoor terraces, each nearly 800 square meters in size.
The building’s facade is primarily clad in continuous horizontal metal panels, providing a sleek, flowing appearance reminiscent of ocean waves. Integrated advertising spaces, display windows, and outdoor platforms further enrich the architectural expression.
△ Street view facade © Fu Xing
△ Street view facade © Brandston Partnership Inc.
As night falls, hidden light strips beneath the metal panels illuminate every corner, accentuating the building’s fluid form like flowing water. This interplay of movement and stillness, density and unity, is further enhanced by floodlighting at the base of the red aluminum panels on each level and entrance, creating a striking light display that refines the architectural language.
△ Mall entrance © Brandston Partnership Inc.
△ Mall entrance © Brandston Partnership Inc.
△ Mall entrance © Brandston Partnership Inc.
The mall features eight entrances and exits, each connected to different roads, elevations, and subway access points, guiding visitors like flowing water into the shopping center. Inside, the layout is organized around a circular flow centered on a core central shop, offering a clear and intuitive navigation path.
The streamlined central zone, housing shops and dining spaces, contrasts with the linear shops along the mall’s perimeter, creating a series of distinctive and engaging public areas within the center.
△ Architectural section © LLA
△ Architectural section © LLA
△ Traffic flow chart © LLA
Indoor atrium © Brandston Partnership Inc.
Indoor atrium © Brandston Partnership Inc.
△ Indoor shopping mall © Brandston Partnership Inc.
The fifth floor creatively utilizes the mall’s unique IP to establish three themed areas within the main “Honey Source” space: Honey Heart Forest, Hidden Garden, and Honey Nest.
Honey Heart Forest features a multilayered water landscape with a three-tiered waterfall and a 4-meter-tall honey pot centerpiece surrounded by 100 tropical and subtropical rainforest plants and species, capturing the essence of Xishuangbanna’s natural rainforest.
The Hidden Garden maximizes an empty wall on the fifth floor, transforming it into an extraordinary wall-mounted commercial space. Here, the full IP storyline unfolds, inviting visitors to engage with the space while discovering the story behind the honey pot.
Honey Nest is designed around a vivid honey pot motif, creating a distinctive identity that complements the Honey Heart Forest and Hidden Garden. This enhances the overall connectivity and cohesiveness of the fifth floor’s Honey Source area, while warm materials and bright lighting ensure a comfortable, natural atmosphere.
△ Image source: Kaide Group
△ Image source: Kaide Group
A diamond-shaped skylight on the main pedestrian route casts natural sunlight into the interior, reminiscent of sparkling waves on the ocean. The design of flowing floor patterns, suspended ceilings, and railings fully embodies the oceanic theme.
△ Ceiling section © LLA
△ Image source: Kaide Group
Kaide MALL · Xinduxin hosts a diverse mix of business models and brands, with over half being newcomers to Qingdao. The mall’s anchor and secondary stores feature well-known chains. The business model distribution is approximately 30% dining, 40% retail, and 30% service and other categories.
More than 70 dining brands cover a wide spectrum of cuisines, including Chinese, Western, specialty dishes, and casual dining options. Notable anchors include CGV Cinema and Lida Boutique Supermarket. Unlike conventional malls that fix each floor’s function, Kaide MALL adopts a cross-floor dining concept. For example, Level 1 combines clothing stores (both men’s and women’s) with leisure dining options like Starbucks, ensuring dining and relaxation areas on every floor.
Indoor atrium © Brandston Partnership Inc.
Indoor atrium © Brandston Partnership Inc.
Since its opening, Kaide MALL has filled a significant gap in Qingdao’s northern market. It has consistently attracted steady customer traffic, establishing itself as a mature, well-known commercial project and a popular destination for tourists visiting Qingdao.
△ Night view of exterior facade © Brandston Partnership Inc.
△ General layout plan © LLA
Project Information
Project Name: Kaide MALL · Xinduxin
Project Owner: Kaide Group
Location: No. 18 Heilongjiang South Road, Shibei District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China
Project Scale: 85,400 m²
Design Company: LLA Architectural Design Company / Laguarda.Low Architects (LLA)
Design Scope: Architecture and Interior Design
Project Controller / Chief Planner / Chief Architect: John Low, AIA President / Partner
LLA Design Team: Pablo Laguarda, FAIA; Jin Liang, AIA; Marco Salcedo; Christopher Powers, AIA; Christina Wu
Landscape Design: Aoya Design
Architectural Development Unit: Qingdao Tengyuan Design Firm Co., Ltd
Curtain Wall Design Consultant: Shanghai Xumilin Curtain Wall Co., Ltd
Curtain Wall Construction Unit: Shenyang Yuanda Aluminum Engineering Co., Ltd
Structural Consultant: Qingdao Tengyuan Design Firm Co., Ltd
Lighting Design: Brandston Partnership Inc
Image Sources: Kaide Group, Brandston Partnership Inc., Fu Xing
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