It's time for shopping malls to get fit

The explosion of health is so hot right now! Betterment is a macro trend, Athleisure is killing it on the runway, lycra is trendy and every corner now has a juice bar on it!

At the same time, you have the overwhelming success on malls over the high street. Convenient shopping destinations that offer most aspects of modern day, social life within a huge expanse of urban space.

So it was only a matter of time that the two worlds would collide. But how and where?

With the announcement that Toyko has been named the number 1 city for Quality of Life by Monocle, its no surprise that this collision has happened first in Japan. The Osaka Air Track is a development pioneered by the Tokyu Fudosan Holdings Group where a 300m running track has been suspended above and built as an integral part of their new Q Mall!

And oh my, how they have smashed it in every sense! 

Opened in April 2015, the project was a result of the property group working with local residents to understand the needs of the local area. The outcome is a mall with Sports & Fitness at its core. Macro trend No.2; Local Love, tick! Love the neighbour, include them in the process and they will come.

And this isn't it. Oh no; Futsal courts, climbing wall, fitness centre, swimming pool, all necessary facilities and of course a plethora of retail stores to support this way of life.

 
The track itself is the main attraction and visually puts the mall on the map, quite literally: the green astroturf standing out beautifully against the surrounding cityscape. Whether you're in the walking lane pushing a buggy or putting in your PB, the track welcomes all and encourages quality of life with the convenience of everything else the mall offers all in one place. 

At TYC we often talk about the trend of Status Stories, and how experiences are starting to hold court more so than material objects in social circles. What more of a story could a mall hope for than this? Its uniqueness gives it visitors a wealth of experiences that don't just involve stores taking their hard earned cash.

Sure, UK malls have the odd gym and health food store, but is this something we should be considering? Consider that 67% of men and 57% of women in the UK are over weight, could malls have a major part to play to help improve the health of the UK public?

With major new developments on the horizon at Croydon and Brent Cross, perhaps these could be the first UK malls to embrace health at its core. After all, The Wellthy consumer is using peak physical and mental health as their status symbol and what a better way for malls to become central to that status.

Times are a changing. Time to get fit.

Olive Oil & Oregano

After several well-earned pints of ale in Tap East on Friday 14^th October to celebrate its official opening the TYC gang headed to the lower ground floor food court to sample some Mediterranean delights and check on progress four weeks after the Westfield opening.

Olive Oil and Oregano had had a busy month and were keen to pay thanks by feeding their hungry troops! The authentic fresh smell of charcoal grilled Mediterranean meat reminded me of a hot summer holiday in Greece, it was time to tuck in…

All the food is sourced directly from Greece and cooked over a large charcoal grill for a full flavoursome meal with authentic Mediterranean theatre. The honesty of the brand is reflected through the warm oak counter with large branded logos. Hanging herbs, garlic and olive trees show the brands fresh values, while black tiles contrast against the yellow branding to create a sophisticated design.

Olive Oil and Oregano aim to create a fresh approach to Mediterranean food in an attempt to change the British publics perception of Greek fast food. After a full mixed grill including tzatziki and grilled peppers, and getting stick from the guys for not being able to hide my Derbyshire accent when pronouncing the word gyro! (‘yeer-ros’ not ‘ji-roes!’) I felt like a changed man!

 

Jake Evans - Designer

A World within a World

To follow on where Sammi left off, what a truly amazing place - potentially one of the best shopping-centre-experiences in the World?! Having spent time in HK and being blown away by their fascination with shopping Malls, Westfield White City is reminiscent of of their glamour and splendour.

As a customer it felt spacious, light and airy (bearing in mind this was a Monday evening). The absence of any hard angular lines makes the space feel fluid and easy to navigate. The wayfinding pods not only look fabulous but also work well with touch screen technology used in such a human way you'd think it was designed by Apple. The stores are great, feeling like a collection of flagships to the point that your never sure where to look next.

As a designer, inspirational. Enough said. Any aspiring designer should get down there and understand not only that it looks good, but also why it all works so well.

As a real person in the real World at a time of an economic downturn....its timing is the only downfall. Nothing Westfield could do about that, but it does feel slightly superficial and not part of the real World.

Still, great experience. Go see it.

Westfield

Just before Christmas I visited the new Westfield store which is located in White City, Shepherds Bush.



The experience began when I stepped of the train. The whole surrounding area has been reworked from the pavements to the buildings to the trees, plants etc. It feels as if walking in to a picture everything looks so perfect and new.

The design of the building is quite extraordinary when entering Westfield you feel like your leaving the world behind and stepping into the future. The outer shell is very impressive and almost has a Buckminster fuller feel to it with the interior housing a fascinating wooden structure.





They have managed to capture this luxurious futuristic feel with all the high-end retail stores being present and each offering a design experience of their own.



The touch screen monitors in the main complex offer you information on all the stores and where they’re all located and the small cafes individually placed throughout the complex also fit in with the design of the building.

Unfortunately I didn’t get chance to look around it all but will definitely be going back, a great experience all in all.