New commercial landmark set to open at Huaihai Road
The middle section of Huaihai Road is set to shine again in the latest round of a commercial makeover, starting with the merger and upgrade of two department stores, according to a plan revealed on Friday.
A new shopping mall, designed to offer an interactive and immersive experience, is set to open in September at the intersection of Chengdu Road S. and Huaihai Road M., kicking off the revitalization of the street.
In its glory days back to the 1990s, Huating Isetan, at 527 Huai Road M., stood as the city’s trendiest shopping destination.
Opened in 1993 in cooperation with local Jin Jiang International, it was the first Chinese outlet of Japan-based Isetan. Its sales peaked at US$32.87 million in 1996 before it declined amid growing competition.
Facing a slump in business, Huating Isetan closed in 2008. In 2010, electronics retail chain Media Markt moved in, but just two years later the company announced it was pulling out of China and shut down the Huaihai Road outlet. Real estate developer YangGuang became the latest tenant and opened a new mall in 2015. But within a year, only three stores remained.
Its neighbor at 523 Huaihai Road M. once housed an outlet of No.1 Department Store, one of the most popular shopping destinations run by local Bailian Group. In 2012, it turned into an automobile store, but it too closed in 2015.
Once the two “commercial gems” on the middle section of bustling Huaihai Road, they are now standing nearly empty.
The two sites, taking a total area of about 25,000 square meters, will merge and form a new retail mall called Theatre X. Renovation — upgrades will begin in March and are estimated to be completed by September. Bailian and URF, a company performing urban renewal, will be in charge of the makeover.
Under the plan, the new mall will feature popular leading brands from the US, Europe and Asia. Developers say it will be more just than a shopping venue, it will be a “pilgrimage site for trendsetters."
There will be massive “shared spaces" in the new mall where pop-up stores will be opened, TED Talks will be held and exhibitions will be displayed, among other things. Also, renowned chefs will show visitors how they cook and Internet celebrities will broadcast their time in the new mall, according to the plan.
A highlight of the structure will be a 40-meter high waterfall facing Huaihai Road, a combination of an artificial waterfall and LED effects.
On top of that, the new mall’s façade will be embedded with high-end technologies. Expressions of passers-by will be captured and shown on the giant digital screen in the form of lights in different colors and shapes.
Under the plan, backstreets of Huaihai Road, such as Yandang Road and Nanchang Road, will be upgraded and renovated within two to three years to form a "trendy hub" surrounding Huaihai Road M.
