SKP unveils shopping complex in Chengdu

What: SKP opens its most ambitious project to date; the third location for the franchise in China, opening on Tuesday, hosts more than 1,300 brands, many of which are new to the provincial capital of Sichuan.

Why it is important: SKP Chengdu sets out to be unlike its surrounding buildings as the mega shopping complex is designed to look like a park and is measured as the world’s largest building by floor space, with 33 crafted landscapes and scenic spots and only a few shops visible on the ground floor level as almost 99% of the mall is hidden underground.

The retail endeavour by SKP aims to be one of the world's largest and most impressive luxury fashion retail centres while honouring Chengdu’s nature and community. More than 75% of the buildings have 1.5 metres of soil above them to help accommodate and assist with vegetation. The building was designed by the same architecture firm behind their Beijing transformation, Sybarite. The Chengdu location covers 500,000 square meters with five floors and spaces spanning 12 metres below ground. Multiple metro lines also pass under SKP Chengdu, including line 18 which connects directly to the Tianfu International Airport. The retail and shopping space is divided into four areas: the luxury-filled Chengdu SKP; the younger-positioned and highly experiential Chengdu SKP-S; K Avenue, where major luxury flagships are located, and G Avenue, with some of the most in-demand restaurant brands. 

BHG has invested $725m in the project, which combines a transit hub, parks and high end shopping. More than 1,300 brands are set to be in SKP Chengdu; for more than 200 of them, it will be their first store in Sichuan with 3 more projects are on the way: Wuhan, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.