Innovation Design: Balancing creative design and commercial success

Antony Au, chairman of Innovation Design, has always held that "there is no best design, only the most suitable design". He also said, "In the past Chinese people were biased in favour of foreign design teams over local teams. We are going to change this mentality."

Innovation Design's most recent commercial project is the Intime Shopping Mall which was opened in June 2012. Located on the first basement floor to fifth floor of the West Lake Cultural Plaza in Hangzhou, the project has a total business floor area of about 40,000 sqm.

Unlike Intime which has become a household name for department stores in the Chinese mainland, Innovation Design is little known among general consumers. However, in the commercial design sector, Innovation Design is already a leading brand.

Innovation Design first established its reputation with the Super Brand Mall redevelopment project in Shanghai. The annual rental income of this commercial property rocketed from Rmb60 million to Rmb500-Rmb600 million after redevelopment in 2009. This miracle could not have happened without Innovation Design's excellent commercial design.

For people in Hangzhou, the most impressive project by Innovation Design is the Hangzhou Tower. The Hangzhou Tower Shopping Center, which comprises Block A, Block B, Kunhe Store in Block C, and Huazhe Store in Block D, has brought together international top luxury brands including Prada, LV, Hermes and Cartier under one complex. In redeveloping the façade of Blocks A and B, Innovation Design has integrated the style of the architecture, the features of the canal marina, the image of the shopping centre as well as that of the luxury brands into one organic whole. Other special features include the innovative large open space layout in Block D, the riverside dining facilities in Block C, and the uniquely styled customer lounge areas. Whether viewed from the outside or indoors, Hangzhou Tower has the style of a top-class international shopping complex.

Hangzhou Tower Shopping Center.		Hangzhou Tower Shopping Center.

As a landmark in Wulin District of Hangzhou City, the West Lake Cultural Plaza was built as an urban complex to bring together culture, leisure, entertainment, exhibition and shopping facilities under one roof. However, since its completion in 2009, it had not been able to attract any major shopping centre to operate there. The reason is that the design of its podium structure is not up to the standard required of a modernised shopping centre.

Coming to the rescue of the Plaza, Innovation Design began by carrying out electrical, mechanical and piping works in one of the sightseeing elevators. With this alteration, the Plaza which was originally unsuitable for catering operations is now made suitable for the needs of Intime. Dining facilities are provided on the basement floor and the fifth floor. The re-designed Plaza now offers an enriched experience of shopping and leisure living for its customers.

For the Intime Cultural Plaza Shopping Mall, Innovation Design has designed a foyer with a super-high glass roof. This has helped to bring out the special styles of the individual stores inside. The transparent roof also blends well with the floating platforms of the canal marina. Viewed from whichever angle, the foyer has a strong visual impact.

Devoted to innovation and creativity, Innovation Design has gone from strength to strength in designing commercial projects. During this process, the company has evolved from a mere designer of commercial property to a provider of comprehensive services including brand mix and market positioning, and its clients include developers, operators and brand owners. The company's concept of commercial design has expanded from interior space design to commercial project design. With its profound knowledge and rich experience in commercial property, Innovation Design continues to create commercial value for its clients.

from Kevin Chan, Hangzhou Office