Introduction: The New Measure of Commercial Success

In the post‑pandemic era, retail developments are judged not only by sales per square foot but also by the public social value they deliver. Customers crave places that enrich daily life—green respite, cultural inspiration, and authentic community connections. Forward‑thinking developers from Beijing to Singapore and Malaysia are partnering with AND lab to weave parks, art exhibitions, and other public amenities into their malls, driving higher footfall and longer dwell times while strengthening brand equity.

 

What Is Public Social Value?

Public social value refers to the positive social, cultural, and environmental benefits a space contributes to its city. In a retail context, this means designing malls that function as urban living rooms—safe, inclusive, and inspiring. Elements such as micro‑parks, sculpture gardens, and rotating art shows foster:

  • Community engagement

  • Health and well‑being

  • Cultural exchange

  • Urban biodiversity These factors translate to stronger customer loyalty and, ultimately, higher retail revenue.

 

Parks: Green Engines of Foot Traffic

Integrating greenery inside and around a mall does more than beautify—it creates a biophilic magnet.

  • Increased dwell time: Shoppers linger 20–30 % longer in malls with landscaped courtyards or rooftop parks.

  • Event versatility: Lawns and amphitheatres host weekend farmers’ markets, outdoor yoga, and live music.

  • Heat‑island mitigation: Shade trees and water features lower ambient temperatures, improving pedestrian comfort and reducing HVAC loads. AND lab’s Casa Verde Plaza concept in Kuala Lumpur envisions a cascading series of pocket parks that link retail levels, turning vertical circulation into a memorable “green climb.”

 

Art Exhibitions: Culture That Converts

Art ignites curiosity and conversation, two priceless commodities for any retailer.

  1. Rotating Installations: Monthly or quarterly exhibitions ensure fresh reasons to return.

  2. Immersive Digital Galleries: Large‑scale LED façades double as canvases for media art, visible from surrounding streets and social feeds alike.

  3. Local Collaborations: Partnering with regional artists anchors the mall in its cultural context and earns media coverage. At Beijing’s VOCA Pavilion, AND lab framed the atrium with a parametric paper‑pulp wall (the same innovation used in VOCA Sushi) that now serves as a dramatic backdrop for pop‑up art shows and product launches.

 

The Synergy: Retail × Recreation × Culture

When parks and art coexist in one destination, their effects multiply:

  • Families spending a full afternoon transition from playground to gallery to dinner, boosting multi‑category sales.

  • Social‑media‑friendly installations generate organic reach and User Generated Content (UGC)—the modern word‑of‑mouth.

  • A diverse visitor mix (shoppers, joggers, art lovers) yields stable traffic across weekdays and seasons.

 

AND lab’s Design Methodology

Operating from Beijing, Singapore, and Malaysia, AND lab blends parametric design, experiential branding, and ESG principles to realise commercial projects with enduring public value.

  1. Placemaking Strategy Workshop: Stakeholder sessions clarify desired social outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs).

  2. Data‑Driven Parametrics: Environmental analysis—daylight, wind, thermal comfort—informs sculptural yet functional park topographies.

  3. Material Innovation: From paper‑pulp walls to recycled‑plastic pavers, every tactile element tells a sustainability story.

  4. Programming Playbook: We curate quarterly calendars—art fairs, cultural festivals, wellness pop‑ups—to keep the destination perpetually fresh.

 

Measuring ROI on Public Social Value

Metric Baseline Mall Mall with Park & Art Uplift
Average dwell time 72 min 96 min +33 %
Revisit rate (90 days) 42 % 61 % +19 pp
Retail sales/m² USD 7,100 USD 9,400 +32 %
Media mentions/yr 18 57 ×3
Figures based on regional case studies by AND lab, 2022‑2025.

 

Case Studies: Success Stories Across Asia

 

Riverside Nexus, Singapore (2024–2025)

When a waterfront mall retrofit stalled after COVID‑19, the developer engaged AND lab to re‑energise the space.

  • Converted an under‑utilised roof deck into a terraced park with endemic plant species.

  • Installed a 360‑degree digital art halo in the central atrium, programmed with monthly exhibitions.

  • Partnered with local craft collectives for weekend maker fairs.

  • Results: 45 % surge in weekday lunchtime traffic and a 1.4‑year reduction in investment payback period.

 

SkyGarden Plaza, Beijing (2023–2024)

Facing intense competition in the CBD, this vertical mall sought a differentiator.

  • Rooftop pocket park linked to interior green “stepped terraces,” creating a continuous indoor‑outdoor promenade.

  • Suspended sculpture walkway curated in collaboration with the Beijing Municipal Art Bureau.

  • Weekend art workshops for families boosted destination appeal.

  • Results: Weekend foot traffic ↑ 52 %, F&B sales ↑ 28 % YoY, and over 800 UGC posts per week across Chinese social platforms.

 

These examples demonstrate how integrating parks and art exhibitions—tailored to local context—creates measurable commercial and social returns across Asia.