Changsha IFS
- Client
- The Wharf Holdings
- Services
- Architecture, Masterplanning, Interior Design
- Sector
- Masterplanning, Mixed Use, Retail
- Location
- Changsha, China
- Sustainability Accreditations
- LEED Platinum certification
- Collaborators
- Wong Tung & Partners (Tower)
A retail podium that draws the city’s footfall in
Benoy is masterplanner, retail architect and interior designer for Changsha IFS, a mixed-use development in the heart of the city’s Central Business District. Developed by The Wharf Holdings as the largest of three IFS projects Benoy has delivered with the company in mainland China, the scheme sits opposite Huang Xing Pedestrian Shopping Street, one of the busiest pedestrian streets in China, and connects underground to the Wuyi Square metro interchange serving lines 1 and 2.
230,000m²
An integrated retail podium
The 230,000m² retail podium sits at the heart of the development and supports two towers of 315m and 452m – the tallest building in Hunan province and contains a hotel at its upper levels. The retail frontage extends more than 700m, the longest ‘Street’ experience in The Wharf’s portfolio, and houses over 400 shops across entertainment, lifestyle, retail, culture and food and beverage. Below ground, five levels of retail and parking link directly to the metro and to the pedestrian street opposite, drawing the city’s existing footfall into the scheme rather than competing with it.
A cultural anchor for Changsha
The brief called for an integrated community hub: not only a retail destination but a place to gather around arts, culture and events. A permanent sculpture by KAWS, installed above one of the main entrances at opening, was the artist’s first permanent large-scale work in Greater China. The development hosts a rolling programme of exhibitions, cultural activities and festivals, and holds LEED Platinum certification.
