Commercial developers in Singapore are being urged to inject flexible layouts and community-focused elements into shopping centers to counter retail homogeneity. Interior designer Mike Lim of DP Design noted that properties must shift toward social commerce as online shopping continues to alter consumer habits. Lim highlighted his recent Malaysian designs, including Ombak KLCC and The Exchange TRX, as proof that integrating public gathering zones and unique visual identities can draw attention. These approaches emphasize dining, networking, and cultural events over simple retail transactions.
Key points
Malls must shift from simple transactional hubs into vibrant meeting grounds that support…: Malls must shift from simple transactional hubs into vibrant meeting grounds that support social commerce and community networking.
Retailers need adaptable floor layouts and immersive narrative environments to remain com…: Retailers need adaptable floor layouts and immersive narrative environments to remain competitive against expanding e-commerce options.
Incorporating cultural exhibits, pop-ups, and live performances allows commercial propert…: Incorporating cultural exhibits, pop-ups, and live performances allows commercial properties to foster higher sustained foot traffic.
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Veteran interior designer Mike Lim believes malls need to rethink their role as places for shopping, gathering and socialising. His projects in Kuala Lumpur offer a glimpse of what is possible.
“The latest mall we designed went viral.”
It’s not every day that you hear such a statement, especially when Singapore’s retail scene has been attracting criticism lately. But when it comes from veteran interior designer Mike Lim, you sit up and pay attention.
It turns out that the project he was talking about is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ombak KLCC is a six-storey retail podium that attracted attention on social media following its opening in August, thanks to its curvaceous, skylight-topped atrium that begs to be admired from below. Its floors recede as the building rises, much like the terraces of the tea plantations in Cameron Highlands that provided the inspiration.
A veteran of the interior design industry, Lim has built a 25-year career shaping the spaces within all types of buildings, especially malls, offices and civic and community institutions. Since 2007, he has been doing so under the…
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