8 Fab New Malls In Asia

K-11， Hong Kong

A concept mall aiming to create a seamless fusion between art， fashion and nature， this is the world’s first ‘art mall’ where shopping is but a tangential part of the whole experience. Inspired by new York’s Soho， this is a fine cross between retail space and art gallery. Spread over six storeys， K11 is a space devoted to the promotion and celebration of art. It has large pieces of sculpture， installations and paintings interspersed between the stores. In fact， there is an exhibition window between each store with works ranging from famous artists of the region to upcoming local talent. The shops themselves are an eclectic blend of high-end stores and mid-range brands. You can also choose from a range of world cuisine. 18 Hanoi Road， Tsim Sha Tsui， Kowloon； /en

Mirdif City Centre， Dubai

Now you can guiltlessly take your children to the mall. With a mindboggling number of activities for children and adults， the Mirdif City Centre Dubai is a one-stop entertainment zone with over 350 stores， 75 food outlets and movie theatres. Opened in March last year， it has an eco-friendly design and a vision of bringing the community together through work and play. This is indeed a destination mall， with indoor sky diving to five-a-side football matches on their special pitches. It also offers free fall parachuting， a gym with a pool， a 12-lane bowling alley and a miniature water park. If you prefer something a little tamer， you can enjoy a film at the 10-screen multiplex… or simply shop till you drop！ This mall takes the fun metre racing up. Emirates Road Mirdif；

1 Mont Kiara， Kuala Lumpur

Launched only this year， this is one of the newest malls in asia. Natural light filters in through the roof and you can luxuriate under a canopy of stars or bask in the dappled sun， all in perfectly temperature controlled surroundings. The anchor store here is the gourmet food chain Village Grocer， with its famed super fresh produce flown in from Canada. This apart there are a range of local and international brands offering all kinds of lifestyle products. Spas， hair and nail salons vie to relax you and international and Asian cuisine， from Chinese street food to Cajun specialties， to wow you. 1 MK Retail Sdn. Bhd.； G-13， 1 Mont Kiara， No-1 Jalan Kiara， Mont Kiara；

Mansion 7， Bangkok

Created with the sole intention of shocking you out of your socks， this latest baby on the Bangkok shopping circuit is a‘boutique thriller mall’， where you are greeted by a giant claw when you walk in. Opening on Halloween 2010， it has installations inspired by horror films， a house of horrors called Dark Mansion， and mood lighting sure to send chills up your spine. However， retail therapy is at hand with concept stores that stick to the theme and offer shoppers everything from kinky lingerie to magician’s tricks. Even the Beer Mansion and Cocktail Bar have a stripped down spooky look！ The restaurants or food boutiques also offer a range of local delicacies with special treats like the Devil’s Mousse and a Blood Som Tam. 244/7 Ratchadaphisek Road， MRT： Huay Kwang；

Bellavita， Taipei

Named after the Italian phrase ‘bella vita’， which means beautiful life， this grand mall hopes to offer its shoppers precisely that. Inspired by classic european architecture， the 10-storey Bellavita has a lovely glass dome that allows natural light into the building. This is a mall that spells luxury with flagship stores of Hermes and Bulgari tempting shoppers with their signature collections. Bellavita oozes style and elegance and their food court is a stellar example. Known as the Gourmet food Hall， this is a collection of small gourmet restaurants rather than the usual mish mash. The mall also boasts a restaurant run by Michelin-starred Chef Joel robuchon. No. 28， Song Ren Road； .tw

City Square， Singapore

A throwback to the historical marketplace， this is a ‘green’ mall that is also envisioned as a community meeting place. It includes a large urban park， City Green， and has won an award for its sensitive design and conservation techniques. The‘green’ features of the mall have led to a significant conservation of energy and water， making City Square a pathbreaking mall of the future. With over 200 shops it also has a preschool and supplementary learning centres. （Yes， in a mall！） 180 Kitchener Road； .sg

Shinsegae Centum City， Busan， Korea

This shopping complex is the holder of a Guinness Book record—it’s the world’s largest department store. Centum City has a floor area of 5，487，594.84 sq. ft with two wings connected on each level. The 14-storey east wing houses the flagship department store， restaurants， a gym and a driving range for golf enthusiasts while the 9-storey west wing has a spa， an indoor skating rink， an art gallery and a multiplex theatre. The concept restaurant Cine de Chef has a private booth where you can enjoy a gourmet meal while watching a film. 1495 Wu-dong， Haeundae-gu； /english

Iluma， Singapore

Make no mistake for Iluma is not just a mall. Located in Bugis， this spectacularly designed ten-storey structure is fast becoming an icon of the area， bringing shopping， dining， arts and culture under one roof. A special Crystal Mesh facade， a light and media installation that displays what’s happening inside， creates a fantastic bridge between technology， architecture and the individual. The mall is home to Black Box， a space for upcoming artists， apart from an 8-screen movie theatre， a gaming centre， a karaoke bar and a dance club apart from a host of restaurants. 201 Victoria Street； .sg