Vivacity is the first integrated large scale commercial (mixed-development) project in Kuching, Sarawak, and presently the biggest shopping mall cum residence on Borneo Island. With more than 1.2 million square feet of retail space over a 5 storey retail mall, it raises the level of retail experience in Kuching by leaps and bounds. The Jazz Suites Condominiums above the mall provide a daily catchment of at least 2,000 consumers for retailers in the mall.
The 672 units of residential units are almost equally divided over 4 blocks, each with their own card access controlled entrance lobby. The facilities provided for the residents here include a lifestyle pavilion on the podium roof top, with swimming pools, jogging track, gymnasiums, TV and function rooms, playgrounds, cafeterias and library. The condominiums have practical built-up sizes to cater for different generational needs and have a North-South orientation for a cooler interior space. The condominiums facade treatment is also well articulated with randomly place coloured cube box.
The retail mall below is enveloped by a diverse arrangement of geometrical aluminium cladding panels that adds to the three-dimensional value of its facade. It allows Vivacity’s identity to stand out conspicuously in the city landscape, juxtaposed by curtain-walls that expose the interior space, serving a sense of continuity between the interior and exterior space. Generally, the facade uses a ‘friendly’ palette of finishes in feel, colour and texture.
The mall layout has been conceptualised with a simple horizontal and continuous linear loop that straddles across 3 atrium voids as their main circulation and way finding strategy. The 5 levels of the retail mall are also easily accessed by strategically located vertical cores such as lifts and escalators. Provided throughout the mall, these vertical cores allow the visitor’s horizontal shopping movement to change to vertical movement over the different levels of the retail mall. Detailed studies for width of voids, ceiling profiles and ceiling heights were carried out to ensure maximum sightlines for retail lots from all levels.
It is the developer’s and also the designer’s vision that this new integrated development that comprises residential, commercial and retail components will offer an alternative and elevated urban living with a difference to the community in Kuching.
