FREE SPACE

Creating a “destination” with trace of memories and sense of culture that people loved and remembered is our design intent. The project is located at the historical center of Macau in a sloping site surrounded by dense urban fabrics.

Instead of filling the site with commercial entities, we proposed to reserve a “free-space” in the middle of the complex to create a community. The “free-space” not only brings in light and air to the core of the complex, but also brings endless possibilities. It will be a place for music performances, for banquets, for social events, for art installations, and for community uses; it is designed for people. It will be a new urban oasis offering spatial relief to the surrounding community. This retail complex will be able to restore a living community/ a pátio [圍] as used to be in the old days of Macau.

The architectural design and details of the retail complex are inspired by its historical context - its partially demolished wall, its old brick texture, its wooden structure of an old house, its metal gate and its paving stones along the historical trails of Macau. Combining traditional materials with modern design technique and language, we are able to create a sense of modernity yet retain its culture.

By respecting the historical context and by creating a dynamic “free-space” that people loved, it will be a catalyst for urban renewal and will benefit the generations to come.