Shopping malls are indoor shopping centers that provide an excellent ambiance to the people who love shopping, food, and entertainment. Shopping Mall projects have become the most attractive part of a community. They allow buying from the different shops and brands without having to move from one place to another. In fact, Not just the shopping, but people also enjoy a large variety of food as they provide admirable food court. It also includes cinemas, gyms, and banks for their visitors under one roof. So it is an entertainment hub where people come to spend quality time with their family and friends.
Moreover, A perfect architectural design for Mall projects makes it aesthetically pleasing for the visitors. It provides a cost-efficient and convenient environment where shopping becomes easy and attracts more customers. Before the pandemic, overcrowded malls were the norm. In 2019 after the pandemic, the situation in the whole world changed, shopping malls had to suffer heavy losses. The architects had to plan the structures of the malls that make them meet the needs of current situations.
So, Here we will discuss how the architects can improve the designs of Mall projects considering the pandemic situations.
1. Flexible Spaces of Mall projects
Besides, After the vaccination process, many retailers are starting to reopen their stores. The crowd is returning to the shopping malls to fulfill their needs and get entertained. The architectures must provide architectural plans that are flexible. The flexibility in the architectural design can further change the design patterns according to the needs of the current situation. The design structures that have changed today will get changed in the future as well. So, flexibility in architectural design is the most significant part for an architect.
Flexible spaces allow easy movement and development because of their natural ability to give more space and mobility. Structures will provide flexible spaces that can react efficiently to the changing situations and circumstances of the specific areas. It will permit your business to adjust rapidly to whatever changes might happen. The changes in the architectural design mostly last for a longer time.
2. Touchless & Electronic Shopping
Before the pandemic, it was usual for individuals to go to the shopping malls and shop for different products by touching them and having a hands-on experience. Ladies used to try multiple beauty products using the samples used by many individuals. People loved eating food trials in the grocery stores within a mall.
The pandemic changed the situation completely. Now people hesitate to touch things because of the spreading viruses. A perfect architectural plan must introduce electronic shopping using modern technology where one does not need to touch things physically. The architect must design stores that provide electronic apps where the products are detailed the customers can even share them with their friends. He must analyze the touchless scans and-go arrangements that give safe automatic checkout programs.
3. Manage Social Distancing
The pandemic focuses more on maintaining the social distancing. Now, the architects should design the malls while considering social distancing. The designs must cooperate with the entrance and exits and the circulation and movement of visitors within the mall project boundaries to maintain the distances. Efficient Utilization of space is essential.
There is a need to free up the congested areas that permit people to provide breathing space between different activities. An architect plans the sitting arrangements in cinemas and food courts to allow people to maintain a safe distance from each other.
4. Ventilation System
Also, the shopping malls attract people because of their excellent air conditioning and cooling systems. People love to stay for a longer time as the environment provides comfort in every season. The longer a person stays in the mall, the more money he spends in a mall. The pandemic has changed the situation.
There is a risk of spreading the virus through the cooling system. The architects need to design a system where the virus will not reach people. The architects must provide a ventilation system where the air will not re-circulate within the mall. It will diminish or minimize any viruses delivered and spread through the air inside the shopping malls.
5. Vehicle Waiting Areas of Mall projects
The vehicle waiting areas or the parking lots must be designed efficiently by the architects. They need to plan more space for cycle and bike parking. Design each slot of the parking area to maintain enough space between them. Design them to provide space for the high volume of vehicles arriving in the malls, maintaining a safe distance.
Using the technology, an architect designs the parking lots that help address the big test a customer has to face at the shopping mall, finding safe parking. There must be installed sensors in the parking lots that direct the drivers to the protected parking through the visual indicators.
Final Words about Mall projects
In conclusion, shopping malls provide the most convenient and enjoyable shopping to people. People cherish themselves with different fun activities that include food, cinemas, gyms, and swimming pools within the boundaries of the malls. So, they do not rush to the multiple shops from one place to another while they can enjoy and fulfill their needs under a single roof.
The pandemic has shifted the trend. There are several techniques an architect adapts to maintain a healthy and safe environment in a Mall project that ensues virus-free shopping and entertainment for the people. An excellent architect with little change can bring back the crowd giving all the safety measures.
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