All legacies contribute to make the design approach very difficult both from a conceptual and from a technical point of view. MVRDV’s design reclaims a typological and symbolic contact between the new front and the existing buildings, as well as adding a contemporary extension to the rear. The design foresees a front building that dialogues respectfully with its historical neighborhood and tries to relate by proportions, volume and language to the French Concession. Behind it, as a backdrop to history, appears a contemporary shopping mall.

The design of the front facade is respectful of the past French Concession’s façades, per height, size and pattern of its windows. It is divided into four sections as a reminder of the diverse buildings that used to be located on the plot. The new façade is cladded in stone, yet in a nuanced way (different material treatment or finishing) marking the transition between one section and another. The focal point of the intervention becomes the interaction between the front facade and the urban space, between the opaque stone front building and the light and transparent modern shopping mall. The main entrances of the building are on the sides and defined by small public squares: these pockets of public space serve the purpose of attracting and guiding customers inside. The use of brass on the facades and on the furniture of the squares highlights the commercial nature of the space, particularly at night.