GRiD

SPARK

Short description

The brief for this retrofit project was to address challenges in the market and overcome issues like deep shops that were difficult to lease, complex circulation, hidden entrances, and a disconnected presence in the youthful vicinity. The new program includes a school, restaurants, dance studios, spectator sports, and F&B outlets that complement the community's lifestyle. SPARK's vision was to create a space where youth and the young at heart could express themselves, learn, have fun, and hang out. The architectural, interior, branding, and wayfinding designs of GRiD were influenced by analog and street-inspired graphics, and the memory of the 1980s gaming arcades that once occupied the building.
To maximize rental value, SPARK reconfigured the space by moving unleasable areas from the deep zones to the street-fronting corner, creating new high-rental-value spaces. This flagship corner features alfresco dining terraces, striking super graphics signage, neon lights, and restaurants, presenting a welcoming image to the street and reinforcing the project branding. A new social staircase and informal performance space were integrated with the corner, providing access to the previously secluded basement.
Street-inspired signage and graphics guide visitors from the entrances into the interiors. The flexible leasing zones and a new atrium with a view of the basement indoor skate park create engaging spaces for various activities. The local art student community also contributed to a 10-meter-tall mural, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
In the basement, the social washroom combines male and female wash zones into a freestanding sculptural basin, while the toilet cubicles feature individually customized graphic-printed wall panels, playfully named "the selfie booths," in response to the youth's selfie trend.
GRiD now establishes a stronger connection with its community through its flagship corner shops, upgraded access, and distinctive branding, complementing the vibrant shops, restaurants, and art schools in the vicinity.