In this fast paced society time is the essence.

A Shopping Center is no longer needed just for its commercial functions. New activities are requested by the consumers to be made available in order for it to still be attractive and thus, survive from a social and economic point of view. To cope with all these, we propose a high tech Shopping Center with a fast shopping concept which acts as an Urban Node in the city. Using technology as a mean to free up space and to make all kind of experiences more enjoyable and introducing other activities regarded as separate and as important instances rather than secondary to shopping, this new architectural space will take the Old Shopping Center to the next level.

The purpose is to create an Urban Node in which consumers can have diverse activities in one place, resulting in a more enjoyable use of free time.

The way this is achieved is by adding a small technology aspect to the architectural planning stage and integrating it not just as an attraction point but as a way to improve the overall use of the space.

To emphasize the idea of a Node, the interior space gravitates around a central pillar that contains a large number of dressing rooms revolving around a storage unity, with diverse technology that ease the clothes trying on and an advanced delivery system. This pillar symbolizes the essence of commerce restrained in a minimal shape and space.

The pillar is surrounded by void, being connected with the rest of the building with glass walkways that offer astonishing views all around, over the park and terraces. These walkways are also used for virtual reality shop window gazing.

The exterior ring contains leisure and cultural spaces like parks, waterpark, cinema, restaurants and terraces, concert hall, exhibit spaces but also office spaces, laboratories for food growth, food markets, educative spaces that provide a suitable environment for learning, debating and reading, parking spaces and much more.

On the last floor of the building the visitors can experience a large aquarium that can be observed from its sides but also from above.

Rather than expanding above the ground, the Node is growing in an underground direction, having a minimal visible impact on the site, this being possible because of the way the spaces are disposed. By creating a void between the central pillar and the exterior ring, the light can pass through all the floors and offer an enjoyable natural light, in a park like space. The same space is used to create micro biospheres of nature in which the consumer can stroll or relax. By creating these pools of light and green space, the underground effect associated with any closed and unfriendly buildings is countered, while still taking advantage of the isolation factor offered by the earth around the building.