Porto De Phuket is the First Open Air Lifestyle Mall in the Southern region of Thailand. This project gives precedence to the integration of interior, architecture and natural landscape spaces. Mesmerizing by Phuket’s unique landscape settings and the site’s abundant existing trees, landscape architect team pays respect to existing site condition and propose to preserved more than 240 trees on the site. In planning, Phuket local fishing village is used as inspiration to form the building groups which integrate with variety of green open spaces. These green areas are spread throughout the site offering multi-purpose programs, relaxation spaces and promoting ecological function of natural run-off areas. Moreover, the team interprets Phuket’s natural landscape characters into the contemporary design language that harmoniously correspond with the Architecture style, promoting identity of the project and the site.
Porto de Phuket offers new experience of the lifestyle mall that cherishes natural environments. With open air, good ventilation settings and various outdoor green spaces, the visitors will gain comfortable, convenient shopping and dinning experience that support the lifestyle of new normal situation.
This project is located in Phuket, the most famous tourist destination for foreigners and local travelers. At this convenient location, it is in close proximity to Bangtao Beach,Surin Beach and Laguna Phuket where these places are well-known for World-class tourist attractions. This new development transforms an abandoned land into The Finest Living Experience mall in Phuket island that promotes a new lifestyle of shopping and dining in outdoor spaces. The visitors will impress by one-of-a-kind experience from the integration of entertaining facilities and natural outdoor areas.
Unlike the typical mall design that cherishes large enclosed interior spaces, the vision to develop Porto de Phuket is different. By giving value to its location and surrounding natures of Phuket and the site, this project plans to promote the finest outdoor living experience to the visitors and cherish Phuket’s cultural identity.
During site survey, Landscape architect team was fascinated by the natural setting on the site with abundant trees. To protect this uniqueness, the team planned to preserve these existing trees. Thanks to the collaboration with architects and clients, this project could save over 240 native existing trees on the site. Prior the design, Landscape architects collaborated with Architect team to work on a Planning concept which was inspired by the settlement of local fishing village where the buildings were grouped to form the spaces that were surrounded by green areas. This commercial project offers very large open space which is 70% of the site area with big green space (permeable surface) 32% of the project total area.
In term of a design concept, the teams presented the concept that integrate both buildings and landscape together. The main concept took the inspiration from Phuket’s Plateau which is the existing geological formation of the site. The intertwine of terrain and hills form the unique characters of the landscape. The design team translated this unique landscape to the design language that reflects on the architecture and landscape architecture styles. Landscape architect team used this concept of Phuket’s Plateau to create interesting and welcoming landscape spaces that also matched with the appearance of the buildings.
Taking the inspiration from Phuket’s landscape and the site, Landscape architect team feels mesmerized by the surrounded natural settings and the stunning views of the mountains. The team plans to integrate these unique natural environments with the new style of open-air mall. Low stories buildings are groups to form the landscape spaces, providing more functions than just only leftover spaces between the buildings. Each of the buildings are connected by a covered-walkway to protect the visitors from the sun and rain and also promote the linkage between the group of the buildings. The mall area is located in the middle of the site surrounded by parking lots that allow convenient access to the mall from all directions.
At the front welcome plaza, the landscape team provides open vista that allow visitors to easily spot the project from main street. There is a triangular iconic landform that abstracts the original form of Phuket’s Plateau. This landform represents local identity of Phuket’s landscape and become a landmark of the project. Surrounded the landform, the team selects native grass to create dynamic and natural landscape through the weaving grass in the natural breeze. Moreover, welcome reflecting pool reflects the nostalgic of local fishing village and also restores water during the heavy rain. Next to the plaza is a playground where kids can play under the trees’s canopies and family can gathering in this spaces.
The major elements of the outdoor spaces is paving areas. The paving is design to interpenetrate into the green spaces that harmoniously blur the edge of hardscape and softscape. There is a various scale of the walking spaces which extend wider to facilitated the events or pop-up stores, some areas are providing resting spots for visitor to relax and enjoy being in nature. Also, some of the green spaces are connected with the interior design of the restaurant to offer comfortable outdoor dining experiences.
The planting concept is to preserve the existing local trees, mainly Brown salwood (Acacia mangium Willd.). By adding only one type of another local tree, Para rubber tree. (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) and remain natural landscape atmosphere of peat swamp forest. In the vertical elements, the visitors will see various green spaces which form groups of existing and new additional trees in the courtyard or along the walkways. The landscape team also designs a natural pond to help restore water during heavy rain and allow water to naturally infiltrate into the ground. At this pond, the visitors enjoy resting spots surrounded by tropical swamp forest plants. Thanks to several green patches spread throughout the site, these small yet effective green areas are all function to allow natural water infiltration.
Porto De Phuket is the finest lifestyle mall that offers not only the one-of-a kind outdoor shopping and dining experiences but also promote the relationship between people and natural environment together with the identity of Phuket. This kind of open air mall presents a new alternative experience for visitors to enjoy public spaces comfortably in the new normal situation.
Architect: Studio Architects Co., Ltd.
Structural Engineer: VSD Consultant Co., Ltd.
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Mitr Technical Consultant Co., Ltd.
Construction Management: G22 Engineer and Architect Co., Ltd.
Project location: Baandon-Cherng Talay Road Phuket Cherng Talay Thailand 83100.
Design year: 2018
Year Built: 2019
Site Area: 40,000 sqm
Design Area: 10,000 sqm
