In the landscape of contemporary Chinese urbanism, few typologies encapsulate the contradictions of late-capitalist development more vividly than the pseudo-European commercial complex. These replicated enclaves, constructed en masse in the early 2000s, were once marketed as symbols of international sophistication. Over time, however, many were abandoned, becoming architectural vestiges of speculative urbanism. Outlets 8 in Conghua, Guangzhou, is one such project that has undergone a radical architectural reinterpretation. Originally completed in 2018 but long dormant, it has been reimagined by E Plus Design in collaboration with URBANUS/LXD Studio. Through a precise, light-touch intervention, the project avoids wholesale demolition and reprograms space through color, rhythm, and landscape strategy.
Outlets 8, Conghua Technical Information
- Architects1-14: E Plus Design
- Central Plaza Design: URBANUS / LXD Studio
- Location: Conghua District, Guangzhou, China
- Gross Area: 80,882 m2 | 870,000 Sq. Ft.
- Project Years: 2022 – 2023
- Photographs: © Wu Siming
This approach is like a contemporary remix of classical music. The four blocks correspond to four movements. Without extensive demolition or altering the European-style architectural rhythm, we reinterpreted the emotional tones, chords, and cadenzas. Through a blend of color and modern gestures, the outdated and disproportionate ‘faux-antique’ complex has been reorchestrated into a contemporary architectural symphony.
– Li Fu, Chief Architect at E Plus Design
Outlets 8, Conghua Photographs
Outlets 8 Context and Typological Challenge
Outlets 8 was initially conceived as a 110,000-square-meter faux-European outlet village. Despite its scale and investment, it struggled to resonate with local cultural dynamics and remained idle. The typology itself, rooted in nostalgic mimicry, was already facing obsolescence. The challenge, then, was not only architectural but also conceptual: how to resuscitate a typology that had become both spatially and culturally inert.
The design team chose a strategy of minimal physical intervention coupled with maximal perceptual impact. Rather than demolish or drastically reconstruct, they aimed to re-signify the existing structures. This approach reflects a growing trend in urban renewal across China, where sustainability, cost-efficiency, and cultural specificity take precedence over spectacle.
Spatial Transformation Through Chromatic Reprogramming
At the intervention’s core is using color as a spatial and psychological agent. The ornament-heavy facades were stripped of their polychromatic excess and repainted in low-saturation hues. This chromatic cleansing revealed the formal rhythms of the architecture beneath. By doing so, the design avoids mimicry and opts for abstraction, reintroducing clarity to the site’s visual language.
The design framework is structured as a musical metaphor, with each of the four blocks conceived as a separate movement in a visual symphony. The street-facing facades, now unified through a golden “variation,” establish a new urban frontage that is both legible and symbolically rich. A ribbon-like golden band traces across the main elevations, creating continuity and contrast between old and new volumes.
In contrast, the sports block adopts a cooler, blue-toned palette, offering a different spatial and functional rhythm. New architectural insertions are rendered in transparent materials, signaling temporal and programmatic distinctions. At the center, the elliptical plaza becomes a spatial crescendo, defined by a sculptural intervention inspired by Roman aqueducts. This feature functions as a landmark and a temporal break, juxtaposing historical references with performative landscape elements.
Rewriting Landscape as Urban Ecology
Water, derived from the nearby Liuxi River, serves as the thematic and material backbone of the landscape design. Its integration is not symbolic but functional. Water flows through constructed channels, interactive fountains, and sculptural cascades that encourage observation and participation. These elements create a multisensory environment that enhances the spatial experience while reinforcing ecological awareness.
The planting strategy emphasizes native species capable of withstanding Guangzhou’s subtropical climate. The design maximizes greenery wherever regulatory conditions allow, particularly along the main entrance, central corridors, and arcaded walkways. The result is a layered landscape that balances visual density with ecological resilience.
Integrating landscape and architecture as a singular design operation, the project shifts away from ornamental greening toward environmental synthesis. This approach foregrounds interaction and immersion, aligning with broader shifts in landscape architecture toward performative and participatory ecologies.
Programmatic Rebirth and Urban Implications
Beyond formal and material considerations, the project redefines the programmatic potential of large-scale retail environments. Positioned as a “micro-vacation” destination, Outlets 8 is a hybrid typology. It combines retail, leisure, and outdoor experience within a cohesive spatial narrative. This reprogramming responds to changing patterns of consumption and leisure in Chinese cities, particularly among younger demographics seeking experiential value over transactional efficiency.
Statistical metrics underscore the project’s social impact. In its first nine days, the outlet attracted over half a million visitors and became a trending location across multiple digital platforms. While not the focus of architectural critique, these figures reflect a successful alignment between spatial renewal and public resonance.
More importantly, the project offers a replicable model for dealing with the vast inventory of misaligned commercial developments across China. The intervention avoids nostalgia and cynicism by foregrounding perceptual clarity, ecological integration, and cultural recontextualization. Instead, it offers a clear path forward for reimagining the built remnants of a prior urban paradigm.
Outlets 8, Conghua Plans
Outlets 8, Conghua Image Gallery
About E Plus Design
E Plus Design is a multidisciplinary architecture studio based in Shenzhen, China, known for its innovative approaches to urban renewal, adaptive reuse, and large-scale public space transformations. The firm emphasizes minimal intervention strategies, spatial clarity, and contextual sensitivity, often working at the intersection of architecture, landscape, and urban design to create integrated environments that are both socially responsive and experientially rich.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Chief Design Consultant: Liu Xiaodu
- Master Plan, Architecture, and Landscape Schemes: E Plus Design
- Lead Architects: Li Fu, Coco Zhou
- Project Managers (Architecture): Guo Sibo, Huang Haifeng
- Architectural Design Team: Wang Junli, Zhang Yan, Cai Yidie, Zhu Meng, Lin Zhaomei, Li Geng, Stephane Anil Mamode, Liu Shan, Zhou Yubo
- Central Plaza Design: URBANUS / LXD Studio
- Architect of Central Plaza: Liu Xiaodu
- Project Manager: Li An’hong
- Facade Design: Song Baolin, Li Minggang
- Lighting Design (Concept): Fang Yuhui
- Lighting Consultant: Han Du Associates
- Client: Guangzhou Outlets 8 Commercial Management Co., Ltd.
- Client Design Management Team: Yin Mingyue, Zhao Xiong
- Landscape Area: 29,100 m²
- Chief Landscape Architect: Gao Yan
- Project Manager (Landscape): Zhang Yufeng
- Landscape Design Team: Yu Xiaolei, Li Zhaozhan, Liu Chenghua
- Landscape Construction Drawings: E Plus Design
- Project Manager: Wang Bin
- Design Team: Wang Bin (Landscape Architecture). Huang Jinxiong (Greening Design). Li Gen (Water & Electricity Design)
- Structural Design Team: Wang Kaiming, Yang Helin, Wu Xingwei, Zhuang Dengfa
- Electrical Design Team: Sun Wei, Yang Ying
- Interior Design Concept Design: Shenzhen Juanshi Design Co., Ltd.
- Chief Interior Designer: Feng Feifan
- Project Manager: Liu Hongwei
- Design Team: Niu Jingxian, Shi Meitao
- Construction Drawings: Shenzhen Shiye Design Co., Ltd.
- Project Manager: Shen Kaizhen
- Design Team: Yao Yijian, Yang Hao, Liu Chen
- Wayfinding Design Studio: Hexi Brand Design Co., Ltd.
- Curtain Wall Design Firm: Positive Attitude Group (PAG)
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