New luxury mall to open in city center

This summer, a new retail development will bring luxury retail to the heart of the city’s UNESCO-listed historical center.

The new mall will be located a stone’s throw from Senado Square and next to heritage-listed property Lou Kau Mansion, which was damaged back in late February 2016 and later repaired by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).

Named “Yellow House”, the project is the result of a partnership between Circle Property Development Limited and Hong Kong’s Henry iAN Investment Limited. According to the developers, it has been transformed from a residential building into a four-storey premium retail venue, presenting a trendy interior with a mixed façade that merges modernity with the traditional lines and outlook of the old buildings around that part of the city.

The architectural design was created by two companies: the local office of Aedas, managed by Chan Leung Choi and CAA City Planning & Engineering Consultants Limited, a company established and owned by the Macau Legislative Assembly’s lawmaker and the Chief Executive’s cousin, Chui Sai Peng.

On the development project’s website, Chan stated that his interest in the project had to do with “an obligation to contribute to the other pillar of Macau’s architectural development [after being involved in several mega projects in Cotai], which is the contextual intervening approach to existing historical architecture,” adding that his work’s inspiration came from “university excursions in 1984, and yes, Macau’s vision of conservation started in the 1980s.”

From an architectural perspective, the project “is located in one of the most historical neighborhoods as well as in the heart of the most vibrant tourist area of Macau. With careful control of building volume and preservation of the existing facades, it will be weaved into the urban fabric where local Macanese as well as tourists can immediately tell the story behind its evolution.”

Also in the same location, the developer highlighted their exponential growth in their investment portfolio in Macau that now totals HKD12 billion and an area of 308,605 square feet, a success that they attribute to “our history of successful partnerships with luxury and renowned brands, as well as our eye for investing in strategic locations.”

The same statement said the developers “appreciate and respect the city’s rich culture and heritage. Which is why we strive to integrate design elements and aesthetics of Macau’s historical architecture in our properties,” also remarking on the “excellent relationship with Macau’s Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and working with them to preserve properties of ours that have historical and cultural significance.” RM