SPACE

INTERESTING CUSTOMERS AND EYE-CATCHING SPACE

1.The Unique Element - Heritage

Many fake heritages are designed for entertainment. Scaling heritages and duplicating them to different places were frequently used all over the world. These heritages also had fascination for the public. One of the most famous ones may is the Eiffel Tower. (Darlington, J. 2020) There are many replicas of the Eiffel Tower. Blackpool Tower, where only was finished five years after the real one, is the first tower inspiring by the Eiffel tower.

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.1 &2 Opposite page, the night view of Eiffel Tower in Paris and Blackpool Tower in England. New Brighton Tower, Cheshire, Wirral and others followed the real one. Recently, Cedar Fair in America, Tianducheng in China and Tokyo in Japan all have replicas of the Eiffel Tower. These towers receive a large number of tourists every year. ‘No one pretends such structures are real...designed to extract as much money as possible from people’s curiosity’.(Darlington, J. 2020)

To decongest the Chinese financial center, Shanghai planned to create a dispersion model of the future city. To satisfy the requirement of the middle classes of Shanghai, ten ‘new town center’ (Darlington, J. 2020) inspired by Chinese, European and North American’ models were constructed. To some extent, these replica buildings were widely criticized, but ‘the borrowed and duplicated heritages is used both as an aspirant symbol for those marketing them and as a motif for a better quality of life.’ (Darlington, J. 2020)

Heritage, especially real heritage, could be landmark for high streets. There may three main cases for heritages’ commercial districts.

1)Real heritages: it has immeasurable value, especially those that have a long history and did not be arbitrarily changed, could be taken advantage of to develop tourism and commerce, such as Pingyao ancient city.

2)Fake heritages for entertainment: the value of replicating heritages is improving residents’ life and developing the local economy. No one cares about the heritages’ authenticity because no one will believe

that it is true. The replicating heritages just are deemed as ‘an aspirant symbol’ and ‘a motif for a better quality of life’. (Darlington, J. 2020)

3)Demolish the heritage sites and rebuild fake heritages: there are some successful examples showing the power the rebuilding commercial districts, like Taikoo Li in Chengdu and Xintiandi in Shanghai. All the buildings are rebuilt, only using the traditional form.

At the end, the uniqueness of heritage should be spread to the public, which is a high-efficiency method for attracting customers’ interest. Narrating Interesting historical stories and myth and legend is a feasible publicity strategy. Announcing the authenticity could attract tourists who want to explore heritage. Speaking interest history and sincerely describing the heritage status are cores of creating an attractive and active commercial district. Darlington (2020) points out that ‘...where many initial impressions of reality have been created, where prominent events have been experienced.’ New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.3 Temple of Pingyao ancient city, which is well example show the traditional town.

Fig 4.4 The replica of Effel tower in Chinese community for attracting home buyers

Fig 4.5 Xintiandi (refer Appendix) in Shanghai is a large-scale, masterplanned city-core redevelopment projec

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.6 A person wearing a protective mask rides a scooter past a temporarily closed Starbucks coffee shop in the Brooklyn borough of New York Fig 4.7 The popular coffee shop outdoor seating. Many people are seating in public space having fun time after pandemic. 2.Convenient Traffic Plan and Comfortable Spatial Scale

The epidemic shocks all kinds of customer spaces, especially the coffee shops that may be stricken most heavily. Starbucks, the Seattlebased coffee and roasting chain, experienced a tough year. After Covid-19 restrictions disrupted commuter transactions and stopped serving indoor customers, it lost 41 million pounds in the UK last year. (Daily Telegraph, 2021) In Toronto, Starbucks reported the plan to close 300 coffee shops in Canada decided to finish by the end of March. And in 2020, its headquarters announced an accelerated fiveyear transformation strategy in response to changing consumer habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though the restrictions are dissolved, people still need to keep a safe distance when having dinner. Because of limited interior spaces, many shops have decided to open up outdoor spaces to appeal to people who have grown tired of staying at home. The traditional corner cafe has become popular again. In many European countries, people yearn to communicate with friends and finish their work out of doors, with sunshine and coffee. (Public Space, Public Life & COVID 19, 2020) Based on the project of ‘Superblocks’, scholars consider that rebuilding the function of the sidewalk may be a considerable method that could provide a more comfortable public space for customers because the project had demonstrated excellent improvement for commercial development. (O’Connor, 2021)

On the other hand, it has to consider that most of the existing roads

are focused on vehicles. Remolding those roads is complex because it is not simply broadening the sidewalk but redesigning the traffic system. When an area is both commercial and residential, how to balance the two lifestyles to ensure the quality of life of residents is a new challenge. New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

‘Superilles’ as a remarkable successful urban mobility plan usually translated to ‘superblocks’, which intends to reduce car use in the city center. This project used the traffic strategy to limited buses and big freight trucks, limiting the speed below 10 kilometers per hour. In addition, in the superblock, the underground parking replaces the curbside parking. The superblock project stimulates commercial activities. More people walk and cycle slowly, often stopping to patronize businesses. Compact street planning is not only a European characteristic. Chinese ancient cities have the same planning. Those old blocks that have not been urbanized retain the walkable street width with mixed commercial and residential blocks. Those conditions are natural advantages to absorb the experience of the superblock case. (Vox, 2016)

Is there enough car parking? What is the policy for car parking? Car parking affects the decision of destination of shopping. More countries allowed the large-scale shopping mall project, designing out of or edge of town, because of the tension between public traffic, private vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian. (Mulley, C. and Ison, S. G. 2014) The phenomena illustrate the demand of customers that is comfortable traffic system not only vehicle but also pedestrian. Marco Dijk and Carlos Montalvo (2011) suggest that in some tourism and shopping cities, car parking and Fig 4.8 Bustling streets of Superblock in Barcelona

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

rids should be emphasized than commute. The evidence that the free and lower parking fee could encourage more out-of-town shopping. (Mulley, C. and Ison, S. G. 2014) It also illustrates that car parking, to some extent, affects customers’ decisions.

If heritage is located in the city center, the project only needs to compete with a near by high street. The high street located out of or edge of town has lower competitiveness because the city center has large pedestrianized areas with a better environment(Mulley, C. and Ison, S. G. 2014). On the other hand, the single heritage cannot give rise to a cluster effect, which is tough to capture the customers with the counterpart in the city center.

In my hometown, an artificial heritage site was built in Liaocheng's city center. The Dongchang ancient city was built in 1070 with many repaired. In 1947, the city wall was demolished, transforming to a ring road, because of military reasons. Apart from the damage to the authenticity of the original buildings, the developers' neglect of the road planning and car parking in the ancient city makes many tourists give up their intention to go shopping in the heritage site. There are almost no car parking in the site. Customers need to walk several kilometers for shopping, which is hard to understand. Even though the heritage site has Guangyue Tower and Shanshan Huiguan, national heritages, residents do not have the burning will to visit this artificial heritage site. This example straightforward illustrates the importance of road planning and car parking for high streets.

3.Eye-catching Spaces

As mentioned above, the term ‘public realm’ is broken through the ‘physical space’. Public space designers redefined the form and standard of public space and streets that are ‘generally friendly and pleasant streets.’ Due to the new criteria, the streets lose their characteristic. Too many streets cannot represent the local culture and ‘city’s spirit’, which means the street spaces could be interchanged from two or more cities. (Moor, M. and Rowland, J. 2006)

How to create a characteristic high street? Which function could attract the public attraction? It depends on the regions. Rees points out that in the UK, covered shopping streets are acclaimed because of horrible weather. Victor Gruen discovered that.

In providing a year-round climate of eternal spring through the skill of architects and engineers, the shopping center consciously pampers the shopper, who reacts gratefully by arriving from longer distances, visiting the center more frequently, staying longer, and in consequence contributing to higher sales figures. (Moor, M. and Rowland, J. 2006)

When customers experience extreme weather or other inconveniences like long walking distances of parking and terrible traffic system, how do attract customers back? Successful customer spaces should offer the best balance of comfort and variety of experience.

Many new projects used a roof over the streets showing a big gap Fig 4.9 The overviwe of Superblock in Barcelona New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.10 The plan and traffic strategy of Superblock

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.11 The fountain in the Clarke Quay not only for landscape but also for falling the temperature.

Fig 4.12 The night view and light show of Clarke Quay, which attracts may tourists. 55 with the traditional interior environment. If the roof could provide other functions, it may have more benefits for the spaces. (Moor, M. and Rowland, J. 2006) There is some example like BDP’s Smaralind shopping center in Reykjavik and Clarke Quay in Singapore.

Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is an excellent example of a commercial street that uses a fountain and cover. The project was designed to adapting to the specific environment of Singapore. The project requires not only to create a suitable indoor environment but also to provide a comfortable outdoor condition. Due to extreme weather conditions, high humidity and high temperatures, the pedestrians walking in the outdoor space are likely to experience a degree of discomfort. (Erell, E. et al. 2011)

The project was going to be designed Singaporean riverside festival village. The architects decided to construct a passive microclimate via roof structure rather than using the traditional air conditioning. The roof structure also protected the heritage. The design elements came from forest and crown shape, which balanced daylight, shading view and breeze to relieve the uncomfortable feeling of humid tropical weather.

A fountain designed for reducing the temperature via evaporation was located in the central courtyard. The water flows and collects into the gully, absorbing excess heat and cooling the air and pavement.

To the tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof and favorable fountain system, the environment had improved. In addition, the most comfortable working time increased two times before, from 41% to 80%. Compared with the atrium covered by glass, the space in Clarke Quay is economical, which uses approximately ten times less energy than an equivalent air-conditioned atrium space. Higher economic costs cannot be ignored because the expense decides that this solution is tough to be applied by another project.(Erell, E. et al. 2011) On the other hand, the more initial investment could mitigate by the longterm maintenance and energy savings.

Water is also a popular element in high street projects. The water in landscape design could regulate microclimate like it did in the Clarke Quay. Creating a fountain is the usual landscape strategy to create micro water circulation systems, which could be funded in many commercial spaces. If the water is the local culture for the city, adding this element into the landscape may be received easily, such as Jinan in China and Robina in Australia.

Fashion Lsland(refer Appendix)

Fashion Island has airy colonnades, sun-dappled paseos, fountains and mosaic paving with Spanish Colonial architecture style. The fountain is located in the center of the shopping town, which is an significant customer space.(Bradbury, R. and Jerde Partnership International 1999) It is worth noting that fountain may give rise to some issues. After an outbreak of Legionella infections in Wisconsin in 2020, Fig 4.13 The fountain of Fashion Lsland. It is a renovated regional shopping mall in Newport Beach. New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.14 The light show of Kyiv.

Fig 4.15 The light show of Clarke Quay. research shows that the fountain that is a closed system stagnates recirculating water. Then legionella could adhere to the porous structures, such as the semi-porous foam bed, rapidly breeding and spreading with aerosols created by the fountain. New Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities warned that (Facility Guidelines Institute, 2010):

Fountains and other open decorative water features may represent a reservoir for opportunistic human pathogens; thus they are not recommended for installation within any enclosed spaces in health environments.

Back to the example of Clarke Quay, the bright lights make the whole project more attractive. Many tourists visit this project at night, shopping for souvenirs, having dinner, or only watching the light show. In addition, in Kyiv, the unforgettable light show emerged to the world. Installing the large-scale light units is a possibility in the future, let alone the light show has exhibited in someplace as a fixed item. In the heritage renovation project, both landscape lighting systems and indoor lighting systems should be considered. Light as a special material could give rise to both comfort or poignant responses. (Brooker, G. and Stone, S. 2018)

As another artistic form, installation arts, especially sculpture, have enormous potential to draw customers’ attention. Installations frequently are used in public spaces, customers spaces and interior spaces. For example, Delft university of technology renovated its

covered courtyard of the School of Architecture, adding a threestory bright orange structure named ‘Why Factory.’ The installation is awarded the landmark of the college. Its exterior structure that looks like enormous steps is used for an auditorium. (Brooker, G. and Stone, S. 2018) New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.16 ‘ Why Factory’ in Delf University of Technology.

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

4.The Basic principles of High Street Design

The street with better design could bring merchants higher benefits and homeowners higher rent. Cities are conscious of the multiple attributes of streets. (Graud, D. 2016) A well-designed street needs designed complex lanes, including parking lanes, traffic lanes, and bike lanes, efficiency, safety, and convenience sidewalks, logical transit streets, including complex bus lanes and bus stops, and sustainable stormwater management system.

Urban furniture plays a crucial factor in street design. It could be comfortable, newfangled and beautiful or discordant, ugly and awkward. Seats are one of the most significant elements in the square design, which is as same as in customer spaces. Seating should be designed as cozy, abundant and well-designed as possible for providing rest and social places. Similarly, planting and trees have outstanding contributions to the square design, having the same function for customer space. When planners design the planting and trees, it should balance between ‘abundant, lush and generous planting’ and the sunny and open space. Lighting and electrical power will change the dim and foreboding street into a desirable amenity. Litter receptacles should not be ignored. It should be provided with suitable size and quantity for accommodating the need for space. If the street allows riding, bicycle parking will plan for cyclists and pedestrians, not only for safety but for attracting cyclists to consume. Providing clear, visible and characteristic signage and advertising board is essential for operational staff and customers. (Graud, D. 2016)

5.The Power of Brands: Confidence and Self-identity

Customers choose a brand not only because of its reputation but also because of the values it represents. Sun points out seven aspects that may have emotional resonance between customers and brands. There are status, experience, preference, recall, passion, dream and belief. (Sun, R. 2005) The brands running in the high street may focus on experience, belief and status. Successful brands have their unique maxim. For example, Nike announces that it bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Nike transforms an existing large-scale shop into a characteristic ‘town’ which is the most successful store selling the highest business volume, in London.

Via the example of Niketown, Rees analyzes traditional commercial method of the high street, believing that: (Moor, M. and Rowland, J. 2006)

The further implication is that the shopper does not read a street as a series of shops or buildings so much as head for a brand destination and experience other brands on the way.

Brands have unbelievable power for affecting customers’ actions. So if brands are paying their attention to online shopping, the high street may face a deadtime. Recent researches show that high streets are experiencing a long-term slow decline. (Chen, Y. 2015. Millington, S and Notunis, N. 2017) The report published by FreshMinds and Respondi indicated that, because of limited and similar goods, near half of the New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.17 The Niketown in Manila

Fig 4.18 The Niketown in London interviewees consider that high streets cannot provide the newfangled goods (46%), and 63% of interviewees express that high streets lost their attraction having before. (Chen, Y. 2015)

A report analyzes the decline of UK high streets, discussing a homogenising trend of city centers and high streets. (Millington, S and Notunis, N. 2017) The phenomena happened because the designers and operators are following the same scripts. (New Economics Foundation, 2004 and Hubbard, P. 1996)

To reply to the decline of the high street, Millington and Notunis (2017) propose a strategy of repositioning. It means that one place responds to one identification of unique or special attributes. (Ashworth, G. and Voogd, H. 1990, Kavaratzis, M. and Ashworth, G 2008, Yanchula, J. 2008)

If the city could be linked with heritage, tourism or local industry, or it could be labeled as a historic city, seaside resort or market town, it could establish a unique advantage, underpinning the city’s identity and belonging. (Dennis, C. et al., 2002)

Millington and Notunis (2017) suggest that the new strategy should be more dynamic and evidence-based. For example, the renovation project should build or reinstate the status of the high street. It also could be the gateway to exploring all the area. Just like the MarketRasen: (MR BIG, 2013)

A lot of people drive by Market Rasen, but do not stop, and some of

the activities that we are putting into place are giving people a reason to stop, shop, enjoy themselves, have a bite to eat and really experience all the things our town has to offer.

Heritage has the potential to be reactivated as a characteristic high street. The renovating heritage areas could provide an ideal environment to underpin the areas’ identity, attracting visitors for some activities. It is worth noting that unless the small towns and city centers have special historical attractions, they have little opportunity to draw international tourists. (Millington, S and Notunis, N. 2017)

On the other hand, helping to conserve heritages could enhance brand value. The value of heritages will give feedback to the brands, showing the brands’ status and value. It will give customers an intense implication that using the brands’ goods could represent and improve the customers status and value. New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.19 Miuccia Prada and Mario Prada 6.Prada with its heritages

Miuccia Prada, a world-renowned luxury brand, benefit from conserving heritages. From last century, Prada renovated cooperated with many known architects and architectural studios to conserve heritages and renovate them into its exhibition sites and offices.

One of the most famous projects is the renovation of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Prada, as the most crucial sponsor, participated in this project. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest high streets, which experienced starting business of Prada’s first store. Since 2014, Miuccia Prada has hired Roberto Baciocchi to voluntary renovate Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The project lasted for 13 months. The original aging and peeling walls of the 150-year-old corridor took on a new look. The floor tile pattern and the centuryold sculpture were strengthened and re-colored. The renovation project has greatly enhanced Prada’s international reputation, encouraging its determination to participate in architectural conservation projects.

The renovation of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not Prada’s first heritage renovation project. Before this project, Prada had voluntarily renovated Ca’ Corner Della Regina. Now, the palace is one of the addresses of the Prada Foundation where is used to hold art exhibitions and is a venue of the Venice Biennale.

In June 2018, the Rong House (refer Appendix) using six year to

renovate by Prada appeared to public. The architect still is Roberto Baciocchi who is the Prada’s chief architect. Baciocchi used traditional techniques to renovate this special house that built by a German and changed by Rong Zongjing.

Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli believe that the parallel development and contrast of fashion design and architecture have been the core of Prada's brand for more than a century. The heritages renovated by Prada are artworks and excellent examples of conserving and renovating heritage sites.

Conserving heritages will be long-term planning, costing massive funds. If brands, especially those that experienced that, can participate in the conservation project, the renovation team may have sufficient funds and experts to guarantee the quality of projects, conserving heritages. The example of Prada illustrates the benefit for brands and heritages, which may be encouraged other capable brands. Many scholars believe that moderate commercialization is beneficial for conserving heritages, (Darlington, J. 2020, and Millington, S and Notunis, N. 2017) but there are many examples that show the damage caused by over-commercialization, too. New Chanlleages - Conservation and Activate

Fig 4.20 The exhibition hall of Rong House.

Fig 4.21 The atrium of Rong House where is the biggest exhibiton hall of Rong House. The picture shows the exhibiton of ‘ What Was I’

Fig 4.20 The night view of Rong House. 64