The best architects design remarkable buildings that break the mold and provide talking points, from office developments housed in glittering skyscrapers to residential complexes that redefine how we might live. With meticulous attention to detail on the inside and exteriors that demand attention, shopping malls, too, have become destinations in their own right. Here are seven splendidly stunning malls around the world you shouldn’t miss.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Milan, Italy
Italy’s oldest operating shopping gallery, this exquisite Milanese arcade houses some of fashion’s most prestigious brands, including Prada, Gucci, and Armani. Nicknamed “il salotto di Milano” (“Milan’s drawing room”), it was constructed between 1865 and 1877 and is the work of Italian architect Giuseppe Mengoni. While your attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the mall’s magnificent glass-domed roof, be sure to also check out the mosaic-clad floor. Part of it depicts a dancing bull, the symbol of the city of Turin. According to legend, those who touch the bull mosaic with their right foot and spin clockwise three times will have good luck.
Emporia Shopping Center – Malmö, Sweden
Cosmopolitan Malmö is Sweden’s third-largest city, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and though it has loads of historic charm, it also embraces modernity. The Emporia Shopping Center is the work of Swedish architectural firm Wingårdhs, whose unusual design sets this mall apart. The entrance, made from panes of amber-hued glass, is styled as a plunging chasm and makes a jaw-dropping first impression. The interior is equally stylish, utilizing bold colors to help shoppers navigate each atrium. Over 1 million-plus square feet and three levels, they’ll find more than 200 stores and restaurants to choose from.
Toreo Parque Central – Mexico City, Mexico
Built on the site of a former bullfighting arena, Toreo Parque Central is a visually stunning mixed-use development that incorporates a light and airy contemporary mall. For a decade, it has been a landmark complex in Naucalpan, a suburb on the northwest periphery of Mexico City. The firm behind its design, Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos, aimed to embody the characteristics of an urban park, and inside, you’ll find trees and fountains alongside its approximately 200 retail units. But it’s the glass domed roof that gives this mall its wow factor and floods the space with light.
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center – Astana, Kazakhstan
Acclaimed British architect Norman Foster designed this tent-shaped building devoted to retail and entertainment, which opened in 2010. Khan Shatyr is known colloquially as the “Grand Marquee” or “Royal Marquee.” Its distinctive shape makes it one of the most easily identifiable buildings in the Kazakh capital, Astana — one of the world’s newest cities. The translucent roof is made of ETFE (a type of plastic called ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) and is suspended from a tubular steel tripod supporting a net of cables. Beneath it, you’ll find dozens of shops for well-known brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland, Zara, Reebok, Adidas, and Lacoste.
K11 Musea – Hong Kong
The creative minds behind K11 Musea, opened in 2019, claim that they’ve created the world’s first cultural-retail destination, which is located at the heart of the Victoria Dockside development in Hong Kong. Their inspiration was a river journey, and the building’s design aims to capture the essence of the changes that take place from delta to source. A green wall on the exterior of the building mimics the verdant scenery in the islands and countryside that lie beyond this densely populated city.
Battersea Power Station – London, England
Sometimes, a mall is the ideal solution to finding a new tenant for a redundant space, as was the case with Battersea Power Station in London. This art deco behemoth opened in 1935, and at its peak capacity, it supplied approximately 20% of the city’s energy. As operating costs rose and output declined, the original phase of this coal-fired power station’s journey came to an end. For years it sat empty, a historic landmark that Londoners cherished but no one knew quite what to do with. After extensive redevelopment, it opened as an upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment center in 2022.
My Zeil – Frankfurt, Germany
Designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, Frankfurt’s MyZeil shopping mall takes its name from the German city’s main shopping street, Zeil, onto which it opens. The façade is clad with diamond-shaped panes of glass, but a vortex-like dent in the side challenges perceptions as it punches through to the inner atrium. Inside, ride the 138-foot-long Expressway, the longest indoor unsupported escalator in Europe. The building’s fluid shape leads to a more conventional wing opposite the Palais Thurn und Taxis, a post-WWII reconstruction of an 18th-century palace built for an influential noble family.
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