Paragon Shopping Mall – located at the geographical mid-point of Orchard Road, it is well positioned as an upmarket shopping mall. Officially opened in 1998, it has had quite an active history of reconfigurations. In the late 1990s alone, DP Architects designed three additions and alterations – in 1999, 2003 and 2009 – each re-establishing the mall’s relationship with Orchard Road by means of increasing levels of transparency, façade articulation and circulatory connectivity.

With this series of developments, two adjacent existing structures have been joined and extensively refurbished to house a new concentration of premier fashion outlets along 115m of frontage. So while our architects oversaw the external aesthetics and façade of Paragon, our team worked on its interiors; transforming it into a space that is quintessential of luxury shopping. This we achieved through the use of materiality and tonality.

Entering the mall through the shopping podium fronted by top designer labels, shoppers step into either of the two atria. Here, they are immediately enveloped in an atmosphere of elegance and exclusivity created by the array of extravagant shop-fronts. Polished yet warm in tones and textures, the allure of the shop-fronts is tangible.  It is evident from the outset: Paragon is poised to offer beyond one’s ordinary shopping experience.

Opulent but inviting

While the sharp edges and polished surfaces of the design elements exude an air of urbanity, warmth is also created within the interior atmosphere through the generous use of warm ambient lighting and muted wood grain on ceilings and walls. Further enhancing this is the rich variety of beautifully veined stones accentuating the distinctive opulence of the mall’s identity. This luxury in materiality continues throughout the mall to its public facilities, lending a feel of residential affluence at its public toilets. The shoppers are offered an impressive experience in upscale shopping and dining excursions.