The grand atrium of The Pavilion KL, decked out for Chinese New Year.
The Pavilion KL is a masterpiece of mall architecture and urban planning. If it has a downside, it's that it takes up too much space on the block. From the sky, it looks massive. However, when you are inside, you find yourself in a shopping paradise. I have never been in a shopping arcade with such high ceilings that allow for so much natural light. The main entrance is larger than most cathedrals. There's no classic dome or architectural nods to the Roman temples. This is a modern centre commericale that is truly Malaysian.
I'm not typically a fan of malls in urban spaces. I, by default, dislike all malls in suburban or rural areas because I think they would be better off with a downtown street grid. However, I did grow up shuttling between the Staten Island Mall, Woodbridge Center and Menlo Park Mall. When we would visit Grandma and Grandpa in San Diego, we would go to Horton Plaza and North County Fair. I learned to appreciate them for what they are, in America. A well-designed mall in The States is going to have parking garages (instead of lots) and a ton of natural light inside. The best malls have fountains in the center court and marble tile throughout.
Beyond the appreciation above, I do not think malls have done a great job of contributing to American cities. As Asian countries have adopted Western cultural elements over the years, I dreaded the thought of going to Asia to see them adopt mall culture. Visions of bullying and angry families, but in Asia, left me thinking what a mistake this cultural experiment is. It ends up, in Asia, malls are treated a bit differently. You can loiter there but certainly you would not see bullying. Angry families? Certainly not. Smiles, celebration and a refuge from the heat make people feel really good. Being inside the Pavilion KL sure as hell made me feel great. I would find excuses to go there and hang out.
The Pavilion KL has three main sections:
Pavilion KL: the massive part of the mall with the Pavilion residential tower on top of it.
Connection: an outdoor shopping arcade that connects the mall to the movie theater and to the skybridge (and now Pavilion Elite). This section contains bars and restaurants with al fresco dining.
Pavilion Elite: a recently opened extension to the mall that has another residential tower on top of it.
Rendering of the Pavilion Elite added to the original Pavilion KL.
The original Pavilion KL plan had a larger plaza. The space below highlighted in red showcases where the architects, Pavilion KL Design Studio, plopped Pavilion Elite.
The Pavilion Elite addition integrates seamlessly with the existing mall structure. You would never know that it was an extension. The architecture is consistent and there are no major breakage points or exposed joints connecting the structures. The only issue is that they have not updated the Pavilion KL maps yet to include the Pavilion Elite! Why not?!
The Pavilion KL food court is incredibly large. It fills the entire basement level. Luckily, you do not feel like you are in a basement because the ceilings are so high. What makes Asian mall food courts special is that they are home to both commercial chains and local shops. You can get expensive food and you can get cheap as hell Chinese bakery goodies.
They have allowed the mall to be part of their lives without completely pushing out any sort of local culture. The Chinese New Year celebration speaks for itself.
