The remains of a shopping complex are being turned into a lush green park

Many shopping complexes and malls have fallen into ruin as consumer patterns have changed, and it may be challenging to know what to do with the massive structures. Heatherwick Studio came up with the idea of repurposing one partially demolished shopping mall into a new greenery-filled area that houses retail, leisure, and exercise facilities as part of a larger redevelopment project in Nottingham, England.

The Broad Marsh project is being developed with developer Stories and is analogous to MVRDV's Tainan Spring.

The project will also include the rehabilitation of a 20-acre (8-hectare) inner-city property that the shopping mall will centre. When the problems of COVID-19 caused the corporation in charge of its disposal to go bankrupt, this was in the process of being dismantled.

"The difficulty of figuring out what to do with the former Broadmarsh retail complex has provided an opportunity to reflect on the failure of our city centres," studio leader Thomas Heatherwick remarked.

"They should be about more than simply retail; they should be about bringing people together. Rather than demolish the structure, we propose maintaining the frame and giving it new life, resulting in a space that can accommodate the diversity and energy sorely lacking in many city centres. The goal is to connect generations, neighbourhoods, and cultures so that the rebuilt Broad Marsh reflects the city's actual variety. Nottingham has taken the chance to establish a new blueprint for the future of city centres in the fog of COVID-19."

The interior of the concrete structure will include a boxing gym, a wide net play area, a climbing wall, restaurants, retail spaces, and smaller communal areas and market stalls, all of which will be punctuated by vegetation. The photographs presented appear to be a pleasant spot to spend time, a far cry from its current sad situation.

Heatherwick Studio also aims to build an ample new green space covering 8.6 acres (3.5 ha) covered with plants, trees, and other greenery as part of the more significant development. Seven hundred fifty new residences will be built as part of the project and approximately 400,000 square feet (about 37,000 square meters) of additional business and office space.

In addition, it will create a new entry for Nottingham's network of caverns and the rehabilitation of an existing hotel. Plans are still in the early phases, and if all goes well, it may take a decade to actualize them completely.

Heatherwick Studio, on the other hand, has a strong track record with these sorts of projects, having previously worked on the Coal Drops Yard and 1000 Trees retail malls.