Exploring the Northpoint City Mall. "A city within a building".

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope you enjoyed the Christmas season and had the chance to reconnect with your loved ones.

We spent Christmas Eve in the Gardens by the Bay, which was a unique experience for us because we usually celebrate in our homes, but this year we did it differently. There were plenty of people who visited the Gardens to witness the decorations, live DJ booth, and especially the food!

Tonight, I had the pleasure of visiting yet another cool place in the city, specifically in the Yishun district, Northpoint City. It's located in the Northeastern area of Singapore.

Amidst the residential buildings is Northpoint City, a shopping mall that is indeed a "tiny city" by itself. It has residential units attached to it and it also has all the amenities that make it a commercial and institutional complex. It has amenities like department stores, grocery stores, medical clinics, pharmacies, restaurants, saloons, a playground, and even a library!

Just look at the design of the entrance, it looks majestic in my humble opinion.

The shopping malls of today have evolved. There's a visible distinction between the shopping malls of the '90s and the ones that were built in the recent years of the 21st century. Nowadays, shopping malls are no longer just meant for shopping for shoes, clothes, and home items. It has become suitable for the lifestyle of modern people. And just like Northpoint City, they all have the amenities that a modern city has.

Like many modern establishments in the city, there will always be an information booth or office to assist with the queries of the visitors. I mean you just look at the design of this booth and assume that you are living in the future already. They leveled up the look of a simple information booth sign.

It's visible from the other side of the corridor, it's nice!

There is a particular feeling of "abundance of air" in the design of the interior spaces. The double-volume corridor spaces make it feel breezy and less stressful.

I remember precisely the feeling of walking along the corridors of the shopping malls in the '90s, it feels congested and it's also difficult to breathe. It's because they were designed for efficiency and to maximize the commercial spaces.

That's why I feel pleased that the designers of modern malls have shifted from a claustrophobic interior into contemporary-style spaces.

Another amenity that I appreciate in the design of this mall is the courtyard. It's located at the heart of the building to create this feeling of solace. This is particularly helpful whenever you feel tired of walking around the corridors and you just want to rest in a calm environment. The courtyard has huge lamps that are hanging in an artistic fashion, hovering above the within the courtyard.

The hardscape was designed to emulate the flow of water along a stream. It's peaceful and it gives a feeling of comfort. After a few minutes of rest, I was ready to go for another round of stroll in the mall.

The next amenities that I looked for were the playground and the library. Both of these amenities are located on the topmost level of the mall. Unfortunately, both of these places were closed for today. The library is closed because it's a holiday while the playground is under maintenance. I was a little disappointed because I couldn't give a more detailed observation about these amenities even though these are some of the most important aspects of the overall design.

I could only show you the entrance to these amenities.

The escalator that leads to the floor of the library.

The entrance and book return area of the library. I'm particularly impressed by the design of the ceiling. They used acrylic panels to diffuse the lights which gave it a futuristic look.

Corridor that leads to the escalator to the playground.

The columns were designed to simulate tall trees.

Escalator to the playground. The overall design of this space is giving off a playful vibe. It feels exciting to be here, even though I'm an adult. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can go because there is a barricade at the landing of the escalator.

I found an interesting seat or bench that is meant for the parents who are waiting for their kids. Even the bench is designed for the young kids to play with. I have to be honest, I was tempted to sit on it and play with the blocks 😅.

Here's another atrium that has the same design as the one I found in the information booth. I like this 3D pixel-like signage that they did here. It feels modern and fun as well.

Another thing that I wanted to point out is the provision of landscape elements integrated into the building facade and spaces. The majority of the outdoor areas were populated with pocket gardens, planters, and trees.

View from the entrance where you can see planters along the edge of the building.

It even continued until the adjacent residential building.

Above the overhang are landscape where they plant shrubs and trees that emulate the natural environment.

After an hour of exploring Northpoint City, I thought I was done being amazed until I witnessed the lighting effects of the facade and main entrance of the mall.

I arrived around 6:00 PM and the lighting effects were not activated yet so the entrance looks okay but not too exciting as compared to how it looks at night.

It looks like a living organism that keeps on changing the color of its light subtly. You won't see it flashing a different color, instead, it will gradually change by creating gradients between the initial and the succeeding colors.