Outlets 8, Conghua / E Plus Design + URBANUS/LXD Studio

Architects: E Plus Design, URBANUS/LXD Studio
Area: 80,882 m²
Landscape area: 29,100 m²
Year: 2023
Photography: Wu Siming, Chen Liang, Liu Shan, Anthony Huang
Construction: Guangzhou Outlets 8 Commercial Management Co., Ltd.
Manufacturers: ASD TERRAZZO, Yunfu Jingongmen Stone Co., Ltd., NANCHOW, Hongxing Stone Group, Foshan Lvyi New Building Materials Co., Ltd., Foshan Jiachuangfeng Decorative Materials Co., Ltd., Foshan Keba Building Material Technology Co., Ltd., Ivy Metal Glass
Lighting Design: Brandston Partnership Inc.
Wayfinding Design: Hexi Brand Design Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: Shenzhen Juanshi Design Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Design: Positive Attitude Group (PAG)
City: Guangzhou
Country: China

Outlets 8, the Conghua outlet complex designed by E Plus Design and URBANUS/LXD Studio in Guangzhou, has transformed a previously abandoned faux-European retail development into a renewed urban micro-vacation destination through low-cost architectural reuse, color-focused interventions, and integrated ecological design. Completed in 2023, the project responds to the stagnation of outdated commercial typologies by repositioning the site as a public-oriented space where architecture, landscape, and leisure converge. Its post-renovation success highlights the design’s ability to reconnect underutilized developments with contemporary consumer behaviors and environmental narratives.

Outlets 8, conghua / e plus design + urbanus/lxd studio

Originally conceived as a European-style outlet town, the site of Outlets 8 had been left dormant since its construction in 2018. The design team approached its revival by treating the existing structure not as a problem to erase but as a framework to reinterpret. Drawing inspiration from classical music, the architects organized the site into four distinct spatial “movements,” each assigned a chromatic identity that reframed circulation and programming. Instead of erasing historical gestures, the design layered new meaning over the original form, creating a rhythm of visual transitions that foreground material restraint and contextual adaptation. The result is a site that operates not only as a commercial venue but as a reoriented urban experience, rooted in spatial clarity and responsive reuse.

The conceptual framework draws from classical music, organizing the site into four primary zones that function as movements in a larger composition. The street-facing façades operate as the “Golden Variation,” while the sports block forms the “Blue Variation,” new infill volumes constitute the “Transparent Variation,” and the elliptical central plaza serves as the “Roman Rhapsody.” This layered sequence of zones allowed the architects to reframe the original buildings through tone and proportion rather than formal restructuring. A gold ribbon motif threads through the façades and entrance canopy, providing a clear visual anchor that connects the previously fragmented masses.

At the center of the site, the redesigned elliptical plaza operates as both an experiential node and a symbolic centerpiece. The plaza is structured around a cascading installation inspired by Roman aqueducts, appearing to collapse at its midpoint as water flows down into the space below. This feature serves as a sculptural landmark while reinforcing the project’s narrative connection to classical references and dynamic natural elements. Its placement at the junction of above-ground and underground pedestrian flows amplifies its importance as an organizing device within the overall site plan.

Landscape design further grounds the project in its local setting by referencing the Liuxi River and the surrounding ecological conditions. A system of artificial streams, fountains, and water features creates moments of interaction and play, while native vegetation supports environmental resilience and year-round greenery. Fire code regulations guided the placement of these green corridors, particularly at the entrance plaza and along major circulatory paths. The landscape establishes a tactile and visual continuity across the development, encouraging multisensory engagement with both built and natural elements.

Beyond design strategies, the project repositions commercial programming through a micro-vacation model that combines affordable retail experiences with outdoor leisure and family-oriented activities. This dual function accommodates shifting patterns of consumer behavior, where experience and atmosphere now hold as much value as transaction. The outlet’s reopening in 2023 quickly validated this strategy. In just nine days, the site drew over 500,000 visitors and more than 60,000 vehicles, topped Dianping’s Guangzhou rankings for four consecutive days, and generated over 50 million engagements across platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

This performance underscores the effectiveness of design-led reuse when paired with precise operational positioning. The architectural interventions at Outlets 8, Conghua, do not rely on spectacle or scale but instead use clarity, restraint, and contextual response to renew spatial value. The project does not erase the original development but reinterprets it through a contemporary lens, transforming it into a relevant and accessible public environment.

Through a strategy grounded in minimal intervention and strong conceptual framing, Outlets 8, Conghua provides a replicable model for revitalizing similar underperforming commercial assets. The integration of narrative-driven design, ecological awareness, and public-oriented programming demonstrates how architecture can generate new cycles of use within aging structures. The project affirms that transformation in the era of building stock renewal need not be radical, but rather intentional, connected, and adaptive.