Unlike conventional enclosed malls, Elmina Lakeside Mall adopts an open-air, single-storey layout. The clustered layout maximises the functionality of an open-air mall, with buildings positioned with intentional openings to encourage natural cross-ventilation. The shopping experience is further enhanced by seamless sheltered walkways, shaded by dense landscaping and the tranquil sound of a cascading koi pond. These walkways link the retail zones seamlessly to the adjacent urban park, creating a continuous flow of nature and commerce. Strategically placed promotional nodes serve as event spots and crowd magnets. Altogether, the design invites visitors to enjoy a relaxed, garden-like retail experience. The design is key to supporting longer dwell times and repeat visits.
Based on tenant mix and fooftall patterns, the mall layout ensures optimum visibility for all retail lots. Key features include three prominent drive-thrus facing the road to attract vehicular traffic and dedicated parking areas for anchor tenants, ensuring high visibility and easier navigation. F&B lots line the urban park frontage, offering calming scenic views and a heightened alfresco dining experience.
Elmina Lakeside Mall exemplifies the innovative integration of water features and landscape design, enhancing the pedestrian experience through seamless connectivity, microclimatic comfort, and biophilic urban-commercial spatial synergy.
The retail mix is tailored to the community, offering a well-balanced range of tenants including F&B outlets, a supermarket, general retail, a home and electrical store, and a drive-through. This variety ensures the mall caters to daily conveniences while offering lifestyle and leisure options for all age groups. The development also includes amenities such as a surau, a children’s playground, nursing rooms, stroller and wheelchair services, EV and bicycle parking, and an information counter, making it a family-friendly and inclusive space.
Another key architectural feature of the mall is the large overhang canopies and sheltered walkways. Covered walkways at drop-off areas and between retail blocks offer protection from the sun and rain, enhancing the overall user experience. The 230 mm-wide cement board ceiling along all walkways includes 10mm air gaps between panels, creating a natural timber-like look with a sleek painted finish. These gaps allow airflow, reducing wind pressure buildup and enhancing structural stability during strong winds. The use of conventional fixing systems ensures the design is both practical and cost-effective, while remaining easy to maintain.
The façade of the mall features veneer brick, a signature element that complements the township’s architectural language, adding warmth and a timeless aesthetic. The metal cladding facade maintains a clean and uniform look, enhancing the mall’s modern architectural appeal. In addition, tenant shopfronts, designed with individual customisations, contribute to the vibrancy of the overall space, creating a dynamic and lively atmosphere. This thoughtful combination of materials and design elements ensures the mall’s visual appeal, blending modernity with a sense of community while fostering a welcoming environment for all visitors.
Ultimately, Elmina Lakeside Mall is more than a retail hub — it is a contemporary community space that celebrates sustainability, inclusivity, and the spirit of place, setting a new benchmark for neighbourhood retail development in Malaysia.
