Changsha IFS A Landmark of Modern Urban Life

Benoy served as the masterplanner, retail architect and interior designer for Changsha IFS, a mixed-use complex located in the center of the city’s Central Business District. Developed by The Wharf Holdings, the project is the largest of three IFS developments that Benoy has completed with the company in mainland China.

The development stands directly across from Huang Xing Pedestrian Shopping Street, one of China’s busiest pedestrian shopping areas. It also has an underground connection to the Wuyi Square metro interchange, which provides access to Lines 1 and 2 and helps connect the complex with the wider city.

An Integrated Retail Podium

At the center of the development is a 230,000-square-meter retail podium supporting two high-rise towers measuring 315 meters and 452 meters respectively. The taller tower is the highest building in Hunan province and incorporates a hotel within its upper floors.

The retail frontage stretches for more than 700 meters, creating the longest “Street” experience within The Wharf’s portfolio. More than 400 shops occupy the complex, covering a broad range of uses including entertainment, lifestyle, retail, culture, food and beverage.

Five underground levels combine retail areas with parking facilities and provide direct connections to the metro system and the pedestrian shopping street across from the development. Rather than attempting to draw visitors away from the established pedestrian district, the design brings the area’s existing flow of people into the new complex.

A Cultural Anchor for Changsha

The project was envisioned as more than a conventional shopping destination. The brief called for an integrated community center where people could come together through retail, arts, culture and public events.

One of the development’s notable cultural features is a permanent sculpture by KAWS, positioned above one of the principal entrances when the complex opened. It represented the artist’s first permanent large-scale installation in Greater China.

Changsha IFS also provides an ongoing programme of exhibitions, cultural events and festivals, helping establish the development as a continuing cultural destination rather than simply a commercial complex.

The project has also achieved LEED Platinum certification, reflecting its commitment to sustainable design and environmental performance.