One mall aims to reinvent the shopping experience by bringing art to life and life to art.

CAN you have a supermarket that comes with a restaurant, bakery, chocolatier, two cafes plus a newsagent’s? Can two rows of conventional shophouses be reinvented as an arts-themed shopping centre? Can “guerrilla” retailers mingle with established brands in one venue?

The answer to all these questions is yes, when it comes to the newly opened Publika shopping gallery at Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

“There are many malls in KL. With the same chain stores and food outlets, most of them look similar,” says Tong Kooi Ong, the executive chairman of Sunrise Bhd, Publika’s developer. “As people become more savvy, retail spaces face an unprecedented challenge – how do they stand out from the crowd?

“We believe the answer is to innovate. Innovation isn’t an option anymore. For today’s hyper-informed shoppers, it’s a basic expectation.”

Kow Shih-Li (left) and Anne Tong with an artistic installation at Publika.

The spirit of non-compliance begins with something borrowed from political parties – a manifesto. Publika has its own declaration of intent: it aims to be a “space for all”, a hub of cultural activity “where ideas thrive” and where “art is not just displayed but lived”. Indeed, it aspires to bring “art to life and life to art”.

One of the artistic rebels for these lofty ideals is the mall’s architect, Nani Kahar.

“We initially wanted to name the mall Republika, with its overtones of being an independent, creative space,” Nani says. “But DBKL (KL City Hall) did not approve that. So we named it Publika instead. Our ideal is to be an arts and culture centre that reclaims democratic community space, to be a catalyst of social change.”

“Nani is more of a radical while I’m more into the reality check marketing side. It’s a nice balance between us,” says Ungku Suseelawati Ungku Omar, regional head of retail for retail consultants DTZ (Debenham Tie Leung, Malaysia). “We need people to push the limits. If everybody toes the line, it becomes boring.”

Nani chips in: “And that’s how we came up with the ideas for creative retail.”

Inviting: What were initially two rows of shophouses have been totally remodelled into a centre for ‘artistic retail’.

The Publika team was forced to be inventive from the start because the buildings were originally built as two rows of shophouses-cum-offices.

“We can’t (even) be seen from the main road as we are hidden behind other shops (in the Dutamas area). That’s why we needed to make a statement with our ideas,” she adds.

Over the past two years, they installed a glass roof between the shophouses to create a three-storey main atrium. Walls were demolished, holes were punched through floors and new escalators installed – all to open up spaces that allowed creativity.

“What was originally planned as a loading bay has become our EATS food court. In the main plaza, there was supposed to be fountain, but we changed that into an outdoor stage instead. And to soften the rigid, office-like environment, we created a park that goes around Publika.

“One total concrete wall was opened up and transformed for our upcoming Art Row of mini shops. Other walls were turned into terraces and balconies.”

An old cable spool is put to creative use near the outdoor stage.

However, creating an artistic shopping gallery requires much more than just the hardware of an architectural makeover.

Creativity is also showcased at Publika’s designated art spaces called MAP (Making Art Public), which comprise the White Box (an open exhibition gallery) and the Black Box (a 200-seater experimental theatre).

But art extends beyond these spaces: various sculptures (such as robots made from recycled materials) grace the main shopping galleries, inspiring (and provocative) quotations have been engraved on the floors, and graphic designs adorn walls and even toilet doors.

“You don’t have to go specially to an isolated gallery to see art,” says Nani. “Art can be seen and touched all over Publika.”

Ungku Suseelawati adds: “In Britain, children go to museums and art galleries to learn lots of things. Malaysians are so used to shopping malls, but we want children to learn about more than just shops. We want to give children, and adults, a chance to expand their minds.”

Apart from physical art installations, creative events – such as the KL Fashion Weekend, KL Design Week and the Collision Arts Festival – have been held throughout the mall.

But perhaps the most crucial part is the software of creating an imaginative shopping experience.

Setting the tone is anchor tenant BIG, or Ben’s Independent Grocer, which is a supermarket-restaurant-cafe-chocolatier-bakery-newsagent’s all rolled into one. In fact, it feels like a neighbourhood in itself – one can shop and then have coffee or lunch while reading a newspaper, all within one area.

Ungku Suseelawati (left) and Nani Kahar, the designers of the Publika shopping mall.

“We are more like a food hall,” says BIG founder Benjamin Yong, who has incorporated his Ben’s General Food Store eatery into the supermarket.

“While we may have some premium products like RM500 bottles of olive oil and a RM130 tin of Milo from Australia, most of our product pricing is comparable to that of other supermarkets.”

Ungku Suseelawati’s experience as a retail consultant – she has spearheaded other successful malls, such as Suria KLCC – has come in handy at Publika.

“Getting the right mix of tenants is crucial,” she says. “Every retailer is asked to use art as a platform. For instance, you can see that the San Francisco coffee here has more artistic decor than at their other outlets.”

Another chosen retailer is the bespoke leather specialist Thirty Four.

“They already have a shop in Bangsar Village (KL). But we wanted something more here. So we asked them: ‘Can you have something more interactive?’

“Now they have an open workshop where people can see leather products being made and customised.”

Nani adds: “Similarly, there’s this guy who wants to sell recreated Oriental antique furniture. We said: ‘Can you also do some workshops, talks or documentary screenings? You can even have a mini Chinese opera if you want!’ We want our retailers to engage the public.”

“When we work with good retailers, we want to motivate and inspire them,” Ungku Suseelawati’s explains.

“It’s not just about telling people: ‘Hey I have this place with so many square feet.’ We let them see what we are trying to achieve. Once they buy into the retail concept, then they get excited and think of amazing things themselves.”

Creative people may not however have lots of capital. So Publika decided to give small start-ups a platform in some mini shops at its “pop-up stores”.

“People may have creative ideas and products but are not sure about committing to a two-year lease,” explains Nani. “So they can try out for a few months at lower rentals, and see how the market responds.”

Ungku Suseelawati adds that pop-up stores are a trend in the West. “It’s called guerrilla retail. They can use simple yet creative fixtures, like having crates as racks.”

The pop-ups at Publika include The Jeans Bar (an online retailer), Corgi (Korean designer shoes/bags), Monica Quen (modern Chinese dresses) and Ambiance (home décor).

Kaleidoscope has a mix of products from online shops and overseas. “It also offers classes in making soap and jewellery,” says Anne Tong, general manager for branding and community development at Sunrise.

Tong explains that the company has evolved over the years from stage one (building condos in Mont Kiara, KL) to stage two (offices with retailers at Solaris Mont Kiara). It’s now at stage three – the mixed development of serviced condos and offices at Dutamas with Publika’s creative retail at its heart.

“We don’t just build condos and leave the residents alone. For years, we have had our Fun Zone community centre nearby where children and adults can take up cooking, language or art classes.

“Similarly at Publika, we wanted to create a place where people can work, live, eat and play in a vibrant community,” Tong adds.

One of the top hits at this mall is EATS, a non-halal food court that has brought together some of the best hawker food from around the Klang Valley.

“We had some nominees for the best wantan mee, bak kut teh and so on,” explains Kow Shih-Li, Publika’s complex manager. “A group of foodies then went round sampling the food before we chose the best.”

The Western food here is not the ordinary stuff seen elsewhere. It includes Fat Boy’s (an independent burger bar), Wonder Milk (designer cupcakes), Club Paradiso (which serves Western food while screening movies) and The Bee (which combines food, drinks and live gigs).

“Some of the fast-food chains have approached us,” says Kow. “We’re still talking to them, but we prefer eateries which are different.”

There’s no doubt that Publika has taken some bold steps to offer innovative shopping, dining and creative experiences. But only time will tell how receptive Malaysians are to doing things differently.

Publika has lined up several events on Feb 4 to celebrate Chinese New Year. For details, go to publika.com.my, facebook.com/PublikaShoppingGallery, or call 03-6207 9426.

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