A team from our Architecture & Construction Division set off for China in 2013 to gain new experiences and knowledge of this dynamic market. Along with the rapid growth of cities in China comes an immense need for supply infrastructure, i.a. in the form of shopping centers that, as components of the urban space, function like small city districts. What began as an exchange with well-known Chinese players and shopping center developers such as “Vanke” and “Longfor” soon resulted in initial planning and implementation contracts for our ECE architects.

Founding of ECE Shanghai Co, Ltd.

To meet the rapidly increasing numbers of orders, in 2019 we founded our own company in China – “ECE Shanghai Co., Ltd.” for which an internationally experienced team of ECE architects and “young talents” from China now provide planning services for more than 35 shopping centers. Special attention is given to interior design and storytelling. This is because: “In our view, these are the most important aspects for customers, as this is where the product 'shopping center' in and of itself can be experienced most clearly,” said Markus Schedensack, Executive Director ECE Shanghai Co, Ltd. “The centers developed by us tell cultural stories from the respective region and offer customers the possibility to identify with them.”

When Point of Sales becomes Point of Experiences

With unusual concepts and surprising offers, Chinese malls are becoming an integral part of their respective cities as ‘third places’. The centers developed by ECE Shanghai Co., Ltd. create a unique brand character that appeals to the city's inhabitants through the fixation on regional characteristics: From the flower-like design of the atriums in “Longfor Paradise Walk”, which brings the famous flower poems typical of the city of Chengdu to life, to the treasure hunt for visitors in “Qibao Vanke Plaza” – “Points of Sales” are becoming “Points of Experiences” that captivate visitors with entertainment and edutainment offerings in addition to the wide range of shopping and gastronomy offerings. The centers are thus points of contact for different needs – true to the motto: “One stop, all done.”

Our ambitious goals

Due to its ambitious goals and their realization, “ECE Shanghai Co., Ltd.” as an international design service provider already ranks among the top five shopping center developers in China. Our long-term goal is to establish ourselves among the top five – and to support numerous other Chinese shopping center developers and investors with our many years of expertise in the conception, planning and designing of shopping centers, and to apply the knowledge gained in China to our European shopping centers – and to always do so with the aim of making our centers as attractive as possible for our customers and visitors.