Raffles City Chongqing is a landmark mixed-use development by CapitaLand
- Kommu .
- May 12
- 8 min read
Raffles City Chongqing: Overview
Raffles City Chongqing is a landmark mixed-use development by CapitaLand, prominently located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Chongqing, China. It is recognized as one of the most iconic and ambitious urban projects in the region.
Key Features
Retail Mall:The retail component of Raffles City Chongqing offers a vast array of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, featuring international and local brands across multiple levels. The mall is designed as a lifestyle destination for both residents and visitors.
The Crystal (观景台):One of the development’s architectural highlights is "The Crystal," a horizontal skyscraper (also known as a sky bridge) connecting several of the towers. It houses observation decks, gardens, and a variety of leisure facilities, offering panoramic views of Chongqing’s skyline and rivers.
Integrated Mixed-Use Complex:Raffles City Chongqing comprises:
Eight skyscrapers (including office towers, residential apartments, serviced residences, and a luxury hotel)
Grade-A office spaces
Luxury residences and serviced apartments
Interconnected public spaces and transport links
Accessibility:The development is strategically situated in the Yuzhong District, with direct access to major public transport nodes, making it highly accessible for shoppers, office workers, and tourists.
Summary Table: Raffles City Chongqing
Feature | Details |
Location | Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China |
Developer | CapitaLand Group |
Retail Component | Multi-level mall with international and local brands, dining, and entertainment |
Signature Attraction | The Crystal (sky bridge with observation deck and leisure facilities) |
Other Uses | Offices, luxury residences, serviced apartments, hotel |
Accessibility | Connected to public transport, central urban location |
In summary:Raffles City Chongqing is a flagship CapitaLand property, blending retail, office, residential, and hospitality spaces within a striking architectural complex. Its retail mall and The Crystal sky bridge are major attractions, making it a vibrant destination in Chongqing.
Citations:
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Raffles City Chongqing stands out as a unique retail destination due to a blend of visionary architecture, experiential design, and a curated commercial mix that redefines urban shopping and lifestyle in western China. Here are the key factors that make it exceptional:
1. Iconic Architecture and Location
Landmark Design: Conceived by Safdie Architects, the development’s eight towers and the 300-meter-long “Crystal” skybridge evoke the sails of ships, symbolizing Chongqing’s maritime heritage and serving as a new city gateway127810.
Strategic Site: Positioned at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the complex offers panoramic river and city views, making it both a visual icon and a prime destination178.
2. Vertical Urban Neighborhood and Connectivity
Integrated Urban Hub: Raffles City Chongqing is more than a mall-it’s a “mini-city” with retail, offices, residences, serviced apartments, and a hotel, all interconnected35.
Multi-Level Access: The retail podium is ingeniously designed to align with Chongqing’s hilly terrain, offering multiple entry points at different elevations and direct links to metro, bus, and ferry terminals, making it highly accessible257.
3. Experiential and Diverse Retail Mix
Flagship and First-to-Market Brands: About 40% of the mall’s 400+ stores are new-to-market, flagship, or new concept stores, bringing international and local brands, unique experiences, and exclusive offerings to Chongqing6.
Experiential Retail: The mall features themed stores, pop-up shops, an indoor zoo, ACG (animation, comics, games) pop-ups, and innovative F&B concepts (like a restaurant serving food via spiral slides), creating an engaging and ever-changing environment67.
Personalized Services: CapitaLand’s CapitaStar app enhances the visitor experience with AR interaction, mobile payment, restaurant booking, and guided tours6.
4. The Crystal Skybridge
World’s First “Horizontal Skyscraper”: The Crystal, a 300-meter-long skybridge atop four towers, houses gardens, dining, bars, an infinity pool, a hotel lobby, and a public observatory with a glass-bottom viewing deck-offering a unique blend of leisure, views, and social spaces high above the city24710.
Public Spaces in the Sky: This feature creates a new typology for public gathering, moving social and retail activities vertically and providing a dramatic, memorable experience.
5. Urban Placemaking and Green Spaces
Gateway Park: The rooftop of the retail podium is transformed into a 30,000-square-meter public park, offering greenery, art installations, and panoramic city and river vistas-an urban oasis for relaxation and events27.
Community Integration: The design incorporates public plazas, walkways, and gathering spaces, fostering a sense of community and making the complex a true civic destination28.
6. Seamless Integration with City Life
Transit-Oriented Development: Direct integration with Chongqing’s major transport hubs ensures easy access for locals and tourists, reinforcing its role as a vibrant urban node25.
Cultural Symbolism: The architecture and programming celebrate Chongqing’s history, topography, and role as a gateway city, making Raffles City a symbol of the city’s aspirations and identity28.
Summary Table: What Makes Raffles City Chongqing Unique
Feature | Description |
Iconic Architecture | Eight towers, “sail” motif, 300m Crystal skybridge, panoramic river/city views |
Vertical Urban Hub | Mixed-use: retail, office, residence, hotel, serviced apartments, all interconnected |
Experiential Retail | 400+ stores, 40% new-to-market/flagship, themed stores, pop-ups, innovative F&B |
The Crystal Skybridge | Gardens, dining, bars, infinity pool, observatory, public spaces in the sky |
Rooftop Gateway Park | 30,000 sqm public park with art, greenery, city/river panoramas |
Multi-Level Access | Multiple entry points, direct links to metro, bus, ferry, adapts to hilly terrain |
Smart Services | CapitaStar app: AR, mobile payment, navigation, guided tours |
Urban Placemaking | Public plazas, walkways, community spaces, integration with Chaotianmen Square |
City Symbolism | Celebrates Chongqing’s maritime history and topography, new urban gateway |
In summary:Raffles City Chongqing is a unique retail destination because it fuses world-class architecture, innovative retail experiences, sky-high public spaces, and seamless city integration-creating a vibrant, multi-dimensional hub that is as much a lifestyle and cultural landmark as it is a shopping center12678.
Citations:
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Raffles City Chongqing integrates with the local community through a multi-layered approach that blends public space, connectivity, cultural resonance, and urban revitalization:
1. Creation of Major Public Green Space
Gateway Park:Raffles City Chongqing includes Gateway Park, an expansive, fully public rooftop park atop the retail podium. In a dense CBD with few green spaces, this park is a “generous gift to the city,” offering 30,000–45,000 square meters of greenery, outdoor amenities, and community gathering areas. It provides a vital urban oasis for relaxation, recreation, and social events, accessible to all residents and visitors456.
2. Seamless Urban Connectivity
Pedestrian Integration:The development is designed as an extension of the city, with multiple access points aligned to Chongqing’s hilly topography. A grand public staircase and walkways cut through all five levels of the retail galleria, directly connecting the podium park to Chaotianmen Square-the historic heart of Chongqing56.
Transit Hub:Raffles City Chongqing serves as a major multi-modal transport hub, integrating metro, bus, and ferry terminals. This ensures that the site is easily accessible for the broader community and supports the city’s public transportation network67.
3. Civic and Cultural Placemaking
Public Spaces in the Sky:The Crystal skybridge, spanning several towers, includes public observatories, gardens, and event spaces, making high-level amenities accessible to the public and not just private tenants56.
Urban Revitalization:The project has catalyzed the regeneration of the Chaotianmen district, reconnecting the city to its historic waterfront and creating new civic spaces where people can gather, shop, and celebrate local culture56.
4. Celebration of Local Identity
Site-Specific Design:The architecture references Chongqing’s maritime and trading history, as well as its mountainous landscape, through its “sail” motif and terraced forms. The design incorporates local elements like the “梯坎” (stair terrace), making the development inherently site-specific and meaningful to residents56.
Community Engagement:By embedding parks, plazas, and walkable streets, Raffles City Chongqing fosters daily engagement, community events, and a sense of belonging for locals.
5. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Multi-Level Access:The project’s design addresses Chongqing’s dramatic elevation changes, ensuring that people of all ages and abilities can easily move between the city, the riverfront, and the various levels of the development56.
Open, 24-Hour Public Spaces:Key public areas, such as the grand staircase and rooftop park, are accessible day and night, reinforcing the development’s role as a true community hub6.
Summary Table: Community Integration at Raffles City Chongqing
Integration Aspect | Description |
Public Green Space | Gateway Park, rooftop gardens, and plazas open to all |
Urban Connectivity | Multiple access points, grand staircase, direct links to Chaotianmen Square and transit |
Civic & Cultural Placemaking | Public observatories, event spaces, regeneration of historic waterfront |
Local Identity | Site-specific design, references to Chongqing’s history and topography |
Accessibility & Inclusivity | Multi-level, barrier-free access, open 24-hour public areas |
In summary:Raffles City Chongqing integrates deeply with the local community by providing much-needed public green space, reconnecting historic city areas, enhancing urban mobility, celebrating local culture, and creating inclusive civic spaces that serve both residents and visitors456.
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Citations:
https://app.ichongqing.info/mixmedia/a/202203/06/WS632db535e4b09d5114462e8d.html
https://www.waa-ap.com/projects/gateway-park-@-raffles-city-chongqing
https://www.safdiearchitects.com/projects/raffles-city-chongqing
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/raffles-city-chongqing-horizontal-skyscraper
https://www.thinkchina.sg/economy/road-ahead-chongqing-part-i-what-would-raffles-say
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Raffles City Chongqing implemented several innovative traffic solutions to address the challenges of integrating a mega-scale development into one of the world’s densest urban environments, with dramatic elevation changes and limited road expansion options. The project’s approach is recognized as a model of three-dimensional urbanism, seamlessly connecting vehicles, pedestrians, and multiple modes of public transport. Here are the key innovations:
1. Multi-Layered, Multi-Modal Transit Hub
2. Innovative Traffic Diversion System
Primary roads approaching the site are diverted around the project, connecting traffic from the upper city down to the riverfront roads that encircle the retail galleria14.
This system allows cars to access the development without burdening the upper city roads, which could not be widened or expanded due to site constraints.
The riverfront roads, positioned one level below the first retail floor, provide drop-off points for the four residential towers and are connected by a “through road” beneath the northern east-west retail galleria. This road offers five independent drop-off areas for office, hotel, retail, serviced apartments, and residences1.
3. Pedestrian-First Urban Design
The original position of primary roads was repurposed as pedestrian thoroughfares, which traverse the site’s 30-meter elevation change and stitch the city back to the historic Chaotianmen Plaza and the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers14.
A 24-hour grand public staircase cascades through five levels of the retail galleria, providing direct pedestrian access from the podium park to Chaotianmen Square, reminiscent of Chongqing’s historic terraced stairways14.
Walkways along riverfront roads were widened from 3m to 7m, greatly improving pedestrian infrastructure and connectivity4.
4. Vertical Access and Multiple Entry Points
The design leverages Chongqing’s hilly terrain by providing multiple access points at different elevations, making it easy for both vehicles and pedestrians to enter the development from various city levels4.
The rooftop park is accessible directly from higher-elevation district streets, while lower levels connect to riverfront roads and transport terminals14.
5. Parking and Drop-Off Optimization
The project includes over 3,000 new parking spaces and carefully designed drop-off zones, all directly linked to the main programs of the development (office, hotel, retail, serviced apartments, residences)1.
These facilities are strategically located to minimize surface traffic and maximize convenience for users.
Summary Table: Key Traffic Innovations at Raffles City Chongqing
Solution | Description |
Multi-modal transit hub | Integrated metro, bus, ferry terminals for seamless public transport connections |
Traffic diversion system | Diverted primary roads around the site, connecting upper city to riverfront roads |
Sub-grade “through road” & drop-offs | Below retail level, with five independent drop-off areas for all major building functions |
Pedestrian-first design | Repurposed roadways as pedestrian corridors; 24-hour grand staircase through five levels |
Vertical access/multi-level entries | Multiple access points at different elevations, leveraging city’s topography |
Expanded pedestrian walkways | Riverfront walkways widened from 3m to 7m |
Ample parking | 3,000+ parking spaces, minimizing street-level congestion |
In summary:Raffles City Chongqing’s innovative traffic solutions include a multi-modal transit hub, a traffic diversion system connecting upper city roads to riverfront access, sub-grade through roads with dedicated drop-offs, expanded pedestrian infrastructure, vertical access points, and substantial parking-all integrated to enhance mobility, reduce congestion, and reconnect the city to its historic waterfront12348.
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Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
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