shooping plaza
Horton Plaza – A Futuristic Shopping Mall
January 4, 2012 | 
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A picture of modern design, the buildings of Westfield Horton Plaza (Horton Plaza in short) itself is a work of art. This colorful shopping mall is located in the downtown San Diego area and is best known for its outdoor shopping outlets which offer a non-conventional shopping experience to its visitors. There are 5 floors belonging to the Westfield Horton Plaza building which covers a total area of 865,000sqft. The task of designing this shopping mall was given to Jon Jerde who looked at this particular project from a different view point so to speak and went on to design a complex using a form known as experience architecture. Although it was an unconventional method which involved a certain degree of risk, Jon Jerde gave the mall a character of its own which has now made it a distinctive landmark in the city.
Although Westfield Horton Plaza is a shopping complex it has earned a reputation as one of the key tourist attractions if the area not only for its architectural design but also for the great shopping options it offers. Visitors can buy almost anything from this mega mall in San Diego. From fine Jewellery shops to sportswear outlets, this multi purpose shopping facility is simply packed with stores and boutiques.
For those on the lookout for the latest cameras or the most engaging games a number of outlets are on offer at Westfield Horton Plaza such as Ritz Cameras, GameStop and Sam Goody. Louis Vuitton, Optometric Expression and Sunglass Design are but a few of the stores you might want to have a look at when in search of the best in designer eyewear. At the end of an exciting day of shopping visitors even have the chance to enjoy a meal or a refreshing cup of coffee at such restaurants as Café Nordstorm, California Crepes, O’Brother or Panda Inn.
Shanghai — Shopping Paradise
Can’t wait to shop in Shanghai? Well then, which are the best places to shop in this consumption-crazy city in China?
Shanghai is well known for some of the best shopping experiences you’ll find among major cities in China. When visiting Shanghai you’lll surely pass through the city’s two major commercial streets — upscale Nanjing Xi Lu (Nanjing West Road) and bustling Huaihai Lu (Huaihai Road).
But there’s a lot more to shopping than these two obvious places. Indeed, you’ll find streets big and small full of shopping centres. You’ll be able to plan a full day of shopping if that’s what you want. Even if you don’t really feel like shopping you should still visit them. (I know you’re a guy but you’re already in Shanghai, right?)
Shopping in Shanghai is an experience you will never forget. Whether or not you are a shopping fanatic, there are various shopping malls selling anything from high-priced luxury goods to stylish and affordable casuals and traditional Chinese handicrafts.
I should mention that as I’m writing this article, the infamous Xiang Yang Market has already been closed down. Some of you out there reading this will have fond memories of highly-charged bargaining sessions with fake goods vendors who speak six different languages.
Here are a few shopping highlights in Shanghai, starting with Nanjing Xi Lu…
Shanghai’s Plaza 66
Where: 55 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shaanxi Lu
Plaza 66 is crystalline proof of Shanghai’s diligent obsession with consumption. Arguably, it’s the fanciest shpping mall in Shanghai, with a frosty demeanor to match.
Whether you’re looking for Prada for pret-a-porter, Waterford for cystal, Bose or Bang and Olufsen for sound, Plaza 66 has over 100 famous brands.
With its dazzling array of designer brands, this place is perfect for the nouveau riche with money to burn. There isn’t another shopping mall as luxurious as this one in Shanghai.
A five-minutes walk from the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Plaza 66 has a cafe in the atrium and a few restuarants perched on the fifth floor.
Shanghai’s Citic Plaza
Where: 1168 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Plaza 66
A bright, gleaming five-storey mall offering a varied mix of clothing labels, Citic Plaza is a five-minutes walk from the Shimen Yi Lu metro station.
From high-end designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Chloe and Kenzo to the more affordable casuals from Tough and Esprit, this is a mall with more reasonable prices.
Whether you’re wealthy or light on budget, this place is perfect for anyone with an eye for fashion.
Feeling hungry after all that shopping? No worries there.
Every floor of the mall offers a restaurant — from McDonald’s (you’re not going to eat at McDonald’s in China, are you?) in the basement to super buffet Golden Jaguar (unlimited sashimi and Pacific oysters) on the third floor to chic Sichuan restuarant China Moon (puts your local Chinatown Sichuan restuarant to shame) on the fourth.
By the way, there’s also a convenience store and English-Chinese language bookstore in case you’re looking for mineral water or maps.
Shanghai’s Westgate Mall
Where: 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Citic Plaza
A smart, well-organized shopping haven, offering up a range of trendy shops from Burberry, Givenchy and Versace to Chinese label Zuczug. The Westgate Mall is perfect for mall lovers with cash to spend who fancy a change from their usual hang out.
Also a couple of minutes walk from Shimen Yi Lu metro station, the Westgate malls offers a Studio City Cinema (with super sound system), Watson’s, a small supermarket in the basement, Marie France sliming clinic and an Isetan Department store ( a major Japanese chain) accessible on every floor.
And much, much more…
As I mentioned before, Nanjing Xi Lu and Huaihai Lu are the most prominent shopping streets in Shanghai but they’re not the only ones. These are the modern shopping malls and they’ll give you a good idea of how things have changed in China over the last 20 years.
Other Shopping…
If you go on older streets like Dongtai Lu you’ll find classical hand-made items. This handicraft market offers a variety of classical items like Chinese ceramics, jade, bronze, wood articles, paintings, and calligraphic works. You can also get your tools there if you are an artist yourself or plan to be.
More of an intellectual shopping street, Fuzhou Lu boasts a vast collection of bookstores in Shanghai. Not only does it offer over thirty bookstores but also has some of the oldest bookstores (some over 100 years old) in Shanghai.
Shopping in Shanghai is probably the most time-consuming activity in Shanghai whether for visitors or locals. With big shopping malls on the more popular streets to small boutiques or specific markets on smaller streets, Shanghai is where shopping fanatics will find their Paradise.
I’m a foreigner who traveled to Shanghai and realized it is hard to have a great time in Shanghai when you are not well-informed. That is why I decided to come up with a complete online guide with the latest information and tips on having a great time in Shanghai, whether you’re traveling to Shanghai or living in the city.
Posted in shooping plaza | 
Tags: Bang And Olufsen, Chinese Handicrafts, Shpping Mall | 
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Commercial Carpet Tiles For Shopping Malls
Shopping malls are very high traffic areas that experience thousands of footfalls on a daily basis. Needless to say, the flooring in malls is the most vulnerable to scratches, stains and loss of shine. Commercial carpet tiles can be a smart solution in such scenarios. Let us find out how.
A shopping-plaza is a very dynamic space. It has shops, eateries, entertainment corners for children and adults, multiplexes, and needless to say, a multitude of shoppers and mall-hoppers. The flooring is subjected to continuous traffic, scratches and stains. In very high traffic areas, the texture and patterns on the flooring also tend to fade away with time. Plus, since shopping-malls are usually spread over large areas, it is quite difficult to clean up every nook and corner of the floor and remove every stain that mars its surface. Commercial carpet tiles can adequately resolve all these issues. They are easy to install, easy to clean and easy to maintain too. So while the flooring in a mall endured heavy footfalls, the tiles stay clean and shiny.
Another problem with the flooring of a shopping-space is that it is usually quite slippery and if the visitors are not careful, there are a good number of chances that they might skid. Commercial carpet tiles come to the rescue again. These modular tiles have anti-skid properties that keep passers-by from slipping or losing their balance while walking on them. These tiles make sure that while the flooring in a mall complements the entire look and feel of the structure, it provides adequate safety to the shoppers too.
These modular tiles are also used to lend the flooring in a commercial center a modern appeal. As compared to ceramic tiles or traditional carpets, these tiles are not just contemporary looking but also provide a spectrum of opportunities to mix and match various textures and patterns to create a vibrant effect. While the kids games section in a shopping mall may have very colorful tiles, the food-court section may have simpler designs.
Cleaning and maintaining commercial carpet tiles is never a problem. They can be taken off with relative ease, washed with regular soapy or detergent water and installed back in place within a few hours. So we see that these tiles are not just a smart and practical flooring solution for high-traffic spaces such as shopping-plaza, but do render a unique and vibrant aesthetic appeal to the premises too.