JURASSIC In Chengdu / SAKO Architects

Architects: SAKO Architects
Area: 5,000 m²
Year: 2016
Photography: Misae Hiromatsu
Lead Architects: Keiichiro Sako
Interior Design: SAKO Architects
Materials: Custom fixtures, lighting installations, sculptural elements
City/Location: Yintai Center in99, Chengdu
Country: China

JURASSIC in Chengdu is a themed interior environment designed by SAKO Architects for the children’s floor of a commercial shopping center. Conceived as an immersive public realm rather than a conventional retail level, the project draws inspiration from the scale and imagination of the Jurassic era. Through oversized forms, sculptural seating, and atmospheric lighting, the interior transforms everyday circulation and shopping activities into an exploratory experience for families. Dinosaur-inspired motifs are abstracted into architectural elements that guide movement, create places of rest, and stimulate curiosity. The design integrates retail units, public seating, and service areas into a cohesive narrative landscape, encouraging visitors to linger rather than pass through. By merging play, fantasy, and functionality, the project reframes the role of interior design in a commercial context, positioning the shopping mall as a social and experiential destination for children and caregivers alike.

In one word, it is “theme.” In all my projects, I establish a clear design theme and ensure consistency from the overall concept down to the smallest details to reinforce that theme. The theme serves several crucial roles. First, it functions as a design manifesto. By exploring deeply into the theme, I aim to achieve results like “arriving at this kind of output” or “expanding the edge of design.”
Interview with Keiichiro Sako (迫慶一郎) of SAKO Architects

The project approaches the children’s retail floor as a shared civic interior, in which architecture serves as a mediator between commerce and play. Rather than relying on applied graphics or literal theming, SAKO Architects translate the idea of a prehistoric world into spatial and tactile cues that unfold gradually as visitors move through the floor. Scale becomes a primary design tool, with elements intentionally oversized to shift perception and place children at the center of the experience.

At the heart of the plan, a public zone anchors the floor with sculptural benches shaped like dinosaur teeth. These objects function simultaneously as landmarks, seating, and imaginative prompts, establishing a rhythm of pause and movement within the open space. Nearby, large egg-like volumes provide enclosed niches where children can retreat, reinforcing the sense of discovery embedded in the overall layout.

Retail spaces are treated as extensions of the narrative rather than isolated units. In the baby-goods area, ceiling-mounted lighting patterns are reflected on the floor to suggest the presence of a massive, unseen creature overhead, subtly animating the environment without overwhelming it. Smaller shops are contained within smooth white egg forms, their interiors differentiated as boutiques and information points while maintaining visual continuity with the broader concept.

Circulation corridors are designed as transitional environments. A long passage leading to the restrooms is lined with gently curving, stem-like pipes punctuated by LED points that evoke dew on foliage. Color-shifting wall lights introduce a gradual, atmospheric change, guiding visitors toward a more enclosed, introspective space. Within the restrooms, these elements expand across the ceiling, creating a sheltered, almost secretive environment that contrasts with the openness of the main floor.

Through careful orchestration of form, light, and movement, JURASSIC in Chengdu demonstrates how interior architecture can cultivate emotional engagement within commercial settings. The project prioritizes memory-making and social interaction, positioning design as an active participant in family life rather than a neutral backdrop for consumption.