Wellbeing

Opened in late September 2021, Taikoo Li Qiantan places the comfort, health and wellbeing of occupants and customers at the centre of its business model. Using “naturalism” as the design concept, this new Shanghai retail hub blends elements found in nature with contemporary architecture. The mall became the first shopping mall in the world to achieve WELL Core Platinum certification.

Taikoo Li Qiantan has double-deck open spaces on both the ground and rooftop levels. The ground level features an 86,000 sq ft central green axis with an 80m-long scenic bridge, while the rooftop features the Sky Loop, a 450m-long rooftop running track with greenery and leisure spaces that connect to the surrounding retail shops, along with rooftop vegetable gardens and flowerbeds.

The complex has also gone to great lengths to include SD elements and practices in its offerings, including real-time air quality monitoring, water-saving sanitary appliances, energy-saving water pumps and fans, and high-performance glass to maximise the use of natural light. In recognition of these features, Taikoo Li Qiantan received LEED Gold certification.

In Guangzhou, Taikoo Hui’s open-air garden provided comfort and pleasure to visitors throughout the year. During the blooming of its colourful hydrangea flowers, a cobblestone footpath and small trails were added to allow people to freely explore the garden. This experience helped create an island of peace for visitors in this fast-paced city.

Later in the year, several gardening workshops were held for Taikoo Hui’s Elite Club members and their families at the open-air garden, allowing participants to grow vegetables, reconnect with nature and get professional advice on how to make crafts using natural materials.

In partnership with a fitness brand, Taikoo Hui also hosted a fitness session for tenants’ employees in the complex’s office towers. The workouts, which were guided by professionals, included yoga and body combat sessions held at the mall’s South Glass Box event venue.

In 2016, Swire Properties became a founding sponsor of The Underline, a 10-mile-long linear park which is transforming underutilised land below Miami’s Metrorail. To date, we have committed USD1.1 million to the park. In February 2021, the park’s first section officially opened. Named “Brickell Backyard”, this section has over 30,000 native plants and trees, along with art installations, an amphitheatre, outdoor gym, meeting and dining tables, and gathering spaces. This section also seamlessly connects with the renovation of the Eighth Street Metro mover station and surrounding green space.

Swire Properties also sponsors the “Flex Court”, a flexible outdoor space for recreational activities that hosts annual programmes to assist underserved youth communities and promote a wellness-driven and sustainable lifestyle. In fall 2021, we hosted eight youth basketball clinics at the Flex Court, in partnership with the Miami Heat basketball team, for local organisations servicing under-resourced youth. These clinics were coached by Miami community leaders.

As part of its contribution to the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places programme, Swire Properties also helped bring artist Cara Despain’s Water/Tables art and play installation to fruition. The piece is formed by two functional ping pong tables and offers a compelling narrative about climate change. The piece will also support community cohesiveness and provide opportunities for social interaction at The Underline.

In November 2021, the Swire Group Charitable Trust (“Swire Trust”) gave St. James’ Settlement HKD15 million in sponsorship to develop and operate a new community space on the Quarry Bay waterfront. Expected to open in late 2022, Quarryside is located on an approximately 40,000 sq ft vacant lot near Hoi Tai Street – in the “backyard” of Taikoo Place.

Swire Properties is Supporting Partner for the project, providing consultancy support for the design, construction and operation of this vibrant community space. The Hong Kong government’s Development Bureau will provide a HKD60 million grant for construction, while the Swire Trust’s contribution will fund Quarryside’s operation for three years.

This new venue will support community cohesion and wellbeing by providing the greater community with access to green space and the harbourfront, as well as providing opportunities for socialisation and recreation. At the project’s ground-breaking ceremony, Tim Blackburn, our Chief Executive, said, “We are delighted to contribute our expertise to designing and building this new space. We look forward to seeing it through to completion, and to supporting our partners as they inject new energy into the district through community initiatives and events.”