LABIM MALL

Set in the bustling heart of the artistic city of Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, LABIM Mall stands out as a landmark venture in introducing the tastes of the world to Nepal.
Fashioned to be the go-to weekend outing for the locals of all ages, LABIM Mall boasts a range of international cuisines, fashion brands, tech stores, and a state-of-the-art cinema, while being the hub of every kind of event to entertain the savvy Kathmanduites.

Above all things, we wanted LABIM Mall to be a happy place. We wanted to inject an infectious bright, bubbly energy into the place with the environment design. Thus we started with a concept of the Sun, the one element in the universe which is consistent and reliable and casts light upon everything it touches (at least in Kathmandu). Like the light particles coming from the rays of sun, we introduced clusters of colourful dots that are fluid and always in-motion, flowing into nooks and corners of the spaces inside the mall.

CHALLENGES
While it was the concept of a global mall, we did not want it to become a clone. The location of LABIM stands at the entrance of the historically significant UNESCO World Heritage Site of Patan Durbar Square. Given the contemporary architecture of the mall, we wanted the designs and visual identity to bridge the stark contrast by introducing Nepalese elements into the imagery.

CARING
WARM
ENERGETIC
INNOVATIVE
VISIONARY

The uniforms were designed to be semi-casual and friendly to fit with the vibe of the mall, in breathable cotton blend fabrics to make it comfortable enough to wear all day. For the ladies, a white scarf with colourful dots completed the look with a fun, picnic-like vibe.

FAÇADE AND ENVIRONMENT DESIGN
We had the pleasure of designing the first-ever façade in any mall in Nepal. Being located at the entrance of the city of arts, we definitely wanted to employ artisanal craftsmanship in the façade design. Hence we chose to have each dot on the façade made of brass by artisans of Patan who hand-hammered each disc on the façade.
  We worked closely together with the developers and architects for every step of the environment design. For signages and pictograms around the mall, we fused a distinctively Nepalese imagery with the universally understood icons to create an easily navigable space.

PARKING DESIGN
The basement parking was where we had the most fun!
We left the ceiling exposed and we splashed the dingy parking with bright yellow paint, playful graphics and bold typography across the walls.
We worked with the mall engineers to create the first parking in Nepal to have an organized circulation system. Accessibility features and dedicated spaces for different types of vehicles make the parking safe and enjoyable to navigate.


Brand Strategy and Design, Branding, Facade Design, Parking Design,
Signage & Wayfinding System, Wall Art, Fashion Design, Website Design
CLIENT: Team Quest, Nepal
SECTOR: Mall & Cinema Management
YEAR: 2016

LABIM MALL