Central Phuket Floresta Food Hall

One of the worlds largest retail developers, the Central Pattana, engaged Whitespace to design the 14,000 sq.m (151,000 sq. ft) food and beverages floor of their new flagship shopping centre on the Thai resort island of Phuket, Central Floresta. Knowing that experiences are the new requirement for shopping centres in the 21st century, and with food and beverages at the centre of the experience target– Whitespace teams sought to create experience-rich environments.

Drawing millions annually from around the globe– and with those guests in mind, Whitespace concept for the project centres on stories from Thai culture and mythology. Careful to avoid clichés, we looked for contemporary, interpretations– with the sensibilities of art installations. Our teams of retail experts merged the artistic with of the practical requirements of a very large scale food and beverages environment with multiple programs from takeaway food kiosks, to table service dining and even groceries.

Although it is much easier to develop a singular design language and apply it uniformly across a large scale project such as this, the result can yield a corporate blandness that we believe is in part responsible for the failure of the old model shopping mall.
Instead– warmth, personality, uniqueness and variety are requirements of the new lifestyle centres, a challenge we embrace with creative fervour.

Our collaborative teams of architects and interior designers created master plans, with differentiated characteristics and landmarks. Using large scale water features, unique ceiling treatments, lighting and multi-story sculptures of characters from Thai mythology, guests are delightfully engaged throughout the environment, while remaining oriented as they browse and consider the offerings.

A 2019 Asian Property Award winner, Tales of Thailand remains a must-visit destination for visitors to Thailand’s island resort.