Livat Shanghai Mixed-use Project Officially Unveiled

By That's Shanghai, September 27, 2024

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Today, Ingka Centres, part of Ingka Group (which also includes IKEA Retail) officially opened its tenth 'Meeting Place' in China – the Livat Shanghai Mixed Use Project, introducing a new city landmark with a distinctive Nordic lifestyle touch. 

This is the group's single largest investment project in China, exceeding RMB8 billion and a total construction area of approximately 430,000 square meters.

Livat Shanghai mall will serve as a one-stop destination combining retail and office spaces, reflecting the Group's long-term commitment to the Chinese market.

Additionally, this marks the first deep integration of IKEA retail and Livat in Shanghai, where the two brands, under the same group, will work together towards a shared vision to create a better everyday life for the people of Shanghai and its surrounding areas.

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On the opening day, Livat Shanghai was full of life and energy, quickly becoming the city's newest hotspot. Marie-Claire Swärd Capra, Consul General of Sweden in Shanghai; Cindy Andersen, Global President of Ingka Centres; Sara Del Fabbro, Global Vice President of IKEA Retail; Joyce Zhu, President of Ingka Centres China; and Pontus Erntell, President and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA China joined the celebration, marking a new chapter for Ingka Centres. 

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The event featured a vibrant lion dance and special Nordic-style performances, blending culture in lively way.

During the event, Global President of Ingka Centres Cindy Andersen shared her thoughts, “Every Livat is more than just a place to shop – it’s a space where people come together, inspired by a sense of community and countless reasons to visit. Livat Shanghai is a key milestone as we celebrate 15 years in China, and we are excited to continue our journey, bringing fresh experiences to communities and visitors.”

Diverse and Innovative Expansion in Shanghai: Creating a Local Meeting Place Experience

The Livat Shanghai Mixed-Use Project is located in the Hongqiao Linkong Economic Zone in Changning District, bringing a fresh experience to this part of the city. With excellent public transportation connections, including direct access to Songhong Road Station on Metro Line 2, and providing easy access to key city roads including the Outer Ring Road, Beizhai Elevated Road, and the North-Cross Passage as well as over 2,900 parking spaces available, Livat Shanghai is set to become a new local landmark in the western part of the city. Not just for Changning but for the entire Yangtze River Delta. Aligned with Shanghai’s policy of building “15-minute community life circles,” Livat Shanghai, in partnership with IKEA and other brands, is committed to creating a joyful local meeting destination for the surrounding community.

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Livat Shanghai goes beyond just being a shopping destination. In response to the growing demand for diverse offline experiences, Livat Shanghai offers something for everyone with mix spaces for shopping, dining, entertainment, culture, wellness, children's activities, and outdoor leisure spaces, aiming to create an all-ages-friendly, one-stop destination for lifestyle and social gatherings. bringing together over 312 brands, with approximately 71% being first stores or unique concept stores, including 23 national first stores, 29 Shanghai first stores, and 77 regional first stores, along with 51 brands debuting in flagship or concept store formats. 

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With its design inspired by nature, including elements like mountains, rivers and forests Livat Shanghai blends Scandinavian style with urban life Spaces like Well village, Treehouse Playground, Pet Zone, Scandi village, and Fjord Plaza, create create an inviting environment for everyone to explore and enjoy. Through the integration of the unique concept of "A Day in the Nordics," from outdoor lawns to rooftop gardens, it will offer customers a delightful and engaging meeting experience

The new IKEA Linkong store, located on the northeast side of Livat Shanghai, opens simultaneously, offering closer and more accessible IKEA services to consumers in Changning, Qingpu, and Songjiang districts. The two-story showroom features over 9,500 well-designed, functional, and affordable furniture and home products. Visitors can explore a range of home inspiration focused on young families and households with children, discovering meaningful products and solutions at low prices. 

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Together with IKEA’s online sales channels and its established Xuhui, Beicai, and Baoshan stores, which have served the market for 26 years, IKEA has created a unified market in Shanghai with "one city, four stores" for an omnichannel, fully covered experience. This helps Shanghai residents continuously unlock home living inspiration and realize their dream homes.

Make Working Different: Discovering Happiness Beyond Home

Livat Shanghai also marks the debut of Ingka Group's Grade-A office buildings in China. With five office buildings, Livat Office brings a new kind of work experience blending Scandinavian design with a focus on well-being and collaboration. Workspaces are an integral part of daily life, and in line with the vision of "creating a better everyday life for the many people," In line with the brand philosophy of "Empowering Co-Creation," Livat Office, in addition to hosting Ingka Group's own operations, has attracted several multinational and World 500 companies that share similar corporate cultures and values. Together, Ingka Centres aim to build a sustainable collaborative community, bringing new energy into regional industrial development. 

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Joyce Zhu, President of Ingka Centres China, stated: “Livat Shanghai will not only be an ideal place to meet the diverse needs of people. Through “Livat Office”, we extend the concept of “meeting place” to the office scenario. The decision of so many outstanding business partners to establish their presence here speaks to the quality and market recognition of the Livat Office Changning project, shaping it as a new landmark for urban offices. In the future, we will continue to strengthen our brand empowerment by sharing resources and streamlining channels to help our corporate partners achieve greater success, while attracting more top-tier companies to join and contribute to the region's economic growth.”

To provide a comfortable, balanced, and collaborative office experience for its tenants and their employees, Livat integrates the unique concept of a “Meeting Place” into its office spaces. Centered around four key principles—Empowering Co-Creation, Wellbeing at Work, Sustainable Community, and Nordic Aesthetic—Livat creates a people-oriented, experiential office environment inspired by Scandinavian design. 

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This space is not just a workplace, but a platform for idea exchange and resource sharing. Through a variety of business networking activities and flexible, shared spaces, Livat office supports the long-term growth of its corporate partners. At the same time, it fosters a vibrant, wellbeing-focused community, where employees can enjoy a range of lifestyle amenities, including healthy dining, quality fitness options, convenient shopping, and sustainable transportation, all within Livat’s ecosystem. After the National Day holiday, the new Ingka China service office will officially open, becoming one of Ingka’s largest flexible office spaces worldwide, sparking more inspiration and co-creation here.

Focusing on Communities, Society, and the Planet: Redefining Meaningful Commercial Spaces

At Ingka Centres we believe in creating spaces that are good for people, communities and the planet. Livat Shanghai follows our “People and Planet Positive” sustainability strategy, with a focus on healthy and sustainable living, circular and climate-positive practices, and fairness and inclusion. Each Livat project embodies this strategy by encouraging tenants and consumers to embrace sustainable living in various ways. 

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The Livat Shanghai Mixed Use Project has already received WELL (for Livat Office), LEED, and China’s Green Building Label (GBL) certifications or pre-certifications. It has also made efforts to create shared spaces, such as subway tunnel and diverse supporting facilities. In line with Ingka Centres’ global EV100 initiative, Livat Shanghai is equipped with over 360 charging stations for electric vehicles, offering convenient green travel options and creating a sustainable, eco-friendly experience for visitors.

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Notably, an innovative experience space showcasing the future of living—“Innovation Hub”— invites visitors at Livat Shanghai. Embracing Ingka Group’s core values and Scandinavian design aesthetics, the space celebrates sustainability, Scandinavian design, and creativity, offering interactive games, workshops, and events that spark inspiration and connection inviting the public to explore a broader picture of lifestyle possibilities. 

The Innovation Hub revolves around the concept of “Connecting Through Inspiration, Exploring New Ways of Living.” It integrates various conceptual offerings, including Livat's own sustainable brand concept store “One Planet,” a sustainability-themed café, exhibition spaces, interactive games, workshops, and event areas, Moreover, it serves as a space for inspiration, where diverse fun activities, innovative art installations, and interactive displays create a vibrant community hub, allowing like-minded individuals to enjoy endless exploration. 

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Following its opening, Livat Shanghai will focus on becoming truly a “Meeting Place” for the many people as its core business philosophy. In collaboration with IKEA and high-quality domestic and international tenants, Livat will deepen its roots in the local market, creating a place of happiness and belonging for consumers while injecting new vitality into the region’s commercial development. Meanwhile, Livat Office, IKEA, retail and dining tenants, and service providers will generate approximately 5,000 job opportunities, contributing to the local job market. Moving forward, Ingka Centres will continue the journey in the Chinese market, upholding its people-centric business approach, constantly enhancing services, and innovating the meeting experience, with the goal of creating “Meeting Places” that provide lasting value to people, society, and the environment.

About Ingka Centres

Ingka Centres, a global real estate development and management company, is part of the Ingka Group (which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments). With 50 years of experience in building and operating meeting places, Ingka Centres currently manages 35 “Meeting Places” across 13 markets worldwide, serving over 350 million visitors in fiscal year 2023.

Ingka Centres entered the Chinese market in 2009 through a strategic partnership with IKEA Retail and other partners to create omnichannel “Meeting Places” for the many people. In China, Ingka Centres operates under the brand name “Livat” and is committed to making it a leader in meeting place experiences. Currently, Ingka Centres operates 10 Livat in Wuxi, Beijing, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Changsha, Nanning, Kunming, Hefei, Xi'an, and Shanghai, with a total investment of approximately RMB 30.3 billion and a total leasable area of about 1.23 million square meters.


[All images courtesy of Ingka Centres]

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