Abstract：In this paper we examine the spatial characteristics and evolution of the high-density mixed-use buildings, specifically
the podium-and-tower typology where several retail floors are topped with a residential or office high-rise. We focus
in particular on the popular shopping-mall-in-podium cases, a typology that is increasingly popular in SE Asia as part
of transit-oriented developments, but with divergent approaches on spatial configuration. Because of their prevalence,
there is a need to understand how the typology evolved during the past decades, the major trends in its configuration and
their spatial implications from their indoor complexity to how they relate to the surrounding urban fabric. To explore
this, we digitised floor plans from more than 30 podium-and-tower shopping malls across Singapore, incorporating
exemplary buildings from the last 50 years. We analysed their main floorplate (typically the retail ground floor) using an
isovist-based measure of outdoor visual access. An urban design audit captured the properties of the building perimeter
using walkability indicators. Together, these metrics provide formal descriptions of the indoor spatial configuration of
such mixed- use/retail environments, but also formally assess how they ‘relate’ with their surroundings – what kind of
urban space is generated by the building itself. We describe the evolution of this typology, different ways of relating
and activating the city, connecting the interior and exterior spaces. In conclusion, we argue for more typology studies
and a close look on how the podium-mall shapes its urban environment, especially due to their strategic importance and
implications in the design of future mixed-use urban developments.
