Last fall a new development opened in downtown Kuala Lumpur with a collection of retail outlets, a food court and plenty of common areas for employees at nearby office towers. 

But don’t call The Exchange TRX a mall.

“We’ve never considered this a mall,” said Lendlease Malaysia project director of The Exchange TRX and head of retail Mitch Wilson in an article in The Edge Malaysia City & Country section. “One of our ambitions here was to create a place where communities could come together from different parts of KL and around the region to celebrate different experiences. So, it would be underselling the total TRX master plan by just saying it’s a retail mall. The social heart of the master plan is serving the community and providing different opportunities for the people who work in the buildings here — the HSBC, Affin and Prudential buildings.  So, it’s about creating a canvas of opportunities and experiences for people to come to one place together — be it through dining, entertainment, activities in the park or their favourite retailer.”

One unique feature of the property is the rooftop 10-acre public park called TRX City Park. This green oasis offers not only plants and trees but also interactive spaces for all ages, according to the article. 

"The TRX City Park, which is maintained by Lendlease Malaysia, features more than 150,000 plantings of close to 150 native plant species. There are also children’s play areas, water features, shaded enclaves, al fresco dining and plans for community-based events and leisure activities such as festivals, concerts, movie premieres and international exhibitions."

"The Exchange TRX retail portion is the first Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-rated retail building in the country. In addition, Lendlease Malaysia’s joint venture partner in The Exchange TRX, TRX City Sdn Bhd, has incorporated sustainability throughout the master plan. For example, water collected at the development’s recycling water plant is used to irrigate the park, and technology is used for energy and water management as well as throughout The Exchange TRX.”

Want to check it out? The CoreNet Global Summit APAC takes place in Kuala Lumpur 5-7 March.