Part of a larger residential development plan, the Yantai shopping center arose from a previous design, its foundation already in place. The unique challenge was to optimize the existing footprint and structure by creating a shopping destination with the most leasable space. A loop scheme proved to be the ideal solution, with retail shops organized around a bullet-shaped volume which provided maximal sight lines and pedestrian circulation. Highlighted internally to resemble a red lantern, the bullet-shaped block was turned into an iconic feature of the project. The exterior is simple, with a sweeping façade punctuated by a series of projecting boxes that contain display windows for the retail tenants. Through the articulation of the façade, both in material and in the gesture of the swooping curve, the massing appeared as a unified development, fulfilling the client’s ambitions.