No Longer A Shopping Shop, Transformation Of Mall Concept Towards Urban Lifestyle

JAKARTA - In the midst of changing lifestyles for urban communities, shopping centers in big cities such as Jakarta face challenges to remain relevant.

No longer just a place to shop, shopping centers are now faced with demands to become spaces for social interaction and part of the urban cultural landscape.

"Large cities, the function of shopping centers is not just a place to shop anymore," said Alfonso Widjaja, Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), when met at Atrium Senen Mall, Central Jakarta on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

"There must be a function more than just a place to shop. So I think especially in Jakarta it sounds very synonymous with lifestyle," he continued.

He added that lifestyle changes are something constant, and shopping centers are required to respond to this with an adaptive approach.

"Lifestyle always changes at any time. So I think that's what shopping center managers have to call. The responses are in various forms," he continued.

According to Alfonso, the steps taken by shopping center managers vary, ranging from changing the concept of the event to renovating and repositioning.

"Some by changing the concert, some by renovating, some by changing the positioning and so on," he explained.

A concrete example of this adjustment can be seen in changing the name of the Millennium Mall to the Atrium Senen Mall. The transformation includes the renovation of facilities, refreshing visual identities, and strengthening connections with local communities through the preservation of the onderdil center and the concept of the Senen Triangle heritage.

However, Alfonso emphasized that changing the name or logo alone was not enough.

"What needs to be considered is not just changing logos, changing names. But also renovating buildings and changing tenant mixes to adapt to the needs of the community," he said.

With the dominance of e-commerce in the function of practical shopping, shopping centers need to highlight the irreplaceable aspects of digital platforms, namely social interactions.

"Actually, shopping centers are offline, not online. One of the advantages of offline is being able to provide community facilities to interact socially directly with fellow humans," said Alfonso.

The change of the name Millennium Mall to Atrium Senen Mall is a reflection of adaptation to the demands of the times as well as preservation of local identity.

The Senen Triangle area which has high historical value is used as a peak point for updating the shopping center concept, by emphasizing heritage values and contemporary approaches.

"This transformation is not just a change of name, but also an identity update and our enthusiasm in developing shopping centers that are relevant to the needs of today's urban communities." said Elly Christin, Director of PT Nusa Mandiri Properti.

This step is not only targeting physical improvement, but also presents an identity that is more in accordance with urban communities. Rebranding is done through visual updates, selection of relevant rentals, and provision of social spaces for community activities.

Atrium Senen Mall will also host the closing of the Jakarta Great Sale 2025 Festival, as part of a collaboration with APPBI and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. This shows how shopping centers can act as nodes for social and economic interactions in city dynamics.