Kumulo Sets a Fresh Look on the Currently Evolving Retail Spaces

In the recent years, e-commerce has been disrupting the operations of physical retail spaces, especially malls and department stores. But even if many people now prefer to shop through their handheld screens, the culture of hanging and dining out with others prevails. This makes way to new developments of retail spaces, such as a lifestyle mall that is smaller in size and provides more dining experience and entertainment. These smaller spaces that contain only more or less a dozen curated outlets have been gaining popularity and popped up in many cities.

©dua studio

©dua studio / William Sutanto

As one of the newly developed lifestyle spaces in Greater Jakarta, Kumulo displays an interesting approach in providing a space for people to hang out. Described as a creative compound, Kumulo is developed by its own titular team, dua studio, and ACCOSSA Lab to be a place that caters interactions, not only for the visitors, but also between the tenants and visitors for potential creative collaborations.

©dua studio / William Sutanto

Interesting enough, Kumulo is situated within an established lifestyle centre as an additional space but with a striking new look in contrast to the rest of the complex. Compared to its surrounding, Kumulo displays an incredibly open layout. A handful of shops are spread across the 4000-square-metre site with no physical shelter but generously plotted trees to beat the tropical heat.

©dua studio / William Sutanto

Among these trees, the shops’ playful silhouettes pop up and establish a fun and playful surrounding. The greenness and the openness of this space also set up the impression for Kumulo to be park-like—public and inclusive—which was designed with the intention to encourage interactions.

©dua studio / William Sutanto

If most commercial development usually focuses only on the visitors’ experience, the design approach of the outlets in Kumulo allows the tenants to be in the spotlight as well. Each outlet in Kumulo is developed on a modular basis of 3x3 metre space. Some tenants are housed in single module outlets, while others can choose a doubled, tripled or even bigger size outlets for their businesses. These modules are topped with slightly different shapes of roofing that generates the playful silhouettes. The variations make each tenant unique and appealing in its own way.

©dua studio

Even from afar, Kumulo’s presence and play of scale are meticulously composed to enrich the visitors’ personal experience in discovering, approaching and eventually visiting the outlets within the compound. This, along with a generous public space and greenery make visiting Kumulo as fun and effortless as a walk in a park. At a time when people are more inclined towards spending time outdoors and enjoying bespoke experience, Kumulo, combining both charms, definitely comes out as the ideal place to visit.