Parks in Boxes? What’s next?

The loss of Safa Park has hit hard amongst many long time Dubai residents. To ease this blow however, developer Meeras—of The Beach at JBR and the beloved Citywalk—has come up with a new “pop-up” concept mall called Box Park. This new project takes inspiration from a quirky London shopping district of the same name and has representations from all over the world including New York, Paris, Oslo and Christchurch. According to Meeras, ‘urban chic meets contemporary sophistication’ in what is set to become the new social hub of Dubai.

So what exactly is it? Picture multiple neon-colored crate boxes contrasted with boxes in muted gray tones all stacked artistically on top of each other.  These boxes are in fact 220 industrial containers, and within these containers there are up to 44 high-end shopping and dining outlets. A convergence of Dubai’s luxurious shopping culture with the antithesis of geometric industrialism, Box Park aims to “breath new life in to the city” in the Al Wasl area. The 14 stores found at the location are all unique and eccentric boutiques specializing in a variety of commercial domains including furniture, clothing, sportswear, shoes, watches and even an onesie store. The restaurants and cafés are largely indie joints each with its own idiosyncratic hipster vibe, rather than well-known and commonplace establishments.

Besides the usual shopping and dining spaces, there are also playgrounds and adult hangout zones promoting social outings that don’t have to revolve around eating and spending. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout, so you can Instagram, Tweet, Like and ‘check in’ to call one and call all to the newest and funkiest part of town.

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