Sunway Velocity Mall has opened in Cheras, with a catchment of 1.72 million residents including the nearby areas of Ampang and Kuala Lumpur.

With a neo-futuristic appearance, the sphere-shaped shopping centre, known as the “KL Orb”, is set to be a landmark on the city’s skyline, especially with its LED light display.

Its opening is also a milestone for the Sunway Group’s retail division. The group’s fifth mall, it integrates shopping, entertainment and gastronomy in an integrated development.

“Sunway Velocity Mall was built and designed with one key purpose – to enrich the life experiences of its surrounding community,” says Sunway Shopping Malls & Theme Parks CEO HC Chan.

The centre has four precincts: Vanity Hall, Marketplace, Food Street, and Commune @ Sunway Velocity. The seven-storey mall offers the first-ever Aeon MaxValu Prime in Malaysia – the third such outlet in the world following Japan and Hong Kong.

The other two main anchors are Parkson and TGV Cinemas, which has the largest Imax screen in Malaysia. Other tenants include Chi Fitness, Grand Imperial, Harvey Norman, JD Sports, Padini Concept Store, Popular Bookstore, Toys‘R’Us and Uniqlo.

Chan says the mall is part of the “golden triangle of retail spaces” comprising the new Ikea Cheras, Aeon Maluri Shopping Centre, MyTown Shopping Centre and the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) Lifestyle Quarter development.

Sunway Velocity Mall has been “dressed” for the festive season with decorations including a 30ft (9m) Christmas tree surrounded by giant presents in the main atrium. There is also a Christmas spend-and-win campaign, Santa City, which runs until February 12. Prizes include a Volvo V40 car, a Celistar diamond ring by SK Jewellery, a Hero bed frame, and a Nature’s Finest Himalaya mattress from Harvey Norman.

There are also free weekend Christmas workshops for children.