Major department store, tick. Global fast-fashion retailer, tick. Supermarket giant, tick. Cinema, tick. We’ve all encountered those shopping centres that look and feel the same, no matter where you are in the world. But there are some visionary developments that seek to stretch the definition and model of traditional shopping centres – delivering environments that celebrate innovation, wellbeing, community and, critically, creativity. Here are some of the most exciting international retail environments setting new industry standards.Platform, Los Angeles: Where culture, community and creativity meetLocated in a trendy neighbourhood of Culver City, California, Platform is a curated showcase of local indie brands, pop-ups, sleek bars and Michelin-star restaurants. It also offers a range of services and events such as kids’ play classes, floral workshops, preloved book exchanges and possibly the chicest gynaecology centre in the world. There is not a single Zara or H&M to be found here.Platform is the antithesis of a cookie-cutter shopping centre – indeed, it acts as a platform for independent brands to thrive. Leveraging its community to create a unique tenancy mix deeply rooted in Los Angeles culture, this is an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Equal parts retail and dining, fashion brands and small creative businesses sit alongside restaurants, cafes and medical services such as optometry and skincare. This is a modern interpretation of the traditional neighbourhood village, albeit with world-class customer experiences. These include Sweetgreen test kitchen, Van Leeuwen’s homemade ice-creamery, rooftop restaurant Margot with sweeping views of the city and the beautiful Bianca bakery at the base of the car park. This carefully curated mixed-use experience effortlessly encourages dwell time, visitation and patronage. As for architecture, Platform’s most notable strength is how it plays with scale. The compression and expansion of its various laneways and squares conjures intrigue and discovery. Store formats vary in size, shape and identity, whereby guidelines seem relaxed and autonomous, in turn creating a sense of individuality amongst its buildings and retailers. Lease lines push and pull, further breaking the otherwise monotonous run of shopfronts, dramatised by pockets of landscape greeting the facades in various spaces.Creating a development composed largely of independent businesses is certainly not easy in terms of leasing and commercial viability, but at Platform, it’s clear that when it’s executed well, customers enjoy a hyper-localised experience that taps into a sense of community in more ways than one. Miami Design District: Introducing the future of luxury retailWelcome to the ultimate creative neighbourhood: Miami Design District, an ode to art, fashion, design and culture.This contemporary development is conceived through a unique lens and rewrites the rulebook for what is luxury retail. It almost feels as if brands attempt to outdo one another, each pushing the boundaries of creativity and what is traditionally expected from them. Architecture becomes merely a canvas to connect to culture, experiment with new styles, and explore untapped relationships within the art world. Few do this better than Gucci, which opened its flagship store enveloped completely in a bright yellow mural from Spanish artist Coco Capitan. Other iconic brands such as Fendi, Dior and Alexander McQueen embrace culture and creative bravery in their respective ways – none take themselves seriously, injecting playfulness into what can otherwise be defined as a pretty formal category. Temporary installations sprinkled throughout the development further add to this melting pot of creativity. In particular, Louis Vuitton’s 2000sqm outdoor installation honouring late artistic director Virgil Abloh is an absolute showstopper, featuring oversized sculptures, custom LV-branded shipping containers and giant technicolour murals. Almost every part of the 6.4-hectare development has been created through the viewpoint of art, from the eclectic retail facades and landscaping to even the pergolas and treatment of its car parks, known as the Museum Garage. In fact, the precinct feels like an open-air museum that spans 18 blocks. There’s a prototype of Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye geodesic dome, an oversized fibreglass sculpture of famed architect Le Corbusier ascending from the ground, and countless other pieces, in addition to galleries, studios, museums and events like art tours and photography walks.Also noteworthy is Miami Design District’s award-winning sustainable design. A re-infiltration of rainwater and restored natural hydrology, rooftop gardens and extensive green roofs that provide thermal cooling to the buildings’ interiors. In addition, each of the development’s retailers embraces and abides by specific design and construction guidelines to ensure their stores are built sustainably. Miami Design District is all about pushing the boundaries of retail and breaking the rules of traditional luxury – establishing a new rapport between art, architecture and culture to create one-of-a-kind customer experiences. EmQuartier, Bangkok: An urban oasis A five-storey “rainforest chandelier”. Indoor gardens bursting with orchids and ponds. Vertical courtyards terraced across the building’s facades. It’s hard to imagine this kind of experience nestled in the heart of bustling Bangkok, let alone in the 250,000sqm shopping centre that is EmQuartier.There is a lot to love about EmQuartier, particularly its use of landscape and the integration of nature into its architecture, delivering a masterclass in sensory design. Before even stepping foot into the building, shoppers are greeted by the sound of trickling water, cascading facades and the smell of greenery enveloping the precinct. It’s an absolute homage to the senses. And it doesn’t stop there. Seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor environments meander across all levels of the development, allowing nature to spill in and out of the building and softening thresholds between conditioned and naturally ventilated spaces. This thermal comfort is further supported by the use of water and greenery, which cools its internal spaces, neutralises the climatic differences between environments and reduces its carbon footprint. On every level, plants, trees and water elements are incorporated into the design. The 40m waterfall and sky gardens to various upper levels are particular showstoppers. EmQuartier’s unique terracing of retail levels internally optimises sunlight penetration from the skylights above, increasing sightlines to retailers across various levels of the mall. This concept of stepped forms equally informs a unique facade language externally. Derived from its organic floor plan, slabs are meticulously moulded, appearing as elegant white ribbons set amongst a sea of heavy concrete buildings. Amongst the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, EmQuartier offers a one-of-a-kind retail retreat and shopping experience. Its connection to nature and living, breathing architecture showcases a renewed responsibility of buildings to create spaces that improve our wellbeing and simply make you feel good when you’re inside them. As consumers’ shopping habits and needs continue to evolve at a rapid pace, so too does their desire to be inspired and feel a sense of connection to the places they inhabit. Whilst a renewed localised approach to leasing and tenancy mix plays a pivotal role, creativity and architecture takes centre stage, proving that good design is good business.