Shopping Oasis: A vision to revolutionise public markets in the digital age

As online shopping grows, traditional markets are finding it hard to keep up. But what if old shopping malls changed too, staying modern while keeping their social and cultural value?

This is the vision of Toukir Hossain, a fresh architecture graduate from Khulna University. His idea 'Shopping Oasis' earned him the ninth place in TBS Scholar Hunt, a competition organised by The Business Standard and TBS Graduates.

Toukir's Shopping Oasis is a visionary concept for the revival of old bazaars like the RDA Market in Rajshahi. His plan is a bid to create a sustainable, inclusive, digital-enabled marketplace that can rival e-commerce but retain its socio-economic and cultural significance.

For Toukir, Scholar Hunt was not just a competition, it was an opportunity to share his passion for architecture and social change. Even in the middle of his undergraduate thesis, he took this last opportunity to join as a student. "It wasn't about competing; it was about sharing a vision that could make a difference in communities," he said.

He was inspired by a fundamental question that intrigued him all the time: What is architecture?. A quote from renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe deeply moved him, "Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space." Observing the world headed towards e-shopping, Toukir was determined to know how traditional shopping malls would transform without diluting their original identity.

Shopping Oasis’ model showing a sustainable, inclusive, digital-enabled marketplace. Photo: Courtesy

Shopping Oasis seeks to bridge the gap between traditional shopping centers and modern-day e-commerce via the integration of four dimensions: global retailing, socio-economic necessities, ecological friendliness, and technological conformism. It seeks to rise above the standard 'one-size-fits-all' shopping complexes and create an environment that is:

Climate-sensitive: Instead of generic air-conditioned buildings, Shopping Oasis places a focus on passive design strategies suitable for the tropical climate, using green materials and sustainable design.

Digitally integrated: One of the ideas is a single concept called the E-Stage— a public digital platform that allows small shop owners to maintain an online presence without the high cost of e-commerce. Merchants are able to rent storage and feature products online, allowing them to tap into digital sales.

Socially inclusive: Only with the coexistence of formal and informal traders do such traditional markets survive. Instead of shutting down the street vendors and temporary stalls, Shopping Oasis integrates them into the market design to make it affordable and inclusive.

More than a marketplace: The initiative sees the public shopping malls as dynamic public spaces, with cultural and social activities integrated with commerce, making them a part of public life.

The proposal has generated a lot of excitement, but its implementation comes with challenges. "One of the biggest hurdles is convincing public authorities to embrace innovation in serving their people," Toukir said. The resistance to change, financial constraints, and integrating digital infrastructure in the existing markets are some of the big challenges.

But Toukir is an advocate for phasing. He suggests taking the stakeholders, government organisations, shop owners, and city planners, to pilot test the E-Stage concept and iron out the model before scaling it up on a large scale. The end goal? To have a replicable model for Bangladesh markets that encompasses tradition and modernity.

Reflecting on his experience, Toukir highlighted how Scholar Hunt developed his expertise in critical thinking and expression of solutions overall. "Architecture isn't about designing spaces, it's about comprehending the people who use them," he added. His experience reaffirmed that innovation must balance between heritage and progress.

For would-be changemakers, Toukir's counsel is straightforward but potent: Remain curious, welcome challenges, and have faith in your ideas. The most effective solutions tend to arise from challenging the world around you.

As Bangladesh maps out the future of urban landscapes, places like Shopping Oasis give us reason to hope that tradition and innovation do not conflict. With vision, however, our bazaars need not be merely commercial centers but rather the heart of thriving, technologically savvy communities.