Colorful teaser

Happy Highway is a public-space activation of the existing pedestrian walkway on the first floor of Zekebang Xingzehui, a mixed-use development in Chongqing, China. The client's property-management team commissioned 100architects to enrich the walking experience and add value to the area's shops and restaurants. The design is built on a simple yet iconic idea: racing cars. Small floor graphics at pedestrian scale give passersby the sensation of driving on a racing track, in a way that is playful for kids, triggering their imagination as drivers, and also adds value for young people and families who walk or live along the road. The racing track follows the existing pedestrian walkway and incorporates, as one more element of the route, an existing vertical core with stairs and elevators that functions as a tunnel in the circuit. The core is wrapped in bright yellow vertical louver curtains, generating a strong visual impact that guides visitors along the racing track. A series of modular elements along the race track, in the form of obstacles, at different points encourage visitors to stop, rest, and take pictures. Each element has a specific function: some serve as lighting elements, some as seats, and some as play equipment for children. The project transforms an ordinary pedestrian corridor into an engaging promenade.