Houses Pop Up On Roof Of Chinese Shopping Mall

The Chinese are known for their sometimes unusual inventions, in for example food. Little did I know that even in real estate, Chinese solutions seem to surprise. In the city of Zhuzhou a real estate developer decided to build four large, single homes on the roof of a several stories high mall.

This idea might seem odd at first sight but it provides a solution to many problems the rapidly urbanizing cities and towns of China have to cope with these days. Using commercial roofspace for residential purposes will allow people to have a garden with a nice view and a single house in the centre of the city. But you have to admit, it’s still a weird idea to live with your family on top of a mall.

Despite the good intentions with this plan, the houses are still vacant. The Chinese version of the zoning permit doesn’t allow any residential activities in (or on top of) the mall. The real estate developer said that he will now use the buildings as offices for his 160 employees.