Impact of Repetitive Atrium Design on Wayfinding in Shopping Malls: A Case Study of Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka

Abstract

Shopping malls are complex commercial environments where clear spatial organization and effective wayfinding are essential for helping visitors navigate between different shops, floors, entrances, and public spaces. Atriums can play an important role in providing visual landmarks, improving spatial orientation, and helping users develop a clear mental understanding of the building layout. However, when multiple atriums within a shopping mall share similar architectural forms, visual characteristics, and spatial configurations, the lack of distinct spatial identities may create difficulties in user orientation and wayfinding. Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka contains multiple atrium spaces with similar design characteristics, providing an appropriate context for investigating the relationship between repetitive atrium design and user navigation. This study aims to assess the impact of repetitive atrium design on wayfinding and spatial orientation among visitors of Jamuna Future Park. The study adopts a quantitative research approach. Data will be collected through questionnaire surveys involving visitors to assess their perceptions of spatial orientation, ease of navigation, recognition of atrium spaces, ability to identify their location, and difficulty in finding destinations within the mall. Behavioral observations and pedestrian movement mapping will also be conducted to identify navigation patterns, hesitation points, wrong turns, and the use of atriums as spatial landmarks. In addition, the visual and spatial characteristics of the atriums will be documented and comparatively analyzed to determine the degree of similarity among them. The findings are expected to identify whether repetitive atrium design contributes to reduced spatial identity and increased wayfinding difficulty among mall users. The study will provide insights into the importance of differentiated atrium design, visual landmarks, and spatial identity in improving navigation and user experience within large-scale shopping malls. The findings may contribute to future shopping mall design strategies by emphasizing the role of distinctive atrium characteristics in supporting effective wayfinding and spatial orientation.