Just recently, Dennis One, Two, and Seven World officially closed their doors to begin renovations. Around the same time, the phase two plan for the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center also surfaced.
Dennis Seven World was first constructed in 2008, with One and Two World opening at the end of 2011, and later expanding all the way to Seven World. At that time, the Zhengdong New District CBD was still in its early stages, with immature supporting facilities, and Dennis Seven World was the first commercial project here where people could stroll, shop, and eat. For many Zhengzhou residents, their earliest memories of the Zhengdong New District CBD began with Dennis Seven World. Spending weekends taking the kids for a walk by Ruyi Lake and then heading to Dennis Seven World for a meal and some shopping was a fixed routine for many Zhengzhou locals. But in the blink of an eye, 16 years have passed. A new wave of commercial projects landed one after another, and Dennis Seven World gradually fell behind—its spatial experience, design aesthetics, and brand structure had all grown somewhat outdated, and it was time for a shake-up.
This renovation will proceed in two phases. Phase one covers One, Two, and Seven World, which is about to break ground and is expected to open in the first half of 2028. Phase two covers Three, Four, Five, and Six World, with the renovation timeline still to be determined, depending on the progress of phase one. As for how exactly it will be transformed, here is a quick overview. One and Two World will be packaged together for renovation as a Southeast Asian-themed forest-style outlet district; Three, Four, Five, and Six World will respectively become themed box commercial spaces featuring new Chinese garden style, desert ambiance, Nordic slow living, and Bauhaus aesthetics, connected above by a sky street. Seven World will adopt a British-style design, creating a British-themed bustling market. Among these, One and Two World have the best location and have consistently performed well in the past, making them the top priority of this renovation. If done well, they can set a good example and pace for the later phase two.
According to the plan, One and Two World will undergo major demolition and reconstruction. Apart from retaining the basic framework, everything else will be torn down, with the basement level opened straight up to the third floor to create open-block commercial space. In terms of design, it will extract Southeast Asian regional elements such as sloped roofs and traditional wooden structures, leaning toward a forest aesthetic, with the goal of creating the largest urban outlet in Zhengzhou's main urban area. After the renovation, the 220+ shops in One and Two World will be reduced to 160+, freeing up larger public spaces. At the same time, some scattered small shops will be cut, leaving large-format shops for popular brands. As for the overall business mix, the solidly established women's and men's fashion in One and Two World will be retained, with key emphasis added to the currently hot sports and outdoor categories.
I think there is a real chance for One and Two World to succeed as an outlet. Dennis itself holds Henan's strongest brand relationship network, and some resources can be directly transferred over. Moreover, Four and Five World have operated as an outlet for many years, and the overall operational logic is already well-established, so there is no need to start from scratch. More critically, urban outlets have never truly taken off in Zhengzhou. Traditional outlets are all in the suburbs, relying on discounts to attract people, and a trip there requires setting aside half a day, which more or less creates a barrier. The main urban area just lacks this kind of urban outlet where people can stroll, take photos, and casually hunt for discounts. If Dennis pulls this off, it can capture the first wave of dividends. The Zhengdong New District CBD has a heavy overall business atmosphere with many office workers, and the tidal flow of foot traffic has always been an issue. There are plenty of people during work hours, but it gets a bit empty on weekends. The advantage of an outlet is that it not only serves office workers in the office buildings but also attracts other customer groups through destination consumption, making it a good fit overall. If the discount advantages of the outlet and the location advantages of the Zhengdong New District CBD can be fully leveraged, it will be very promising.
After discussing Dennis Seven World, let's move on to phase two of the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. The Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center is a landmark designed by Kisho Kurokawa and was once a showcase window for Zhengzhou to the outside world, hosting a slew of exhibitions large and small. It is just that in recent years, the standard of exhibitions has continuously risen, and its capacity has gradually fallen short. The existing exhibition hall has an indoor exhibition area of only 65,000 square meters at most, which is fine for consumer exhibitions and medium-sized industry exhibitions, but struggles when facing higher-level national mega-exhibitions. Previously, quite a few heavyweight exhibitions went to other cities because the exhibition hall lacked space, which was quite a pity. Although a larger Zhongyuan International Convention and Exhibition Center has been built in the airport zone, the airport zone is too far, and some high-end boutique exhibitions and high-spec summits prefer to be held in the main urban area. Expanding the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center is something that must be done sooner or later.
The approach for phase two is simple—it is called returning land to the city. A large surface parking lot will be eliminated, with all parking spaces moved underground, and the freed-up ground will be used for exhibition halls, conference spaces, hotels, and commercial areas. Note: the original surface parking spaces were 1,908+, and the new underground parking spaces will be 3,000+. According to the currently disclosed plan, phase two will add 35,000 square meters of indoor exhibition area, bringing the total to 100,000 square meters. With this scale, the threshold for national mega-exhibitions can be crossed. In addition, a full set of supporting facilities will be provided, including multifunctional conference spaces, a five-star hotel, and commercial areas. A 9,000-square-meter variable multifunctional conference space is planned to host high-end business events. A five-star hotel with 400 rooms will be built, seamlessly connected to the exhibition hall and conference center—just downstairs is the exhibition hall. There will also be 12,000 square meters of commercial support, with dining and retail layouts to meet daily consumption needs. In the past, out-of-town visitors came to Zhengzhou and left right after seeing the exhibition, leaving little of the traffic behind. Once this set of supporting facilities is complete, it can form a closed loop for business travel and has the opportunity to convert traffic into consumption. Currently, the plan is still in the advancement stage, and what it will ultimately look like and when construction will start still await official approval. But the direction is already visible—this old landmark of the Zhengdong New District CBD is set to once again prop up the city's image.
The renovation of Dennis Seven World and the expansion of phase two of the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center are two separate matters, but they should be viewed together. The Big Corn, Ruyi Lake, Zhengzhou Forest, and Henan Art Center—these are all well-known check-in spots in Zhengzhou. Many out-of-town visitors coming to Zhengzhou make a special trip to the Big Corn to take a look and snap some photos. But after taking photos, they do not know what to do next, so they check in and leave. The Zhengdong New District CBD has always suffered on this front—there is no content that makes people stay. The renovation of Dennis Seven World enhances commercial consumption, the phase two expansion of the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center fills in the supporting facilities, and together with scattered check-in spots like the Big Corn, Ruyi Lake, and Henan Art Center, they can form a route for a leisurely stroll. In the future, the way to enjoy this area will be different. During the day, stroll through Dennis Seven World, buy some things, and have a meal; in the evening, sit by Ruyi Lake and watch the sunset; at night, watch a performance at the Henan Art Center and then take a boat ride on the Ruyi Canal. Urban landmarks will no longer just be photo check-in spots—they will be places to stroll, linger, and socialize. Zhengzhou's urban development is shifting from spreading outward like a giant pancake to finely polishing the main urban area. As for the renovation of Dennis Seven World and the phase two expansion of the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, they are essentially about injecting new vitality into the city's most core image. This is only the beginning, and there will be more to come—let's watch slowly.
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