I read an article in 'Canadian Architect' about a Chinese Mall in Vancouver (Surrey, I believe) that is actually quite cool on the outside, with multi-coloured glass. Inside it has a bunch of funky chain-stores from Asia and a large, Loblaws-style Chinese supermarket.
You must be talking about the Aberdeen Centre. It's in Richmond, not Surrey.
The new Aberdeen Centre (it replaced an older Chinese mall) was designed by Bing Thom (also did Surrey Central City, see other thread in this section). It's owned by the Fairchild Group, which has a Toronto connection since they also own Fairchild TV (the all-Chinese TV station) and Fairchild Radio (a multicultural radio station).
Website:
www.aberdeencentre.com
But there are more urbanized examples of Chinese malls in Canada, and you don't have to go all the way to Vancouver to see them. Right in our Chinatown are two big malls which really fit into the urban context: Dragon City (Dundas and Spadina, with the jumbotron) and Chinatown Centre (just south of Dragon City on Spadina). Both are large shopping complexes with what I think are rental appartments above. They are like the Eaton Centres of Chinatown, except they don't really take people off the streets.
In Scarborough we have the Oriental Centre, which is a three-storey complex of shops and offices, all packed into a tiny site with underground parking. It is one neat alternative to the big boxes and strip malls that you see all over Scarborough.
Website:
www.orientalcentre.ca
I never thought of Chinese malls as being close to the "market" that you're proposing, idesignb4. The closest thing to a market in a Chinese mall in Toronto would be the Heritage Town at Pacific Mall (
www.pacificmalltoronto.com/en/heritagetown/). However, considering the passion Chinese people have for bustling marketplaces (check out Chinatown on weekends, or go to the annual Chinese New Year celebrations in Toronto), I'd say creating a Chinese marketplace in Toronto isn't that hard.
Good thinking!