NEXT Lakeside

Gensler has designed NEXT’s largest-ever store at Lakeside Shopping Centre — an 80,000-square-foot space that reimagines a former department store into a vibrant retail destination. This marks an exciting new direction for NEXT — a fresh vision for how the brand appears in large-format, anchor locations.

This is the brand’s first new large-format store in four years, and an ambitious architectural transformation that sets the tone for its future. Gensler’s design introduced two expansive new atriums that flood the interior with daylight, connecting two trading floors and establishing a sense of openness. Generous circulation spaces, grand staircases, and new openings between levels create a continuous flow that encourages exploration and dwell time.

An all-new material palette reflects NEXT’s evolution. Natural stone mosaics, soft metallics, and timber tones create a tactile and elevated environment, with subtle shifts in pattern and texture marking the transition between departments. By transforming this significant but vacant department store into a vibrant destination once again, NEXT Lakeside breathes new life into the east end of the shopping centre. It reactivates a key arrival point and restores a sense of completeness to the mall experience. This regeneration of a long-dormant site is a major investment in both retail and sense of place. It sets NEXT up for the future — one that’s agile, ambitious, and ready for continued evolution.