Publika Shopping Gallery: The Solaris Dutamas Stop Where Galleries Share the Floor with Groceries

Publika Shopping Gallery is one of Kuala Lumpur’s most distinctive retail destinations — not merely a mall, but a living creative community.

Located at No. 1, Jalan Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, in the heart of the Solaris Dutamas mixed-use precinct, Publika sits at the intersection of Mont’ Kiara and Bangsar, in one of the capital’s most cosmopolitan, internationally diverse neighbourhoods.

Developed by UEM Sunrise Berhad — Malaysia’s largest and most prominent property developer — and opened in 2012, Publika occupies a unique position in the Malaysian retail landscape: it is the only major mall in the country built explicitly around the philosophy that art, culture, and creative retail form the soul of the shopping experience.

From its exterior facade to its curated store mix, event programming, and public art installations, every element of Publika is designed to challenge the conventional mall formula.

Where most shopping centres compete on retail density and anchor tenant size, Publika competes on atmosphere, community, and creative discovery.

Its tagline — “Where Arts and Culture Meets Retail” — is not marketing language; it is an architectural, curatorial, and programming commitment that is evident from the moment one steps inside.

Development History

Publika was conceived and developed by UEM Sunrise Berhad as the retail centrepiece of the Solaris Dutamas township — a mixed-use development that also includes office towers, residential apartments, and hospitality elements.

UEM Sunrise, a subsidiary of national infrastructure conglomerate UEM Group, is Malaysia’s largest listed property developer by landbank, with a portfolio spanning residential, commercial, retail, and integrated developments across Malaysia and internationally.

When Publika opened in 2012, it arrived in a market dominated by conventional shopping malls — large-format boxes organised around hypermarket and department store anchors, with predictable retail line-ups. P

ublika’s entry was deliberate and disruptive: it refused the conventional anchor-tenant model, opting instead for a curated mix of independent and homegrown brands, a strong F&B identity, and a public art programme that was unprecedented in Malaysian retail.

The result was a mall that attracted a specific, loyal, and passionate community — expatriates, creatives, young professionals, and KL’s arts community — who felt that Publika was, finally, a mall designed for them.

The mall is managed by UEM Sunrise and can be contacted at +603-6211 7877 or customer.publika@uemsunrise.com. Opening hours are Daily, 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

Creative Retail Philosophy

Publika’s most defining characteristic is its Creative Retail philosophy — a deliberate rejection of conventional retail formulas in favour of independent, distinctive, and thoughtfully curated concepts.

The official positioning states it plainly: “We are tired of the same old shops with the same old formulas.”

This philosophy manifests in a store mix that is genuinely different from any other mall in Kuala Lumpur.

Rather than relying on a hypermarket anchor, Publika’s retail offer is organised into curated clusters of independent brands — many of which were homegrown Malaysian labels that launched or found their first major retail presence at Publika.

For KL’s creative community — designers, artisans, food entrepreneurs — Publika is not just a mall; it is a launching platform.

Art as Inspiration
The Public Art Programme

Perhaps the most visible manifestation of Publika’s creative identity is its public art programme.

The mall is not merely a backdrop for art: it is a venue for art. Art installations — including murals, sculptures, and functional public art pieces — are integrated throughout the mall’s architecture, doubling as playground equipment, seating, and wayfinding elements.

The stated aim is to “make art public and an everyday experience.”

Store Categories & Key Tenants

Publika’s five-level layout (UG, G1, G2, G3, G4) is organised around distinct categories, each curated to reflect the creative retail philosophy:

Notable tenants include: B.I.G. — Ben’s Independent Grocer (the beloved premium supermarket that started at Publika), Ace Hardware, Daiso, Habitat, ME.REKA (creative edutainment), Hong Creative Space, Bang Bang Geng (kids edutainment), Aurelia Atelier, Luxebebe, and many independent labels unavailable elsewhere.

Food & Beverage
Publika’s Crown Jewel

Publika’s food and beverage scene is arguably its greatest strength — a curated ecosystem of over 50 restaurants, cafés, bistros, and quick-service outlets that has made it a genuine culinary destination in its own right.

This is not the standard food court formula: it is a diverse, discovery-driven dining landscape that rewards exploration.

Beyond the listed brands, Publika also hosts bistros with live music, arts-inspired cafés, Malaysian kopitiam concepts, and unique one-off dining concepts that are frequently updated — making every visit a potential new discovery.

Connectivity & Accessibility

★ By Road

Publika sits directly on Jalan Dutamas, which connects to the Sprint Highway (linking to the Penchala Link and ultimately the NKVE / Damansara Expressway network), as well as the DUKC Tunnel (Subang–Kelana Link), making it accessible from Petaling Jaya, Mont’ Kiara, Sri Hartamas, and central KL.

Multiple car park levels are available.

★ Season Parking

The mall offers a seasonal parking programme for regular patrons — a practical benefit for those working in or frequently visiting the Solaris Dutamas precinct.

Nearby Landmarks & Community Context

Conclusion

In a retail landscape crowded with lookalike shopping centres organised around the same anchor stores and the same brand combinations, Publika Shopping Gallery stands apart — not by being the biggest, but by being the most deliberate.

Developed by UEM Sunrise and opened in 2012, it was a statement of intent: that a mall could be a community, that retail could be creative, and that art need not be confined to galleries — it belongs in the streets, the corridors, and the daily rituals of city life.

Thirteen years on, that vision has been vindicated.

With its 200+ curated independent shops, 50+ distinctive dining outlets, public art programme, and a loyal community of expatriates, creatives, and cosmopolitan KL-ites, Publika remains not just relevant but essential — the mall that KL’s creative class built, and keeps building, one artisan shop and artisan coffee at a time.