Lot 10's "Forest in the city" makeover: 10 fab features

Lot 10's upmarket hulk has sat on Jalan Bukit Bintang for two decades, its plastic-dark green more style-statement than vital. (Remember those odd metal palms in the interior?)

That's changing, though: the place is undergoing a complete renovation, in an attempt to net today's health- and environment-conscious urbanites. Hopefully, the repositioning - masterminded by multi-award-winning architect and designer Yuhkichi Kawai, of Design Spirits, Japan - breathes new life into the old place.

Lot 10 owner Francis Yeoh hopes his new "Forest in the City" will be an "urban microcosm of fitness and health", a place for consumers to pursue "the good life with responsibility".

On Lot 10's brand new roof, trees (real, this time!) sprout, ferns overhang, and new amenities beckon to KL's "Greenagers" (as Yeoh calls them):

1. Rooftop Fitness Club

This all-glass-façade gym is already open. It remains open until midnight daily, providing stressed-out city dwellers a KL-skyline backdrop to their health regimens. A studio offers aerobic dance, Pilates and Thaibo.

2. The Actors Studio

After the closure of their space in Bangsar Shopping Centre earlier this year, The Actors Studio's founders Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham have found a new spot for their stage. The minimalist 8,000-square-feet, 250-seat space will feature Malaysia's first T-shape stage - think Kabuki, or a fashion runway.

3. Teeq Brasserie

A chic establishment serving light "Japanese, Western, Asian and Thai" fare - ideal for a post-workout or post-play snack. Featuring an undulating, wooden-ribbed ceiling, all-glass façade, and avant-garde décor. Also available for catered functions. Opened evenings Tuesday to Wednesday, Teeq also serves lunch on the weekends.

4. Rootz Dance Club

What's a roof without a dance club? Set to feature the work of celebrity DJ Sam Young, it'll also seek to showcase the best in local talent. This Baroque interior-ed nightspot is designed to host events ranging from live-singing or jazz-band performances to fashion shows and brand launches.

Lot 10's revamp will also feature a new combo of high-end commodities:

• In April 2010, UK concept store Debenhams arrives in Lot 10 with a 3-floor premise, one-upping its previous outlet at the Curve
• The mall's long-running Isetan will get a face-lift
• Clothing lines like Nicky Hilton's Chick and Justin Timberlake's William Rast make their appearance
• A WiMAX Centre offers converged mobile Internet services
• Shabu One Steamboat Buffet offers a range of 200 different ingredients to drop into your boiling pot. (Watching out for promotion prices from 12-19 Oct)
• Lot 10 Hutong is "the world's first heritage gourmet village" - which means it's a swankier-by-degrees food-court of Malaysian eats. Playing host to 27 restaurants and kiosks, it'll offer stuff like Ho Wing Kee wanton mee, Kong Thye Singapore noodles and Mo Sang Kor bak kut teh. (Apparently, the place is so impressive that its opening will feature apperaances by celebrity chef and food critic Chua Lam.) Here's a peek of Lot 10 Hutong: