ABSTRACT
Shopping malls are fundamentally large complexbuildings occupied by considerable numbers of thegeneral public and shop staff. These buildings mustbe planned to be safe and in the event of an emergencyor fire, allow for fast and safe evacuation fromthe building by all its occupants. In the design ofthe practical issues, fire safety is one of the mostimportant and complex considerations. Fire safetyrequirements will be more onerous for enclosed andcovered shopping malls than for open street basedschemes. Shopping malls are characterized with various combustible materials from the merchant they sell, and as such the aim of the research is to assess the fire safety measures in shopping malls and how they are incorporated in shopping mall design. Interview and a checklist survey were used for data collection in this research. For the purpose of this research, four case studies were carried out both locally and internationally which are; Silverbird Galleria, Abuja, Ceddi Plaza, Abuja, Willow Shopping Mall, Townsville, Australia, and Bullring Shopping Mall, Birmingham. The findings from the case studies carried out shows that fire safety is prerequisite for any shopping mall design. The finding also shows that both passive and active fire safety measures should be employed in shopping mall design. The interview reveals that regular routine check of fire safety element is paramount. Some of the recommendations include; building in compliance with National Building Code (NBC) and providing a simple evacuation plan in each floor of the building.