Sector·4 min read
Shopping Mall Fire Detection and Suppression Design — A BYKHY-Based Guide
Shopping malls carry a distinctive fire risk with high occupancy, large open volumes (atriums), many commercial kitchens, and enclosed car parks. This article covers fire detection and suppression design in malls on a BYKHY basis: Article 96 sprinkler requirement (total > 2,000 m²), Article 75/Annex-7 automatic detection, atrium and store smoke control/exhaust, commercial-kitchen hood suppression (Article 57), hose cabinets and hydrants (Articles 94-95), the post-2025 mandatory detection in enclosed car parks, compartmentation, and how integrated systems (detection + sprinkler + smoke exhaust) complement one another.
A-Pro Engineering
Shopping malls are among the most challenging building types for fire safety: high occupancy, floor upon floor of stores, large open volumes (atriums), many commercial kitchens, cinemas and entertainment areas, and wide enclosed car parks all coexist. This complexity is met not with a single system but with an integrated design. This article covers fire detection and suppression design in malls on a BYKHY (Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings) basis; it is a mall-specific deepening of our general article on which building requires which system.
Mall-specific risks
- High occupancy and evacuation: Thousands of users, long escape distances — smoke control is critical.
- Atrium and large volumes: High ceilings make point detectors inadequate; smoke accumulation and spread are complex.
- Commercial kitchens: Heavy grease-fire (Class F/K) risk in food courts.
- Enclosed car park: Freezing risk, exhaust pollution, large area.
- Mixed use: Retail + storage + entertainment + office together; each a different hazard class.
Sprinkler requirement (Article 96)
Under BYKHY Article 96, shopping malls, multi-story stores, and commercial and entertainment venues require automatic sprinklers when the total area exceeds 2,000 m². Since almost every mall exceeds this threshold, sprinklers are a standard requirement.
Design is done per TS EN 12845; store, common-area, and storage sections are split into hazard classes by use. We covered how sprinkler systems work in a separate article. In high-rack storage areas, ESFR or in-rack solutions are evaluated; water demand, pump, and tank are sized to these hazard classes.
Automatic detection (Article 75 / Annex-7)
The automatic fire detection and alarm system is installed to the Article 75 and Annex-7 thresholds. Because of the large area and complex geometry, addressable detection is preferred; stores, common areas, storage, technical rooms, and the car park are zoned separately.
- Atriums and high ceilings: Beam detectors or aspirating (VESDA-type) detection instead of point detectors.
- Enclosed car park: With the 1 July 2025 amendment, automatic detection became mandatory.
- Kitchens: Grease-vapor-resistant detector selection and placement that prevents false alarms.
We covered detector types and selection logic in detail in our fire detection systems article.
Smoke control and the atrium
The leading cause of death in fire is smoke. Malls’ large open volumes and long escape distances amplify this risk. Therefore a smoke control/exhaust system is designed for atriums and large store volumes:
- Reservoirs are formed with smoke curtains, limiting lateral smoke spread.
- Mechanical exhaust (fans) or natural venting + fresh-air inlet keeps the smoke layer above the escape routes.
- The system is activated automatically by fire detection and works in sync with the sprinklers.
The aim is to keep escape routes and floor connections below the smoke, buying time for evacuation.
Commercial kitchens (Article 57)
Mall food courts and restaurants are a separate risk class due to commercial cooking. Under Article 57, commercial kitchens above a certain capacity require automatic suppression over the hood (wet chemical). This system suppresses the grease fire on the hood, duct, and cooking surface; it works integrated with gas/energy shut-off. We covered how hood suppression works in a separate article. Kitchens are also included in the general sprinkler and detection network.
Hose cabinets, hydrants, and car park
- Hose cabinet (Article 94): In commercial/assembly buildings, once total enclosed area exceeds 1,000 m², a standpipe + cabinet is required. In malls with a floor area over 1,000 m², a fire department connection is planned.
- Hydrant (Article 95): For commercial buildings over 12.50 m height and 2,000 m² area, an external hydrant system.
- Car park: In freeze-prone enclosed car parks, dry-pipe sprinklers and mechanical smoke control (jet fan/ducted) are applied; we detailed this in our car park fire safety article. It is planned together with a fire department connection.
The systems complement one another
Mall safety is achieved not by one system but by a chain: detection warns early → sprinklers limit growth → smoke control keeps escape routes clear → the hood suppresses the kitchen grease fire → hose cabinets/hydrants enable brigade intervention. BYKHY states that when an appropriate fire control system (detection + sprinkler + smoke exhaust) is present, the compartment area may be doubled or left unlimited — meaning correct integrated design also gives the architecture flexibility.
Summary
Mall fire design meets the risks of high occupancy, atriums, commercial kitchens, and large car parks with an integrated approach. Sprinklers are mandatory under Article 96 (>2,000 m²) and detection is installed addressably under Article 75/Annex-7; smoke control comes into play in atriums and large volumes, hood suppression in kitchens (Article 57), and dry system + smoke control + detection (mandatory after 2025) in car parks. Hose cabinets/hydrants complete the picture under Articles 94-95. It is essential that these systems be designed together around a fire scenario. At A-Pro we design detection, sprinkler, smoke control, and hood systems in an integrated way for malls and large commercial buildings and deliver them turnkey; contact us for a free site survey within Ankara.
This content is for information purposes. Binding design must be produced project-by-project based on the building’s actual conditions and the editions of BYKHY, TS EN 12845, and the relevant standards in force.
© 2027 A-Pro Mühendislik. This is original technical content produced by A-Pro Engineering; all rights reserved. Copying, reproducing or republishing it in whole or in part without attribution and permission is prohibited.
Frequently asked questions
Are sprinklers mandatory in shopping malls?+
Yes. Under BYKHY Article 96, shopping malls, multi-story stores, and commercial and entertainment venues require an automatic sprinkler system when the total area exceeds 2,000 m². In practice almost every mall exceeds this threshold by far, so sprinklers are a standard requirement. In addition, commercial kitchens within the mall require a separate hood suppression system. Sprinkler design is done per TS EN 12845 by hazard class according to the use of the retail and storage areas; ESFR or in-rack solutions are evaluated in areas with high storage height.
By what rule is a mall's fire detection system designed?+
The automatic fire detection and alarm system is designed to the thresholds of BYKHY Article 75 and Annex-7. Because of their large area, high occupancy, and complex geometry, malls use an addressable detection system; stores, common areas, storage, technical rooms, and the car park are handled separately. In high-ceiling spaces such as atriums, beam detectors or aspirating detection are used instead of point-type detectors. With the 1 July 2025 amendment, automatic detection became mandatory in enclosed car parks too; this applies directly to mall car parks.
Why is smoke control so important in a mall?+
The leading cause of death in fire is smoke and toxic gases; in malls, large open volumes (atriums), long escape distances, and high occupancy amplify this risk. Therefore a smoke control/exhaust system (mechanical exhaust or natural venting + fresh air inlet) is designed for atriums and large store volumes; the aim is to keep escape routes and floor connections below the smoke layer, buying time for evacuation. Smoke reservoirs are formed with smoke curtains, and the system is activated automatically by fire detection. Smoke control must be designed holistically together with sprinklers and detection.
What is required for restaurants and commercial kitchens inside a mall?+
Food courts and restaurants in malls are a separate risk class because they do commercial cooking. Under BYKHY Article 57, commercial kitchens above a certain capacity require an automatic suppression system over the hood (wet chemical); this system suppresses grease fires (Class F/K) on the hood, duct, and cooking surface and works integrated with gas/energy shut-off. Kitchen areas are also included in the general sprinkler and detection network. In kitchens with heavy grease vapor, detector selection and placement are planned to prevent false alarms.
Which suppression system is used in a mall car park?+
Enclosed car parks are treated specially due to freezing risk, exhaust-borne pollution, and large area. In unheated/freeze-prone car parks, a dry-pipe sprinkler system is preferred instead of a wet system; also mechanical smoke control/exhaust is set up with jet fans or a ducted system. With the 1 July 2025 amendment, automatic fire detection became mandatory in enclosed car parks too. Because mall car parks usually have a large floor area, they are planned together with a fire department connection (dry riser) and adequate hydrants/hose cabinets.
What does it mean for the systems to complement one another in a mall?+
Mall fire safety is achieved not by a single system but by an integrated chain: detection finds the fire early, sprinklers limit its growth, smoke control keeps escape routes clear, the hood system suppresses kitchen grease fires, and hose cabinets/hydrants give the fire brigade a means to intervene. BYKHY states that when an appropriate fire control system (detection + sprinkler + smoke exhaust) is present, the compartment (fire zone) area may be doubled or left unlimited — meaning correct integrated design also gives the architecture flexibility. It is essential that these systems be designed together around a fire scenario and commissioned in sync.
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