Retail and Entertainment

 View Only

Community HTML

Quick Links

Who we are

The Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community (REKC) fosters the creation, discussion, and dissemination of knowledge about the retail and entertainment environments among practitioners, clients, retailers, and the general public to advance the practice and improve the quality of retail and entertainment environments.

  • 1.  Repurposing old malls

    Posted 08-13-2012 08:59 AM
    I've recently been commissioned to help a client who's buying and old (late 50's, early 60's) covered mall in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.  Since there are no original drawings, nobody knows exactly when it was built, but it has the clear hallmarks of that early transition period from suburban strip malls to covered malls al la Victor Gruen.

    I'm looking for other examples of early mall redevelopments for ideas of what might be successful strategies.  Back in 2006 REC did a case study at the San Antonio convention on two adjacent malls, one of which is very much like my current project (sadly never repositioned successfully, at least at that point).

    Neither scrape and re-do nor historic preservation is a realistic option (I think), but will be included as bookends in our recommendations none the less.

    If anyone has examples of others, I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

    Ed

    -------------------------------------------
    Edward Shriver FAIA
    Principal
    Strada Architecture, LLC
    Pittsburgh PA
    -------------------------------------------


  • 2.  RE:Repurposing old malls

    Posted 08-14-2012 08:59 AM

    Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia

    http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ellen_dunham_jones_retrofitting_suburbia.html

    Is worth a look.
    -------------------------------------------
    Eric Letbetter AIA
    Senior Associate
    Niles Bolton Associates
    Atlanta GA
    -------------------------------------------








  • 3.  RE:Repurposing old malls

    Posted 08-14-2012 10:42 AM
      |   view attached
    Edward,
    I completed a series of design charrettes with Growsmart Maine web link here: http://growsmartmaine.org/highway-strip 
    Along with mall owners, planners, local code officials we looked at how to revive and re purpose old and under-performing suburban retail centers with an eye toward mixed use. Growsmart is completing a white paper based on these charrettes, I've attached an excerpt that lists the high points of what we've found. While geared towards strip centers in Maine, I can see this as applicable to a range of projects and locations.

    -------------------------------------------
    John Charette AIA
    Port City Architecture
    Cape Elizabeth ME
    -------------------------------------------








  • 4.  RE:Repurposing old malls

    Posted 08-14-2012 01:34 PM
    First, thanks to all for the input and suggestions.  Anybody else have some others, keep them coming.

    On a related front, has anyone been involved in, or seen an historic preservation approach to early malls?  We're entering the point where some of these late 50's early 60's malls like Victor Gruen and Jim Rouse built (in fact, that whole suburban expansion post WW II).  Have we preserved any of that?  Should we?

    Great input.  Thanks for the help and welcome any other thoughts!

    -------------------------------------------
    Edward Shriver FAIA
    Principal
    Strada Architecture, LLC
    Pittsburgh PA
    -------------------------------------------