Going to town
American malls have changed dramatically over the past several years — both in what they offer and how they are designed.
Once merely an enclosed shopping complex, today’s mall might feature a theme park, aquarium, playhouse, spa or celebrity-chef restaurant. Some malls are global tourist destinations.
“Dining and entertainment have become critically important for many malls,” said Jesse Tron, spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, the trade group for the shopping center industry. “It’s important to become more than a distribution outlet for the distribution of goods.”
Mall design has changed, too. Some new malls resemble towns with individualized buildings. Others are open-air spaces where visitors can take in the heavens, the mountains or the ocean while sipping a latte. A Salt Lake City mall has a retractable roof. “Instead of enclosed malls, the U.S. will continue to see a lot of open-air outlet malls open,” said Ellen Dunham-Jones, professor of architecture and urban design at Georgia Tech.
The Grove — Los Angeles
Key trend: Downtown street design linking past and present
When the owners of Los Angeles’ historic Farmers Market sought to build out a 20-acre adjacent plot, the winning developer aimed to create a “physical and emotional link” between the new mall and the market.
The Grove opened in 2002. The International Council of Shopping Centers gave it an international design award the next year, noting the “555,386-square-foot center was designed as a downtown street evolving into a visually rich and genuinely historic retail district anchored by the Farmers Market on one side and The Grove’s own town square on the other.”
A free electric trolley runs between the Farmers Market and the mall. A mix of retailers and restaurants — including Abercrombie & Fitch, Chico’s and The Cheesecake Factory — are here. The Grove attracts celebrities and tourists. A California newspaper reported that it is a “favored southern California destination” for Asian tourists.