Santa Monica Place

395, Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA, United States

Add To Collection

Santa Monica Place

395, Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA, United States

Type

Commercial › Retail
Hospitality + Sport › Restaurant

YEAR

2010

For
decades, the 1980’s era Santa Monica Place had been struggling despite its phenomenal location
adjacent to the famous Third Street Promenade within the thriving downtown of
Santa Monica, California. When Macerich, a prominent shopping center owner,
manager and developer, acquired the center in 1999, its redevelopment
progressed to revitalize urban connections and restore the city fabric while advancing
concepts of sustainable retail development. Designed by The Jerde Partnership,
the new Santa Monica Place has transformed into an “urban living room”—a hub of
commercial and social activity connected to the people and its surroundings
while reactivating downtown Santa Monica.
In
a coastal city best experienced outside, the project takes the mall out of the
mall and keeps with the city’s outdoor orientation and intimate scale. By
removing the roof and gutting its interior, the project extends the vibrancy of
Third Street, connects to existing pedestrian paths, and creates public plazas,
maximizing the site’s potential with an open-air footprint that seamlessly
integrates all four sides with the surrounding community. The project’s streetscapes
reflect each particular context—intimate Third Street Promenade to the north,
the serenity of the ocean to the west, the formality of the Civic Center the
south, and urban Los Angeles to the east—and are enhanced with terra cotta,
glass, stone, brick, and stainless steel elements integrated with unique
patterns, varying dimensional openings, and lighting.
Pedestrian
paths merge at the center with a new public court plaza that creates a distinct
communal experience. This grand plaza is a signature element of Santa Monica
Place, acting as the project’s heart on the main level while providing a
vibrant gathering space for performances, art installations and other local
events. Its elliptical shape, combined with the offset orientation of the two
upper retail and dining floors, maximizes sunlight through all levels.
In
addition to the grand plaza and pedestrian paths, on the third level is the
signature Dining Deck featuring trees, an outdoor fireplace, cabana-style
lounging cubes, and indoor/outdoor common area seating. The deck is one of the
few places where people can relax and enjoy views from the ocean to the mountains
without having to enter any private or stand-alone facility.The
new Santa Monica Place is being considered for LEED Gold certification for adapting
the enclosed center to an open-air facility with solar panels for energy
efficiency; increasing pedestrian connectivity and connections to public
transportation; using reflective roofing materials to reduce the heat island
effect; and incorporating water-efficient landscaping and other conservation
measures.
When the property re-opened in August 2010, the new complex—consisting
of approximately 524,000 square feet of gross leasable space across three
levels—was 92% leased and 97% committed, attracting an estimated 200,000 people
on grand opening weekend alone. Designed to become a complementary extension of
Third Street Promenade, businesses along Third Street have reported a positive
ripple effect including record sales on the day of the center’s grand opening,
and increased real estate property values.
As economically and socially evident, the new Santa Monica Place
highlights a successful retail repositioning, delivering
a dynamic urban experience and communal space for gathering and interaction.