Hasta La Ideas

Roughly two and a half years ago, we told you about the planned partial-demolition/total-reconstruction of Frank Gehry‘s Santa Monica Place mall. The shopping center had never faired well after its opening in the early 80s and even after its extensive remodeling in both 1991 and 1996, and so it was decided to nearly scrap the whole thing and try something new. The owners hired Dallas-based architecture firm Omniplan to come in, rip the whole roof off, making the throughways entirely open-air, adding a third floor, and greening the whole complex along the way. The new mall opened just an hour ago, with large crowds gathering in its main artery. Although its bones still have some Gehry in them, it doesn’t look much like his work anymore. Though then again, comparing his work now to his work from 1980, neither did the original. Here’s a gallery of renderings and construction photos, and here’s a description of all the bells and whistles:

The 500,000-square-foot, three-story shopping and dining destination features upscale retail more suited to the neighborhood than the previous tenant mix, as well as new amenities such as a third-floor Dining Deck with views of the Pacific Ocean. Removing the roof and adding environmentally friendly features has also allowed developer Macerich, which acquired the property in 1999, to target LEED Silver certification.

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