No matter the city, people want to interact and be social, but need activated and compelling environments to do so, Rogers says. “The mall should be taken out of the mall.” Rogers recently spoke with GlobeSt.com about how to design such retail spaces in today’s environment.

Dolce: What do you mean by “the mall should be taken out of the mall” or do you have any specific examples you can cite to show what you mean by that?

Rogers: The existing 1980’s-era Santa Monica Place falls into this category. For decades, it had become a struggling center with increasingly low vacancy rates and decreased consumer foot traffic, despite its phenomenal location adjacent to the famous Third Street Promenade within the thriving downtown of Santa Monica, CA. Developed by top US retail owner, Macerich, and designed by the Jerde Partnership of Venice, CA, the new Santa Monica Place has been completely retrofitted as a distinct urban destination that has become the hub of the city, promoting and revitalizing urban connections to restore the city fabric, while advancing concepts of sustainable retail development. Where visitors were once greeted with an enclosed, unwelcoming “mall,” the new Santa Monica Place offers an extended and enlivened public experience that celebrates the cultural and geographical openness that makes Santa Monica a great place to live and visit. And for the first time people have views of the city, the mountains beyond, and the Pacific Ocean from a single commercial location.

Dolce: How should ‘de-malling’ places be designed and what should happen there?

Rogers: The success of creating compelling retail destinations is the ability to solve issues through a philosophy termed “The Big Idea”—a design solution that creates an experience that delivers on visitors highest expectations. These places are so compelling that they attract people in extraordinarily large numbers, provide memorable experiences so customers return with their family and friends, and cause huge economic success. The unique spatial quality of such a project is inspired by both the local context and the aspirations of the local citizens, thus creating an authentic and vibrant project that becomes the most popular destination in the region. The spaces within the project are interwoven with the surrounding pedestrian circulation and are highlighted with contextual textures and colors along with a landscape that attracts people of all ages. Likewise, the building shapes are formed to reinforce the spaces within and to establish an exterior identity and landmark within the city. This approach is both practical and artistic. The solution, despite its innovative qualities, feels as if the project belongs to the city and thus grows in popularity over time, delivering a timeless and sustainable quality.

Dolce: What are the fundamentals of “The Big Idea” that make a retail project successful without it feeling like a mall?

Rogers: Firstly, it must be a place that inspires people to engage in the human experience of gathering and establish a sense of belonging. The project should not feel like an enclosed, linear mall, but rather an extension of the city with special attributes and amenities. It becomes the most popular place to go by appealing to people’s enjoyable emotions. The most transformative elements of the design of Santa Monica Place’s redevelopment was the removal of the existing mall’s roof to open the project to the sky and give the public a primary gathering space within the city. Jerde proposed to remove the roof in order to create a compelling, communal outdoor living environment that would let in light and ocean breezes, while feeling like part of the urban fabric. This solution created a tangible connection to Southern California’s climate and introduced important sustainable features.

Secondly, addressing the requirements of the tenants is essential. In order to transform malls into new and compelling retail spaces, focus should be put on the needs and desires of people and their experiential expectations while shopping. For a retail project to be truly successful, the design must acknowledge, accommodate and encourage the activity of shopping. It is generally acknowledged by leading retailers that enhanced social destinations tend to attract people longer, leading to additional purchases. Therefore, creating a communal place that people return to will drive retail sales much higher than creating a standard, uninspiring solution. Historically the exchange of goods took place in a marketplace, along the downtown “main street,” in a bazaar with street vendors, or in a farmer’s market. These were not typical mall environments; they were a part of everyday activity created over time in response to the characteristics of the city and people that lived there. These are the true inspirations for innovative design of retail spaces today.

Check back in the next day or so for part 2 of this piece, where Rogers discusses retail zones, districts, urban inspirations, construction costs and targeting the visitor.