The closure of a 250,000-square-foot department store at Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Center prompted a $43 million total renovation. Emulating the authentic outdoor shopping experiences of a Michigan Avenue (or, on more local turf, Bloor Street), MMC International Architects and retail consultants GHA shoppingscapes reimagined the mall's interior as an urban streetscape. Storefronts were required to use exterior-grade materials and stretch to two and three stories in height, accentuating the individuality of the stores, not their container. A 300-foot-long structural glass roof brings in sky views, heightening the outdoor sensibility. The completed mall is now fully occupied, with a 431 percent increase in revenue and traffic and sales counts up 18 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
Project Name
Yorkdale Shopping Center
Location
Toronto
Square Footage
323,000
Designers
MMC International Architects GHA shoppingscapes
Client
Oxford Properties Group
Credits
Structural Engineers
Yolles Partnership Inc.
Mechanical Engineers
The Mitchell Partnership
Electrical Engineers
Hammerschlag & Joffe Inc.
Lighting Consultant
Lighting Planners Associates
Wayfinding Consultant
Bruce Mau
General Contractor
Ellis Don
Mall Flooring
Maple Terrazzo Marble & Tile
Mall Furniture
MCM 2001 Inc.