PRINT THIS STORY:

CHANGE TEXT SIZE:

ROMANCING THE STONE

Raleigh mall’s design mingles local history and progress

By Jon Springer

A walkway beside a man-made stream leading to the main entrance is designed to appeal to locals’ love of the outdoors.

The designers of Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, N.C., admit they were somewhat surprised when a seven-ton rock “landed” unexpectedly in the food court. Pleasantly surprised, that is, for this was no construction calamity, but rather a kind of happy accident.

Of the many architectural elements at the newly opened 1.3 million-square-foot hybrid center, perhaps no single piece illustrates its design philosophy quite like the rock, an oddly shaped granite boulder that rises from the floor of an indoor-outdoor food court. The designers christened the rock The Triangle Stone. They say it stands for the originality, authenticity and respect for local tastes that drove the mall’s overall design.

“One of the things that inspired us when we started this project was the North Carolina state motto, Esse quam videri: To be, rather than to seem,” explained Mark Carter, senior principal at Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates (TVS), the Atlanta-based architecture firm that designed the center along with Seattle-based Callison Architecture for developer The Richard E. Jacobs Group. “We took that to mean we should be legitimate and not an imitation — reflective of and tied into the local community.”

Carter said TVS’ initial plans called for a large boulder to complement the food court, which features a rock-climbing theme. But despite searching in several states, TVS was unable to find “the right rock” until the stone turned up during site excavation. Using the local rock allowed the designers to call attention to it with a historical marker noting it as a “witness” to the area’s history, environment and progress — themes that are echoed both inside and outside the center.

“One of the things that stands out about Raleigh is its combination of history and progress,” Carter said. “It’s an area of traditional homes, but contemporary, high-tech businesses and a sophisticated workforce. Raleigh also enjoys a unique quality of life that values education, arts and nightlife. It also has a real obvious love of outdoor life and recreational activities.”

Working all of these elements into the center required patience, imagination and, in the case of the Triangle Stone, a bit of serendipity. Another concern was allowing the center to compete in a tough retail environment while avoiding some of the difficulties that other hybrid centers have encountered.

“When we began the process of developing the center, a number of shapes and designs evolved,” said William N. Fullington, SCMD, vice president of marketing services at Cleveland-based Jacobs. “The key criteria in any design [were] that it had to be functional, and it had to make money.”

In addition, said Fullington, the developer and the designers wanted a look and feel that would set the center apart from nearby competitors Crab Tree Valley Mall and Cary Town Center.

The center was also different from other Jacobs projects in part because the city required the developer to meet stringent environmental requirements, particularly with regard to wetlands. Jacobs built a stone-crushing plant on-site to clear the area. The crushed stone was later used to create the parking lot.

“We had to be gentle and kind to the environment, and, as a result, 50 percent of the developed area was green space,” said Fullington. “We’d never done a project with so much green space before.”

Inside and outside come together in several places at Triangle Town Center. In addition to the Creekside Café food court — home not only of the Triangle Stone, but also of a splash fountain for kids and a waterfall and stream — the mall features an indoor waterfall and a children’s play area built around the theme of a make-believe swimming hole. Leading to the entrance is the mall’s outside component: a line of open-air shops and restaurants bordering a promenade lined with trees and a man-made stream. This section, called the Triangle Town Commons, was still under construction at press time but is expected to open by the end of this year.

Jacobs is aware that some hybrid malls and their tenants have been less than satisfied with their early performance as the indoor-outdoor concept evolves. Many have struggled to draw mall patrons to shop outside, citing everything from design flaws to a lack of overall cohesiveness (SCT, October 2001). The key at Triangle, Fullington said, will be to market the various elements as distinct pieces of the same project.

“We’ve studied every hybrid center in the United States, and we think the outdoor section needs its own identity and its own marketing plan,” Fullington said. “Some others felt they could market the outdoor section and the mall as one place. We see these pieces as compatible, but distinctly different, and the marketing plan should reflect that.” Marketing for the Commons, whose four confirmed tenants are all restaurants, will emphasize the area’s adult appeal, Fullington said.

Inside the mall TVS managed to pay homage to Raleigh’s mixed identity by dividing the mall into distinct zones. The east wing uses history and tradition as a guide, Carter said, with symmetrical finishes and soft colors, and featuring such materials as marble, cherry and stone. The west side, by contrast, represents progress and features a sleeker, more contemporary look, such as skylights in asymmetrical shapes and patterns, and fixtures of angular steel and glass.

Between the east and west, a center court features an 18-foot waterfall cascading into a pool nestled between elevators. Sofas and tables with reading lamps help create a comfortable atmosphere where shoppers can relax and escape the bustle, Carter said. “The center court is very museumlike. It’s an impressive space on its own.”

Jacobs has matched its merchandising strategy to the design, Fullington said. The lower level of the west wing, for instance, is loaded with merchants catering to the younger crowd, including Aeropostale, Delia’s and Piercing Pagoda. “The design has allowed us to cluster stores together, putting rivals and competitors side by side,” Fullington said.

Anchored by Dillard’s, Hecht’s, Hudson Belk and Sears (a fifth anchor, Saks Fifth Avenue, is due to open in 2004), the mall opened for business in August, after some eight years in development. (Jacobs declined to disclose its cost.) The opening was delayed several times as Jacobs awaited completion of Interstate 540, Raleigh’s outer loop highway. Jacobs was in early enough on this site in the burgeoning northeast section of Raleigh that it met little public opposition. Few homes existed in the area before the mall was developed, so approvals went relatively smoothly, Fullington said.

The mall is about 90 percent occupied, he noted, adding that he expects Triangle Town Center’s competitors to fight back by aggressively leasing to retailers not currently in the new center. But they’ll have a tough job competing with that design.

© 2012 ICSC. All rights reserved. | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact ICSC | ICSC Home |