DALLAS,TX - NorthPark Center, one of country's most recognized retail centers, has been honored with a merit award from the International Council of Shopping Centers' (ICSC) 31st International Design and Development Awards. Designed by Omniplan, a full-service architecture, interior architecture, and planning firm, NorthPark Center was one of five winners in the category of renovations and expansions over 500,000 square feet. This is one of four design awards bestowed upon the project in 2007.
Photo: Craig Blackmon
NorthPark's $235 million expansion extended the L-shaped mall, which was originally designed by Omniplan in 1963, into an enclosed square with a 1.5-acre park located in the middle. The update added approximately 900,000 square feet of retail space on two levels with a 15-screen movie theater on a third level. The addition also incorporated a flagship Nordstrom, restaurants, a terrace food court, and a collection of specialty stores.
The existing mall design was deliberately understated, with careful attention given to space and natural light. Using a palette of stained concrete floors, contrasting light-colored brick, and concrete, the center proved to be a perfect space to display the developer's remarkable sculpture collection.
The planning concepts and materials of the original center are continued in the expansion. The larger scale of the two-story expansion is moderated with the addition of larger clerestories and skylights. The larger daylight openings employ vertical fins and baffles that filter the natural light, creating a constantly changing play of light and shadow throughout the day.
In addition to this honor, in 2007, NorthPark received a 25-year award from the Texas Society of Architects for maintaining the center's architectural integrity and additionally a design award from the Texas Society of Architects for its expansion. The center was also recognized by Shopping Centers Today as one of the "7 Retail Wonders of the Modern World."