Lafayette Square Restoration Plan.

Source: St. Louis City Planning Commission, fall 1971.

neighborhood on the near South Side of St. Louis, and reached its height between 1875 and 1890. Many large, well-constructed houses were built around Lafayette Park, the city's first major park, named after the famous French patriciot to commemorate his visit to

the city in the early 1800s. When redevelopment of the neighborhood began in the late 1960s, approximately 400 of these original structures remained. They provided a variety of Victorian architectural styles from small Federal row houses and elegant two- and three-

Aerial view of center and surroundings.

## NORTHWEST PLAZA

St. Louis, Missouri

ARCHITECTS: Architectural Design Associates

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Lawrence Halprin & Associates

This center, located on a 117-acre site, is one of the few five-department-store centers designed around an open mall. The attraction of this center is due in part to the well-designed open areas between buildings, which was part of the initial concept of the architects, Architectural Design Associates. The successful integration of the buildings and the landscaped areas, as well as the "distinctive shingled and copper mansard roof which blends with exterior facades of lava stone, brick and glass present a unified, overall character."* There are eight fountains, some of which are designed by Lawrence Halprin, landscape architect. The malls also contain sculpture, shaded walkways, and colorful garden arrangements. One of the important water sculptures is created by Aristides Demetrios of San Francisco.

Another feature of this center is the twelve-story office building with a restaurant at mall level.

Although the accepted trend for the present and the immediate future is the closed-mall, climate-controlled center, the success of this center demonstrates that given the right location, design, tenant mix, and an attractive program for community events, there is still room for the well-planned open mall.

The owner-developers are Louis and Milton Zorensky.

*Reprinted by permission from Chain Store Age, Executive Edition. Copyright by Lebhar-Friedman, Inc., 2 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016

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