Malled: A Roof with a View, Santa Monica Place

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Santa Monica Place is getting better by the day. Just yesterday, we found out that Bloomingdale's would be taking the place of the old Macy's, and today the LAT reports that the overhauled mall, owned by Macerich and designed by the Jerde Partnership, will boast ocean views from the roof: "With flourishes of curved shining material unwinding from a third-story plaza, the $155-million renovation will allow patrons to see the nearby ocean from its rooftop dining level, according to architectural drawings released Wednesday."

The entire shopping center, originally designed by architect Frank Gehry in 1980, will have a much more open feel than the first: it "will feature a broad plaza surrounded by curving walls that open both to the street and toward the beach," versus its predecessor, which "was one of many inwardly focused shopping centers built during an era when owners wanted to lure customers into a self-contained bubble where there was little to do but shop." A little ocean breeze and tousled hair is just the thing to reinvigorate a weary shopper.
· Santa Monica Place will gain ocean view in major makeover [LAT]
· Malled: Bloomingdale's to Santa Monica Place! [Racked]
· Malled: Santa Monica Place [Racked]