Westfield Culver City is a bold new presence on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles and serves as a gateway to Culver City proper. After languishing in obscurity, Westfield Culver City’s transformation, made possible by a public/private revitalization effort, shows that turning around once troubled properties is not only possible, but vital to the well-being of the local community.
An ethnically diverse community, Culver City has welcomed an influx of young families in recent years and experienced an urban renaissance unlike any in the nation. Stylish art galleries, theaters, wine bars, and upscale bistros have all taken root here.
Project Goals:
• Bring the same energy and vitality found in downtown Culver City to an area dominated by characterless strip centers and non-descript industrial buildings.
• Supplant the image of a center that had suffered from years of neglect.
• Expand the trade area by attracting a more diverse customer base.
• Attract national retailers, who had long dismissed the center.
• Increase the visibility and openness of the center, inside and out.
The $180 million expansion and renovation of Westfield Culver City comprises 330,000 square feet of new shop space featuring new Target and Best Buy anchor stores; national brands such as H&M, XXI Forever, Coach, G by Guess, Hollister and Express; a line up of full service restaurants; a new dining terrace; and unique amenities, including public art installations.
The expansion to the west provided the opportunity to open up the inwardly focused mall to the exterior, creating a new public face for the project. Its large glass window reveals the life and energy contained within. Crisp geometry, bold signage, glass, metal and plaster are incorporated in a composition that reflects the context of current, forward-looking design in Southern California. Outward facing tenants, patios, lighting, landscape and amenities bring a new energy and pedestrian scale to the exterior areas.
The newest elements of the interior were carefully selected and composed to accentuate and complement the best characteristics of the existing structure. New glass rails, materials, lighting, signage and amenities bring a sparkle and freshness to the soaring spaces and dramatic roof forms of both old and new. New customer amenities include family parking, family lounges and three separate and significant public art installations, which have become nodes of social interactivity.
The new dining terrace projects boldly into the center of the existing mall space announcing a new attitude in the dining experience – a place to see and be seen. Featuring state of the art kitchen designs, where fresh food preparation and display are emphasized, the new dining terrace is a lively environment with a variety of seating options; from intimate to communal, with a special area for kids, too.
Project Name: Westfield Culver City
Location: Culver City, Calif.
Square Footage: 330,000 square feet
Architects: Westfield Design, Omniplan
Owner: Westfield
Construction Team: Westfield
Structural Engineer: ANF & Associates
Electrical Engineer: Sparling
Mechanical Engineer: Cdi Engineers
Civil Engineer: R.A. Smith National
Code Consultant: Schirmer Engineering
Geotechnical Engineer: J Byer Group
Lighting Consultant: Candela
Landscape Architect: LRM. Ltd.
Signage and Graphics: Omniplan and Westfield Design
Structural Steel: McMahon Steel
Cast In Place Concrete: Conco
Roofing System: Anning Johnson
Site Electrical: Unison Electric
Site Plumbing Systems: Bali Construction
Site Grading: Sharma Engineering
Shoring/Lagging: Malcolm Drilling
Precast Piling: Foundation Engineers
Stone/Porcelain Tile: Premier Tile
Interior Mall Electrical (Power & Lighting): Unison Electric
Exterior Insulation Finish System: Raymond Cos.
Roof Decking (Parking Coating): Ladner Coatings
Architectural Sheet Metal: Northshore Sheet Metal
Painting (interior exterior): Randal McAnnany
HVAC Mechanical Systems: Control Air
Plumbing (Expansion): Blue Plumbing
Plumbing (Renovation: Caspian Plumbing