About
Downtown LA's Only Mall Opens Up and Welcomes the City's Electric Street life.
Project Details
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Practice Theme
Architecture, Building Community + Place
What We Did
Mixed-Use, Commercial
Size
450,000 sq. ft.
LA’s largest Transit of Development (TOD)
Located on an important downtown site bound by Hope, Flower, 7th and 8th Streets, The Bloc represents the goals and aspirations of today’s Los Angeles. In place of the homogeneous, inward-facing structure of the former Macy’s Plaza, The Bloc opens up to city street life with an eclectic mix of forms and uses that represent the diversity of today’s city. Vibrant outdoor promenades, terraces and plazas are animated by flexible furnishings and programmed events.
The project is an important Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site, situated at the epicenter of the region’s expanding rail lines, bus network, bike share, and proposed streetcar. To take advantage of the high level of transit access available, the Bloc is incorporating elements of the City’s Mobility Hub Pilot Program. Click here to read more about the Bloc Mobility Hub.
Before
After
A project that was once uninviting and internalized has now opened itself to the public. The main concept is reinforced with new connections that include entrances, colonnades, mid-block crossings, balconies, decks, and a direct connection to the 7th Street Metro Station. Several new large floor openings interconnect levels visually and spatially throughout the space. One of the largest transformations to the project was the removal of the previous Macy’s Plaza roof (formerly spanning between Hotel and Office tower), ultimately creating a large inviting urban living room in the center of downtown.
Reshaping what used to be a solid mass to provide new open areas has allowed for new urban activates at The Bloc Square. The existing building has been ‘de-massed’ and is now sensitive to the human scale to help reinforce activities and retail spaces along the street level. To evaluate the success of the project, Studio One Eleven has been conducting a yearlong study on the public spaces at the Bloc. Click here to read more about the Bloc Space Public Life Study.
2017
LABJ Commercial Real Estate Awards, Silver Award, Retail
2016
LABC Architectural Design Award-Under Construction
LABC Chairman’s Award
The Best Retail Architects in Los Angeles, California
Downtown L.A. 7th Street Subway Station Opens New Tunnel to The Bloc
Downtown LA’s New Open-Air Mall Opening This Week
The Bloc, Metro Open New Portal to Downtown Transit Riders
LEED-Certified The Bloc Is First US BREEAM Development
Connecting The Bloc, modernist art, mapping the heart
Gallery
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