situation:
General Growth Properties (GGP), the owner of Crossroads Center, was looking to renovate its shopping center food court with large planters as part of a significant renovation, with the idea of strengthening a dominant position as the only enclosed mall in its primary market. In collaboration with KKE architects, GGP set out to build a 770 seat food court with large planters that was big enough to handle significant demand yet have a verdant, intimate “park-like” setting.
initiatives:
Commercial Silk Int’l was contracted to assist in specifying the appropriate plant container sizes, plant varieties and heights, foliage density and plant locations for the shopping center. Our project team began by identifying the appropriate plant varieties that were deciduous to the Upper Midwest. Once the over story varieties were selected, the team specified the appropriate plant heights and planter sizes to define the large volume of food court space.
results:
Commercial Silk Int’l installed twelve 18’ artificial Birch trees, hundreds of live under story plantings, and large plant containers strategically positioned to create small and intimate spaces. These native trees, with fine textured foliage and distinctive white bark, were custom built with an airy, broad reaching canopy that allowed large amounts of natural sunlight to penetrate the space and provide unobstructed views of food court signage. The installation of Crossroads Center marked Commercial Silk Int’l’s 20th mall completed for GGP. Commercial Silk Int’l is a GGP Preferred Vendor for both live and artificial trees and plants.
location:
St. Cloud, MN