On the heels of a recently completed interior renovation, renderings have emerged for the new public face of Phipps Plaza. Plans call for a modern upgrade — and drastically different appearance — to the mall entrance and storefronts along Peachtree Road. The timely overhaul will bring the Phipps facade into the 21st Century; the mall was beginning to look a bit '90s. What's more, at the tender age of 45, the upscale plaza is readying itself for a new neighbor — or hundreds of them. The mall renovation should be completed by fall of this year, in time for the opening of the Domain at Phipps, apartments which will occupy the front corner of the site. But it's probably what's down the street that's driving the upgrades.
High-end retail comes in many forms in Buckhead. Where Lenox and Peachtree roads meet, shoppers have their pick of places to spend money: Lenox Square, the Shops Around Lenox, Phipps Plaza and many other stores surround the intersection. With all the competition, the retail developments have attempted to garner attention the way any other dated icon might: facelifts. Ostensibly fueled by the opening of OliverMcMillan's Buckhead Atlanta development in September, both Lenox Square and Shops around Lenox received swank mod makeovers.
The proposal for Phipps Plaza looks remarkably like the Lenox Square upgrades. The two malls, located catty-corner from each other at the Peachtree-Lenox intersection, are both owned by Simon Property Group, which might explain the family resemblance. While they compete for business, a slightly more cohesive look might be a signal of more collaboration between the two malls, like we saw this holiday season with free pedi-cab service for shoppers. It isn't clear whether Simon got a two-for-one sale on architectural services, or they are consciously visually unifying their holdings in Buckhead, but one thing is for sure: The renderings show no store names. Could that suggest Phipps has plans to push out more than Twist before all is said and done? Or do they plan to open many stores called simply "TENANT"?
· [Rendering] Phipps Plaza Slated For Major Exterior Facelift [What Now Atlanta]
· Imminent Domain [Curbed Atlanta]
· Festive Pedaling [Curbed Atlanta]
· Should Others Take Note of 'Shops Around Lenox' Redo? [Curbed Atlanta]
· New, More Metallic Look For Lenox Square Shopping Mecca [Curbed Atlanta]
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