Project Data:

Completion Date:     11/1/2021

Square Footage:      23561

Building Use:           Food Hall

Project Description:

Collage Culinary Experience is a 20,000 square foot food hall that creates a destination for local and unique food and drink, inside the shopping destination South Coast Plaza. With the changes in shopping trends, the Bloomingdale’s department store had reduced its footprint and wanted to be creative with what that area was used for. Enter the concept of an iconic food hall experience. Inspired by the aesthetic of chic, luxury food collectives in Singapore, and the moody, gritty tones of Hong Kong street food markets, Collage emphasizes boutique brands and local restaurants. The intentional focus on southeast Asian flavors speaks to the diversity of the local community and clientele.

The rethinking of this retail space into a food hall starts on the outside with a dramatic new corner – a super-graphic green wall and prominent branding, new entry landscaping, and entry canopy draw the eye and invite discovery. Inside, two distinct concepts emerge. The upper level is filled with natural light, luxurious materials, and a landscape of saturated pastel colors. A thirty-seven foot wide operable glass wall opens the anchor tenant to the new patio and blends inside and out. Descending a wide stair – intended to host live music performers as well as celebrate the movement of visitors – a visitor enters the second concept. The lower level’s darker jewel tones, neon lighting, and a dramatic wood and greenery ‘tunnel’ all evoke the discovery of turning a corner in a street fair to find a hidden gem.

Throughout the process, close collaboration with the prospective tenants was key. Working closely with the owner and developer, the design team worked to adjust the planning and architecture to attract the desired restaurant concepts. This phase of continuously fluid planning required close coordination with all consultants and with the health department to ensure continuation of sustainability and safety goals.

Collage Food Hall creates a destination that revitalizes an unused corner of a public space and celebrates local community food traditions in a vibrant setting.

Framework for Design Excellence

Design for Equitable Communities:
This project envisions what underutilized real estate in a large footprint shopping mall can become by aggregating unique restaurants into a food hall. Access to these international chef-driven concepts is an exciting opportunity for community. By emphasizing Asian flavors, the various concepts celebrate local diverse heritage.

Design for Integration:
This project is one of joyful celebration of the discovery of a wonderful hidden gem meal. Each aspect of the concept – architectural expression, lighting, graphics, materiality – are intended to create a sensory journey through the two level food hall. The resulting space is dynamic, welcoming, comfortable, and connected to local food culture.

Firm Name:              IA Interior Architects

Completion Date:     11/1/2021

Square Footage:      23561

Building Use:           Food Hall

Location:                 South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA

Design Architect:
IA Interior Architects

Associate Architect or Firm:

Landscape Architect:
Anil Verma Associates

Owner / Developer:
J+R Group

Engineer:
Structural - Coffman Engineers
MEP - GMEP Engineers

General Contractor:
Servco Builders

Consultant:

Photographer:
Garrett Rowland