The Works, a retail destination in El Segundo, California, was once a complex of outdated and underutilized brick buildings nestled across five acres and tucked away from the main strip of Pacific Coast Highway 1. Three nearby retail plazas, all serving specific markets, kept it out of sight and mind for consumers looking for something different, and in today’s world full of oversaturated retail centers, the challenge was to figure out how to reinvigorate the character and boost attraction. We had to develop a more unique aesthetic, while purposefully prioritizing common spaces and the pedestrian experience.
What used to be an ordinary shopping center with traditional tenants is now a playful, creative, and welcoming retail destination with more unique service-oriented tenants. Environmental graphics, creative placemaking and landscaping, and ownable architectural elements add character and activate dead spaces, bringing purpose back into the development.
The new retail environment offers a differentiated feel and targets a specific set of consumers with its eclectic, artsy, and distinctive vibe.
