MEADOWLANDS XANADU RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX

MEADOWLANDS XANADU RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX

Located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on a site which was once an under-utilized parking lot, is this enormous five-storey retail and entertainment complex which, when completed, will be the largest shopping mall in the United States and the third largest shopping mall in the world.

Visible from the New Jersey turnpike and New Jersey Route 3, this massive edifice is primarily composed of horizontal rectilinear pre-finished metal panels in a variety of colours, with rooftop mechanical equipment being screened with red and orange meshed panels. Adding to this composition are four precast concrete parking decks, a 330 ft (100.5 m) tall Ferris wheel and an indoor year-round ski slope. As a whole this mammoth project exudes an industrial aesthetic, similar to that of three large, brightly coloured cargo container ships docked at a shipping yard.

Internally, this retail and entertainment complex is organized around five programmatically distinct “districts”, finished according to their specific aesthetic theme (see General Program), allowing shoppers to easily map out their route and return to their car, without getting lost.

To properly service so many consumers under one roof, the need for quick, direct parking became tantamount to a good shopping experience. As such, one of the unique design features of this complex, is that ground level parking is available below the entire building – which itself is raised on columns – with a multitude of ground floor glass vestibules signaling the entrances to themed retail “districts” above, complete with escalators and elevators, to make the journey up into the complex as quick and straight-forward as possible.

LOCATION: East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA

ARCHITECT: The Rockwell Group

EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT: Adamson Associates Architects

TECHNICAL DESIGN LEADERSHIP: Michael Poitras,
Partner-in-Charge of Design (Adamson)

CLIENT: The Mills Corporation + Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

STATISTICS:

  • No. of storeys: 5
  • Total floor area:
    4,500,000 ft2 (418,064 m2)
  • Zones: 5 themed retail districts
  • Parking: 42,250 stalls
    (including 3 parking decks)

MATERIALS:

  • Pre-finished insulated metal panels (various colours)
  • Silver curtain wall windows & doors
  • Stucco cladding
  • Modified bitumen roofs
  • Concrete
  • Concrete block (service zones)
  • Precast concrete (parking decks)

GENERAL PROGRAM: Themed Retail Districts

  • Sports:
    • Cabela’s
    • Snowpark (year-round indoor ski slope)
    • I FLY Meadowlands
    • Sports Authority
    • Adrenalina
  • Youth Culture:
    • Legoland Discovery Center
    • It’s Sugar
    • Wanna Do City
  • Entertainment:
    • AEG Live
    • Muvico 26
    • Lucky Strike
    • The Funplex
    • Wonder Works
    • Digital Playground
    • Virgin Megastore
  • Food & Home:
    • Zeytinia
    • Cooking Studio
    • Culinary Arts Centre
    • Mitchell’s Fish Market
    • The Melting Pot
    • Sofrito
    • The Cheesecake Factory
    • Benihana
  • Fashion:
    • The “fashion district” will contain the majority of the smaller stores, as well as a large stage for fashion shows + tiered audience seating
  • Loading docks: 12 large + 4 small

COST: US $2.5 billion

COMPLETION: Unknown (Project on hold)