Northland Center Mall

Southfield, Michigan - March 13, 1954

Exterior view of the J. L. Hudson department store at the still fresh and clean Northland Center, right around the time the mall first opened. You can tell it still had that new mall smell here, with a parking lot that was smooth as a baby's bottom. They're so cute at that age aren't they? ;) Here's a bit of handy history from the excellent Wikipedia entry:

The Northland opening was the first major postwar development in suburban Detroit and was the first of many forays into the suburbs by Hudson's. Some $30,000,000 was invested in constructing the facility. The first-year gross for the Northland Hudson's was $88,000,000.

Designed by Victor Gruen, the mall opened to much fanfare. Articles about the center appeared in national media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Look, Life, Ladies Home Journal and Newsweek. All heralded that the concept represented the future of shopping in post-war America. Besides Hudson's, Northland opened with a number of other prestigious local retailers including: Hughes & Hatcher, Baker's Shoes, Himelhoch's, Winkelman's, Kresge, Robinson Furniture, Better Made Potato Chips, Kroger, and Sanders in the two-million-square-foot center. Northland featured auditoriums, a bank, post office, infirmary, sculptures, fountains, an office for lost children, lavish landscaping, and free gasoline for certain customers.

Mall history: 1954 - present
Architect: Victor Gruen
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

(Study image courtesy and © Wayne State University)