International Malls: Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada - circa 1970s
Photo of a couple studying one of the fountain sculptures in the ever-so-groovy Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Yorkdale may not be in the U.S., but it's still one of my vintage favorites, as far as cool malls of old, go!
This image was found in an old Encyclopedia Britannica from the 1970s, and I thank Malls of America reader and frequent contributor, J, for both the find, and (more importantly) swanky submission!
Mall history: 1964 - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1
posted by Keith @ 1/03/2007
6 Comments:
Wow what a picture! There is a whole lot going on there!
Those colums in the bacground remind me of the colums in the old TWA terminal at JFK designed by Arno Sarenon (sp?)
Thanks!
Kev
What a fabulous place. Those columns also look like the columns in Frank Lloyd Wright's S.C. Johnson building. (http://www.delmars.com/wright/flw8-10.htm)
I went to T.O. a few years ago and visited this mall. 40-45 years later, this mall is still thriving. Yorkdale had just opened a new addition to the mall, including Canada's first Apple store. I like the look on this postcard. The mall still somewhat maintains it's modernist look.
If a mall is showing its age, Yorkdale and Lenox Square in Atlanta should defnitely be studied thoroughly by "mall people" about how to keep a mall up with the times.
That's pretty funky looking. Does it still look like that?
I checked out their Website... that mall is HUGE! It's like they covered several city blocks.
Scott
This photo shows the interior entrance to the Eaton's store. Up above the 'lily pads' is the restaurant that belonged to the department store (before the food court era). Sadly, the lily pads and beautiful woodwork were demolished about 7 years ago. The only 60's funky part that remains is the ceiling outside what was the other anchor store (simpsons), but they changed the lighting there and messed that up.
I remember going to this mall in the 1980's. Even though I was young, I remember running around in the open space being free as a bird. The design of the mall had so much character with crown molding and decorative ceilings. Now, with all this new construction in upgrading Yorkdale Mall in modern society, the decor is boring and too modern since this mall is an historic building in the category of 'Toronto Malls'. The builders should keep the historic look instead of re-designing the old section of Yorkdale Mall. If you decide to take a visit, the old decor in the outside part of The Bay. Look up at the ceiling and you will understand what I am describing to you.
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