The Grand Avenue is a shopping mall built in downtown Milwaukee during the 1980’s, encompassing two city blocks and a number of landmark buildings, including the historic Plankinton Arcade. Following the departure of one of the main anchor tenants, Urban Design Group was retained by the developer to renovate the struggling mall in order to provide a new visual appeal to the mall and to enliven the surrounding neighborhood. These renovations included new interior materials and finishes to replace the dated 1980’s finishes, new storefronts at the street level exterior, new graphics and signage throughout the facility, and an enlarged main entry at Wisconsin Avenue. The entry design was conceived as a large glassy pavilion that provides a dramatic new gateway into the project, and provides a crucial new visual identification for the mall.
Project responsibilities included working with the Project Architect in developing a design for the new main entrance, coordinating construction documents among various disciplines, establishing project delivery standards, and supervising other project team members.
Completed while employed at Urban Design Group, 2000 – 2001
Project Principal: Tom Brauer
Client: Trammell Crow Company