Category Archives: First Impressions

The first blog of Spring 2019 Studio. What we found at the Landing Site in January 2019.

First Impressions

Where is the Landing?

Figure 1. From 63rd , looking across Troost Ave.: The Landing Appears to be a small commercial strip. The majority of the complex is hidden by topographical changes. Photo by Tom Meyer

When arriving from the north, the first impression of The Landing shopping center is rather misleading. The first thing you will see is a small strip of commercial activity with a deep setback from Troost Ave. and abundant parking. From the corner of 63rd and Troost (Figure 1) it could easily be mistaken for the extent of the development. However, if you traveled further south on Troost or east on 63rd, you would see that the ground level drops dramatically in each direction revealing the majority of the mall which lies below the ground level of this prominent corner.

Figure 2. From Meyer Blvd, looking across Troost. The mall’s setback from Meyer Blvd is so deep that it makes little visual impact from this major corner. Photo by Dayna Meyer

From the intersection of Meyer Blvd and Troost Ave, a block to the south, the topography and other elements of the site continue to mask the view of the large complex (Figure 2). The rise of Troost and the deep parking lot fronting Meyer Blvd. obscure the storefronts at the west of the site. The parking lot, a fast food restaurant, and large trees hide the rest of the mall as it stretches east.

The lack of a strong visual presence may be negatively impacting the prospects of the retail activity conducted on the mall’s premises. People who pass the site may not be aware of the commercial opportunities hidden by topography and the low-rise structures.

Future developments could remedy this effect by siting buildings closer to the street. The low-elevation could also be countered with taller structures.

However, the topography which helps to hide the mall can also be seen as an advantage when taken together with elements of the built environment surrounding the site. Three vertical landmarks are easily, and pleasantly, visible from many points on the site. To the west the pinnacle of the Rockhill Plaza office building and the tower of the U.S. Bank building rise high enough that they can be seen from almost anywhere on the southern and eastern sides of the site (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Looking northwest from the Mall’s southern parking lot, the towers of Rockhill Plaza and the U.S. Bank building are easily visible. Photo by Dayna Meyer

To the east, the dramatic tower and red roof of the Convent of Christ the King can be seen from almost anywhere on the site, excepting the northwest corner (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Looking to the east, the Tower of the Christ the King Convent is visible from almost any vantage point of the mall site. Photo by Tom Meyer

In both directions the views of these landmarks are made possible by the topography of the site. The mall is sited in a relatively deep bowl of a valley and the verticality of the towers is enhanced by their siting on the surrounding higher ground (Figure 5).

A section of the site and surrounding area shows how the topography highlights the surrounding towers and de-emphasizes the large mall site. Diagram by Tom Meyer

Future development on the site could take advantage of this unique topography by preserving the excellent views off of the site.

First Impressions

The landing – first impressions

Regional Context Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The Landing Mall, inside the red circle pictured above, is located at Troost Avenue and East Meyer Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. It sits on the Parks and Boulevards System and is surrounded by four major streets – Troost, Meyer, 63rd Street, and Paseo. Being about 20 blocks south of The Country Club Plaza, it served as a retail space for the surrounding neighborhood. The mall was built in 1960 and was originally an open-air shopping center – something that can be identified when inside the mall. The mall became enclosed in 1970 and was renamed The New Landing Mall.

The Original Landing. Photo by: Adair Bright (January 23, 2018)

Few pieces of the original Landing still remain but it is enough to preserve and recreate. The sign pictured above is on the east side of the building facing the merge of Meyer Boulevard and the Paseo Boulevard. Having the original signage from the mall facing a boulevard is a positive because of the amount of people on those roads and it provides to opportunity to incorporate the boulevards aesthetic.

Quarter Mile Figure Ground Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The Quarter Mile Figure Ground Map gives an aerial view of the site. The Landing Mall is highlighted in purple and the red circle represents a quarter mile radius from the center of the mall. A quarter mile radius was used because that is generally the distance people would be willing to walk and still consider it convenient. When looking within the circle, there are many bigger buildings which means there is a lot of retail and institutions surrounding The Landing. This is a good thing when considering the neighborhood just south of the circle because all the places within the circle are there to service the residents. There is also a playing field at the school within the circle which shows there is youth in the area.

A Look at Troost. Photo by: Adair Bright (January 23, 2018)

The image above is standing in the parking lot on the south side of the building while looking at Troost Avenue. It is clear from the picture there is a drastic topography change from the lower level to the upper level of the mall. The ramp was closed when the photo was taken so to get to the upper level, we had to walk to the south end of the parking lot to get onto a sidewalk that led north on Troost. This can be a major inconvenience to people because they want the quickest way to get to another place and therefore they will either drive their car to the upper lot or will not even bother coming here. Despite the current lack of good circulation, the topography does create a secluded place for the mall and in turn makes it feel safe. It also would allow for visitors to see a different view of the mall if they were able to look down at it and see the actual design.

Quarter Mile Radius Paved Surfaces Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The main impression I got when visiting The Landing was the extreme amount of parking surface. The map above shows the paved surfaces in the area. The building outline is clearly seen which means the entire lot, besides the building, is a paved surface for vehicles. Also, the map shows the abundance of parking elsewhere within the quarter mile radius. At some point, it was probably believed all the parking would be needed to support the abundance of people, but now, it sits empty. When arriving at The Landing, I was confused as to why the parking lot was so big and once we started walking, I realized just how small it made me feel. The mall and the paved surface appear to take up the same amount of the lot – each about half. This becomes uncomfortable when the Northwest side of the mall is pushed up almost to the street and the Southeast side is all parking. The massing should be reconfigured to less parking just on the outside in order to push the building slightly further towards the outer edge.

Conclusion

The Landing has an amazing location and the topography allows for interesting design choices to be made with clear intentions. However, the paved surface needs to be changed and the parking should be reconfigured. When inside, the mall feels old and sad. There is not a lot of light, the planter boxes are empty, and the store fronts do not have residents. The mall needs renovated while preserving its unique features. The original signage should be kept as a reminder of when it was built but the building should be maintained and turned back into a retail space for the residents it serves.

First Impressions

Impressions of the Landing

I

Then and Now

The Landing is a shopping mall that was created by J.C. Nichols and opened to the public in 1960 as an open-air public space with animal-themed play structures for children and trees throughout the central corridor.  It still exists today as a covered structure and has some operating places of business inside, although not as high-traffic as it was in its beginning days and without the play structures and greenery.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Khatam http://neat-stuff-blog.blogspot.com/2011/01/landing-mall-1960s.html
  • Present day interior of KC Landing Mall, Shana Shanteau

The exterior of the building exhibits materiality of stone, paint, and a circular-patterned concrete façade which seems somewhat inconsistent.  The major entrances are somewhat unclear and confusing to approach. There are, however, beautiful murals on the exterior walls that promote a strong sense of local pride.  Adjacent is its very large parking lot.  Most of the surface area of the lot is unused by cars during a typical day and completely void of trees and other greenery. Once inside the building, the space is very warm and inviting.  Large windows display several retail stores full of merchandise and ready for customers.  I feel that more clear and welcoming entrances to this fantastic interior space would greatly increase public draw to utilize it.

Exterior of The Landing, January, 2019, Shana Shanteau

Accessibility

The Landing is located between Troost and The Paseo, along 63rd Street.  Due to its proximity to these major streets, its location provides easy accessibility via car and/or bus.  Buses stop approximately every 20 minutes and connect with other lines of transportation throughout the city.  The site is surrounded by several other businesses, many which are local.  Although temperatures were below freezing during this particular day of observation, several pedestrians were observed walking on the surrounding sidewalks and using the crosswalks to cross the wide and busy streets.  Because these areas are heavily used, it seems clear that these walkways should be made more safe for pedestrians.

  • KCATA bus transit map http://ridekc.org/assets/uploads/route-maps/SystemMap.pdf
  • January, 2019 Shana Shanteau

The space is close to many residential areas and is within excellent proximity to grocery stores.  Aldis, Thriftway, and Cosentino’s are all within one mile or less from the site.  There are also several schools nearby.

Landscape

The landscape of the area is extremely beautiful and drastic in topography.  The site sits lower that its surrounding spaces and the area just to the south is hilly and covered in large majestic trees.

  • Map showing the drastic topography of the surrounding land

In conclusion, this space has a very energetic atmosphere, great accessibility, rich history, and beautiful landscape. The Landing’s location, which is central to many businesses, schools, and churches, make it a great place to live and work.

First Impressions

The Landing

The Landing is a 1960’s era mall in Kansas City, Missouri. Located at the intersection of four major thoroughfares (Troost Avenue, Meyer Boulevard, The Paseo and 63rd Street), the Landing is still an active mall. However, none of the mall’s original tenants have a presence at the now thrift-centric and outdated shopping center. The building’s unique split-level, indoor/outdoor structure sees businesses facing the parking lot like a modern commercial strip and facing an interior hallway like a suburban mall.

The Landing’s logo proudly displayed along Troost Avenue in the 1960’s.
Source: Malls of America, 2006

The Landing’s location along 63rd Street is shown in the below map. What struck me the most was just how much the Landing, as well as the other commercial sites along the corridor, stand out among the sea of single-family homes West of the site. Furthermore, the extent to which these parcels of land and the surrounding grid of streets, break apart and become larger blocks with non-linear street patterns is striking. The Landing and the intersection of 63rd and Troost really is the beginning point of this transition.

Contrast in block sizes around the 63rd Street corridor.
Source: Jared Islas, 2019.

This point is further proven when looking at the area immediately surrounding the Landing. This reverse figure ground diagram below shows just how quickly the area transitions from a residential neighborhood to a ‘suburban’ retail experience. The diagram also shows how spread out the buildings are from one another and from their fronting streets and sidewalks. This area was obviously designed for the automobile and not the pedestrian, which makes sense considering the time period when the site was originally developed – the 1960’s.

Reverse figure ground diagram of the area.
Source: Jared Islas, 2019.

When we walked around the site, I noticed two different ways that The Landing appears from the sidewalk. The first, in my opinion, was more positive. When walking West on 63rd Street, you see a sign on the side of the building signifying that you’ve reached the shopping mall. By using the same font style that dates back to the mall’s opening in the 1960’s, the sign shows the mall’s historical significance. To me, the sign also gives the mall a sense of unity and identity. Together, these ideas give me a positive and inviting feeling.

View of The Landing on 63rd Street looking West.
Source: Jared Islas, 2019.

The next picture that I took shows a not so inviting view of the mall. Blocked by an inaccessible ramp, pedestrians walking along Troost Avenue have no easy way to get down onto the lower level of the mall. The view from Troost is also one that looks down into the site. From the sidewalk, you can see the vast parking lot and the tops of the buildings including all of the rooftop equipment. By simply cleaning up some of the overgrown brush, opening up the ramp and screening the rooftop equipment, The Landing could give pedestrians a much more intriguing entrance, similar to the one on the East end.

View of The Landing on Troost looking North.
Source: Jared Islas, 2019.

Despite the declining state of the mall from its original state, The Landing and its site do have a number of positives.

  • Location – bounded by four major thoroughfares
  • Parcel size – parcels of this size are hard to come by in the area. redevelopment opportunities are endless
  • Neighborhoods – surrounded by Citadel, Western 49-63, Blenheim and Morningside neighborhoods
  • Institutions – Hogan Preparatory Academy, Convent of Christ the King, Ewing Marion Kauffman School and various other hospitals and schools surround the site
  • Tenants – Cornbread Buffet opened in the mall in August 2018
  • History – Originally developed by JC Nichols in the 1960’s as a suburban shopping mall – one of the first of its kind

First Impressions

FIRST LIGHT ON THE LANDING

Overall Impression

The Landing is unique in its configuration. You catch glimpses of historic features of the shared motif that flows through all of J.C Nichols shopping centers. The Landing is in a perfect location to create a gathering space and congregation area as the parks and boulevards system , as well as many other transit options funnel into this area. As the heavy use of the area begins to show with the structure, the area is in line with future development and seems to be anxiously awaiting some helpful ideas to be put into action.

Photo 7- The Landing – Courtesy : Logan Sours – January 29th 2019 10:20 am

Public Realm

The initial public space that is noticed is the parking lot. As one of the earlier shopping centers in Kansas City, the automobile shaped the landscape and large areas for parking were necessary but over time more shopping centers diluted the concentration of automobiles in the area. The large open space loses a human scale in it’s vast size. The next notable public space that brings the human perspective back into focus is the interior hall of the galleria. With the storefronts facing one another across the hall it brings people into a collective space.

Where are the People?

Although our project has begun in winter there does not seem to be much human activity outdoors , and I find it will most likely be the same in the summer. The public will most likely be gathering indoors. Aside from the mall, there are several other places that people gather, such as Hogan Preparatory Academy sits just to the south of The Landing and a little further to the east is a large convent. Along with many other fast food restaurants and convenience businesses, there people frequently in the area.

Vantage Points

The topography of the area puts the site in a gully with a rise to the north and to the the south. This seems like it funnels people into the area. The hills have caused the use of retaining walls and that gives certain places such as in front of the Rent-A-Center parking lot looking south or the use of parking on top of the shops at the east end of the structure which look across to the parkway and the small wooded space on the Hogan Prep lawn.

Photo 1. View atop East lot Courtesy: Logan Sours-January 25th 2019 3:24 pm

Pleasant Scenes

Views to the north from The Landing peering up Tracy and Forrest avenue have a charm to them with the large trees creating an arboreal archway over the streets that come to an end at the landing. The trees are what give this urban space a more inviting feeling and there are none on the Landing site, they line Meyer Boulevard and crest the hills around Hogan Prep and line the gully that the Landing rests in.

Photo 2. View North on Tracy Ave. Courtesy: Logan Sours- January 25th 2019 3:23 pm

Urban Disturbances

Several garbage cans line the back of the pad site , Wendy’s and seemed to be lingering in the parking lot of the Landing. On the same note the outdoor ramp to the west of the complex is fenced off and locked up. This does not feel very inviting and being along Troost, has many eyes on it. On a more positive note the graffiti on the site was more of street art, where there is a mural of Dr. Martin Luther King .jr facing Meyer Boulevard and another mural type panting to the east, supporting local sports teams.

  • Photo 4. MLK Dream Courtesy: Logan Sours- January 29th 2019 10:36 AM
  • Photo 5. KC Knows Landing Courtesy: Logan Sours January 29th 2019 10:20 AM

Bus Stops

Figure 1. Bus Stops Within a Quarter Mile radius of the Landing – Map Created by Logan Sours

Within a quarter mile radius of the Landing there are 20 bus stops and are frequently used throughout the day. This seems to be a nucleus for transportation with so many stops in such a confined area. Several bus stops have provided benches at smaller nodes while three in the area have covered shelters on the 63rd and Troost pass.

Photo 3. Bus Stop at Troost and 63rd Courtesy: Logan Sours – January 25th 2019 3:18 PM

First Impressions

Standing at the landing

“One of Kansas City’s most identifiable locations” is now up for sale for just under $10 million. I am no realtor, but if I were, I’d agree with Block & Company Inc. The Landing Mall is an “excellent Midtown Center with easy access.” According to Emily Talen, a professor at the School of Geographical Sciences and School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, accessibility is 1 of the 5 key factors to having sustainable urban form. Located near the core of Kansas City, Missouri, is the Landing Mall. The Landing Mall has 8 entrances that are designated for consumer automobile interaction. (See figure 1.) I personally feel 8 curb cuts seem excessive for this area now, but in previous days, it may have been necessary.

Figure 1. Base map of the Landing Mall created by Cristina Aurich 01/2019

Figure 2. shows accessibility to an ADA ramp which leads to the lower level of the Landing Mall. Standing at the top of this ramp is a great view down on the Landing Mall. Currently this is a massive parking lot, with unattended potholes and little marking to direct traffic, but I envision looking down on functioning rooftops with green space and as little black asphalt as possible. Figure 2. also displays dead vines weaving through the fence. These dead vines replicate what the Landing Mall now, dead. Even though the Landing Mall is located at such as assessible and active location, on the corner of 63rd Street and Troost Avenue, there were few people using the space for its purpose, retail therapy.

Figure 2. Photo of fence on Troost Avenue looking down at the south parking lot of the Landing Mall taken by Cristina Aurich 01/2019

Known for its Noah’s Ark theme, the Landing Mall maintains features that allow one to reminisce on the past. Upon entering the Landing Mall consumers are greeting with a farm-like sent and painted cows sculptures reside in the lower level commons area. I was caught off guard by the foul scent once entering the mall and the sculptures of cows added to mismatch interior design features of the mall. Figure 3. the storefronts of some active businesses in the Landing Mall. From looking at previous historically photos, it is evident the Landing Mall was once a strip mall with an open space in the center. These service doors, seen in figure 3., still remain and added to my confusion of where the mall’s primary entrance was located. This figure likewise shows remnants of flourishing landscape, but it can be viewed as a positive to still see the straight line of trees lining the south side of the mall.

Figure 3. Photo of stores located on the south side of the Landing Mall taken by Cristina Aurich 01/2019

With time, and change of seasons, the vines on the fence and the trees lining the storefronts will continue to grow. They will bloom and thrive, as can the Landing Mall.