K/O has completed an extensive exterior make-over of Merle Hay Mall – Des Moines’ oldest and largest shopping mall, with over 1 million square feet of covered space.
The project consisted of reworking the east facade (facing Merle Hay Road) to convey an upscale shopping experience equal to that of newer suburban shopping centers. Integrated with this new facade, K/O designed an immersive human-scale streetscape which includes landscaping, street furnishings, custom LED lighting and signage, and a meandering colored ribbon sidewalk that guides shoppers along the new exterior storefronts. The project was a complicated multi-phased endeavor requiring careful coordination; allowing the mall to stay open for business throughout the duration of construction.
