| The challenge was given of designing a large two-story retail store on a historic site in a dense urban setting. This corner location was the site of Pasadena City Hall completed in 1902. The new building had to complement the neighboring historic buildings and reinforce the unique urban context that makes Old Pasadena such a successful shopping destination. The corner towers of the design are reminiscent of the early City Hall building that was demolished in 1931.
There is no on-site parking. Customers park in adjacent parking facilities managed by the Old Pasadena Management District.
One East Union is a build-to-suit development for The Container Store, a national retail company based in Coppell, Texas. Both the exterior shell and the interior tenant improvement were designed based on the corporate design criteria provided by The Container Store. The Container Store is renowned for its attention to superior customer service. Every year they have several seasonal promotions, and the lighting and merchandise fixtures were designed to achieve maximum flexibility. Three elevators were also custom designed to efficiently serve customers and store staff. The two public floors maximize the retail merchandizing space available to the customers. A partial basement contains a stock room and utility rooms.
The Container Store insisted on a very tight and agressive construction schedule. The Grand Opening occurred on schedule in August, 2004. The construction budget of One East Union is $5.1 million. |
