Friday, April 27, 2012

Northwest Plaza Famous Barr

Besides the Fairview Heights and South County stores, the Northwest Plaza Famous Barr is the third of the remaining signature domed departments stores.
Much ado has been made of the enclosure of the original outdoor mall, but it is interesting to see that the anchors at the mall changed very little on the exterior.
I'm fascinated by the concrete forms on the side of the store. Was it always painted white, and there was bare concrete originally?
Sadly, very few pictures seem to exist of the mall in its heyday, which is a shame, because I have fond memories of walking around in its courtyards.

3 comments:

  1. I have fond memories of it too! I used to love going there at Christmas before it was enclosed, they had lighted reindeer & other decorations all over outside. I also liked the big shooting fountain in the main courtyard.

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    1. I also distinctly remember the reindeer as well. I think enclosing it really ruined the mall.

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  2. If you want to see old photos of it, go to the St. Ann City Hall, library or check out the facebook page titled I hung out at the fountain at northwest plaza as a teenager.

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A Blog detailing the beauty of St. Louis architecture and the buildup of residue-or character-that accumulates over the course of time.