King of Prussia, PA
King of Prussia Town Center
Revitalization of a Stagnant Regional Retail Hub
status
Completed 2016
client
JBG Rosenfeld Retail
expertise
Mixed Use, Retail
services
Landscape Architecture
A Destination for All Seasons
The King of Prussia Town Center redefined itself to stand out from other suburban retail hubs by integrating a holistic design approach that would allow year-round events and activities for the community.
King of Prussia Town Center is a testament to the catalytic effect of great landscape architecture on growth and development. A town located 20 miles outside of Philadelphia and considered a regional shopping destination needed a fresh infusion of energy that would attract new visitors and residents. LandDesign worked with the Client to create an urban center for King of Prussia and build a town center home to a 122-acre mixed use development known as The Village at Valley Forge. The revitalization brings a hybrid mixed use layout to life by locating big box retail near major thoroughfares for high visibility and easy access to parking, while restaurants and boutique shops line Main Street at the core of the project, where residents and guests are invited to stroll and linger.
The primary ethos permeating this project is fostering an environment that can be enjoyed at all times of the year. This manifests in a vibrant, visually stimulating planting palette that persists year-round, a tree grove offering shelter from the sweltering summer heat, as well as elaborate sculptural benches that were commissioned as public art and that double as fire features to keep visitors warm during frigid winters.
The town was outdated and unappealing – the outlet mall its main attraction. With increasingly ubiquitous retail centers popping up everywhere, the outlet became unremarkable and lackluster. Residents were moving away, and visitors were seeking better experiences elsewhere.
LandDesign’s task was to reshape the image of a town known for a single, now-obsolete shopping outlet into something special it could proudly take ownership of – a vibrant place for current residents that would attract new residents and visitors as well. This was a challenge the Client embraced and which King of Prussia upheld successfully, forging a new identity for the town and propagating new growth.
Physical
The open spaces’ flexibility is intended to support small and large events, and casual activity throughout the seasons.
Functional
Main Street connects the two community plazas, while an intersecting road bisects Main Street and forms a speed table, which when closed off allows for large events that spill over onto both sides.
Social
Scalability enables open spaces to function as one large, singular consolidated environment for community activities such as festivals and concerts or as multiple smaller spaces where groups can enjoy more intimate settings.
Physical
The open spaces’ flexibility is intended to support small and large events, and casual activity throughout the seasons.
Functional
Main Street connects the two community plazas, while an intersecting road bisects Main Street and forms a speed table, which when closed off allows for large events that spill over onto both sides.
Social
Scalability enables open spaces to function as one large, singular consolidated environment for community activities such as festivals and concerts or as multiple smaller spaces where groups can enjoy more intimate settings.
Flexible Furniture
Sculptural steel fireplaces form the backing to benches on either side as decorative elements during the summer and much-appreciated heat sources during the winter. Flexible seating options allow for a customizable space that occupants can make to their own liking.
Upending an Unfavorable Image
LandDesign’s task was to reshape the image of a town known for a single, now-obsolete shopping outlet into something special.
