Apache Plaza
Encyclopedia
Apache Plaza was a former shopping center, located in St. Anthony, Minnesota
, a small suburb of Minneapolis. It opened in 1961 as one of the first enclosed shopping centers in the US, and closed in 2004.
. Its design, by architect Willard Thorsen, was state-of-the-art at the time. Apache had a spacious center court with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof (hyperboloid structure
). The paraboloids were concrete shells, shaped like an inverted umbrella. Ten of these paraboloids made up the roof of the center court, which was ringed with Mondrian
-inspired clerestory
windows. The mall had more than 60 stores at its height. In the early 1970s, the mall was still thriving, despite the opening of nearby Rosedale
. The larger mall would contribute to the Apache's decline, with the relocation of the Apache's anchor stores to Rosedale.
on 26 April 1984. Three days after the tornado, a major snowfall covered the area. Since it was spring, the snow quickly melted, flooding twister-damaged areas of the mall. The damage was repaired, and the mall re-opened on 15 November. Some of the original charm was lost, as the multi-colored clerestory windows around the center court had replaced by colorless glass.
In the early 1990s, tenants began leaving the mall in droves. Herberger's
opened at Apache in 1987, saving the center from demolition for 17 years. By 2000, the mall was nearly empty, but still open to mall-walkers. Around this time, The Apache was voted as the "best place to dump someone" by the local alternative weekly City Pages
.
Apache was scheduled for demolition in April 2004. The final days saw the mall host a "Bulldozer Bash." This was intended to kick off plans for its successor development, Silver Lake Village
. However, the majority of the people at the event were not there to celebrate the new shopping center, but came to share Apache memories and mourn the loss of what was once the center of their community.
The Apache Office Park was also demolished around the same time. The Apache Medical Complex, however, still remains.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, a small suburb of Minneapolis. It opened in 1961 as one of the first enclosed shopping centers in the US, and closed in 2004.
Early history
Apache Plaza has historic significance because it was one of the first enclosed malls in the US, opening in 1961. It was the second such center in the state of Minnesota, after SouthdaleSouthdale Center
Southdale Center, commonly known as just Southdale, is a shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, which opened in 1956. It is the United States' oldest fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall...
. Its design, by architect Willard Thorsen, was state-of-the-art at the time. Apache had a spacious center court with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof (hyperboloid structure
Hyperboloid structure
Hyperboloid structures are architectural structures designed with hyperboloid geometry. Often these are tall structures such as towers where the hyperboloid geometry's structural strength is used to support an object high off the ground, but hyperboloid geometry is also often used for decorative...
). The paraboloids were concrete shells, shaped like an inverted umbrella. Ten of these paraboloids made up the roof of the center court, which was ringed with Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
-inspired clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows. The mall had more than 60 stores at its height. In the early 1970s, the mall was still thriving, despite the opening of nearby Rosedale
Rosedale Center
Rosedale Center, commonly known just as Rosedale, is a shopping center in Roseville, Minnesota. The mall is considered a regional powerhouse as a shopping destination; surrounded by suburbs and close to major highways, it serves a trade area population almost 2 million people, and boasts 12...
. The larger mall would contribute to the Apache's decline, with the relocation of the Apache's anchor stores to Rosedale.
Other associated developments
In addition to Apache Plaza, the Apache Corporation developed two office buildings neighboring the mall. The first, the Apache Office Park, was built in 1964. Its design had a unique, space-age look; the building was on stilts, with a stairwell/elevator in the center. The space underneath the building served as a parking lot. The second, the Apache Medical Complex, was completed in 1966. Originally strictly a medical complex, this building now houses some other businesses.The decline of Apache
In the early 1980s, Apache underwent a major renovation, only to have its south end damaged by a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
on 26 April 1984. Three days after the tornado, a major snowfall covered the area. Since it was spring, the snow quickly melted, flooding twister-damaged areas of the mall. The damage was repaired, and the mall re-opened on 15 November. Some of the original charm was lost, as the multi-colored clerestory windows around the center court had replaced by colorless glass.
In the early 1990s, tenants began leaving the mall in droves. Herberger's
Herberger's
Herberger's is a regional department store chain founded in 1927 in Osakis, Minnesota, United States. Herberger's operates 41 stores in nine states; more than one third of them are in Minnesota, where the chain maintained its headquarters for much of its history...
opened at Apache in 1987, saving the center from demolition for 17 years. By 2000, the mall was nearly empty, but still open to mall-walkers. Around this time, The Apache was voted as the "best place to dump someone" by the local alternative weekly City Pages
City Pages
City Pages is an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It features news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews, and music criticism. It is printed in a tabloid format, and is available free every Wednesday...
.
Apache was scheduled for demolition in April 2004. The final days saw the mall host a "Bulldozer Bash." This was intended to kick off plans for its successor development, Silver Lake Village
Silver Lake Village
Silver Lake Village is a pedestrian-friendly auto mall located in the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota. It was constructed beginning in 2004 on the site of the former Apache Plaza. Its design is meant to resemble a "walkable community," as its development includes housing, shopping, dining, and...
. However, the majority of the people at the event were not there to celebrate the new shopping center, but came to share Apache memories and mourn the loss of what was once the center of their community.
The Apache Office Park was also demolished around the same time. The Apache Medical Complex, however, still remains.
External links
- Apache Plaza tribute site History, memories, and numerous photos
- DeadMalls.com: Apache Plaza