Los Angeles Mall, Los Angeles, CA

 A dead mall

-UPDATE BELOW-

24 May 2025

When I do my trips, I do plenty of vetting beforehand.  That’s how I’m able to find some of the little known treasures on this site, such as New Landing Mall in Kansas city.  While looking for a Captain D’s on Google Maps (don’t judge) I also noticed this drab building across the street from it that looked a bit mall-like.  It turned out to be just like the old, sixties fabulous shopping center that I love discovering.  This was not how I found the Los Angeles Mall.  I came upon this place by pure luck alone, but I’m so glad that luck was on my side that day.

Scenes from the sunken portion of the North Mall Plaza, home to the mostly empty food court.

Although times are changing, there was a well-worn phrase back in the day that nobody goes to downtown LA. Me, I don’t care what city I’m in, the CBD is always a must-go-to destination.  I had arrived earlier in the day at Ontario International Airport which, at least back in 2018, looked like the airport version of a dead mall.  I took the long but "scenic" Metrolink train from the Fontana station to Union Station just to the northeast of the main downtown core to begin my trip.

Los Angeles Mall advertisement, ca. 1981.  See the full PDF version here.

Walking to the southwest on Los Angeles Street just past Highway 101, I faced the iconic Los Angeles City Hall building.  But in its shadow was something I had no idea existed, and had I not been the retail hound that I am, I would have missed it.  The signs labeled it Los Angeles Mall.  It was an empty, sunken plaza in the middle of a bright and busy downtown.  I couldn’t wait to walk down the steps to explore.

1- Looking down into the North Mall Plaza.  2- The food court.  3- The "indoor" mall portion.  4- This portion connects the North Mall Plaza to the South Mall Plaza.

What I found was a treasure trove of mid-twentieth century modern and brutalist architecture harmoniously coexisting in what looks to be an unchanged state since its opening.  It was like I had taken a time machine back to the seventies.  Underneath me was dark tile and brick.  All around me were the sparse ornamentations, clean lines, and ample foliage that are some of the trademarks of the two movements.  I loved it all, but as this was a surprise find, I did not know the significance of the Triforium sculpture and Howard Troller’s bridge, so I only caught passing glances of each.

More of the covered portion of the mall running beneath East Temple.

Los Angeles Mall opened in 1974 and was intended to be a new “town square” for the young but bustling city.  It has never contained any traditional anchors but was more designed as a place where people could gather for either business or recreation.  It was filled with various art installations, including the aforementioned Triforium sculpture.  The two main plazas are the South Mall Plaza, which lies next to the brutalist City Hall East and the North Mall Plaza, which contains the Triforium sculpture as well as a sunken area abutting the former children’s museum and featuring the center’s food court.

1- A mall directory that really needs updating.  2- Exiting the covered portion at the Sunken Palm Court.  3- The sunken North Mall Plaza.  4- The Sunken Palm Court.

Unfortunately, the mall has never seen much success.  The children’s museum was moved around the turn of the millennium and the complex, while relatively clean, doesn’t see much traffic outside of the area’s homeless population.  There are plans to demolish the facility, though no concrete plans have been put into action.  Having never fulfilled its promises, the land that Los Angeles Mall sits upon presents the area with new possibilities for revitalization.  I hope the city takes advantage of it.

1- Empty tables at the Sunken Palm Court.  2- A view of the Triforium Sculpture and the Troller bridge in the distance.

-UPDATE-

-24 May 2025

On my latest trip to LA, I had planned a return to the Los Angeles Mall.  I wanted to see what changes, if any, had happened as well as focus on the landmarks that I had missed on my previous visit, the Howard Troller designed bridge as well as the Triforium sculpture.

1 & 2- Los Angeles city hall.  3 & 4- Looking down toward the south mall.  5- The clock on the plaza over the south mall.  6- Howard Troller’s bridge.  7 & 8- The south mall plaza and city hall annex.

After a walk past the iconic Los Angeles City Hall from the Civic Center/Grand Park subway station, I set my eyes on the Triforium in the distance.  Located in a public plaza built over the North Mall, the sixty foot art piece highlighted by shimmering multicolored pieces of glass was completed in 1975 was initially panned by critics but today has seen a resurgence in popularity.

Los Angeles Mall lease plan ca. 2015.  View the full PDF version here.

Near the Triforium was the curved span of Howard Troller’s pedestrian bridge crossing Temple Street.  Regarded as both a public utility as well as a piece of artwork, the design reminiscent of a ship’s keel serves as the above ground connection between the north and south malls.

1- Heading towards the north mall plaza.  2 to 6- Troller’s bridge over Temple Street.

Once finished admiring the public art displays, I made my way to the same entrance where I had previously entered the forgotten piece of commercial real estate to find gates blocking my access.  The main corridors of the sunken mall had been closed off.

1 to 2- The impressive Triforium sculpture.  3- The faded and damaged Los Angeles Mall sign.  4- Looking down towards the north mall common area.  5- The gates now guarding the north mall.  None of the former retail areas are now accessible.  6- The bridge connecting the north and south mall plazas.

Plans are in the works to demolish and redesign both blocks of the former retail facility to encourage more diverse uses.  In the past the Los Angeles Mall has been labeled useless, embarrassing and a mistake, so whatever is built in its place can only be an improvement.  Whenever that happens.

Los Angeles Mall on Wikipedia