Little Village Plaza
Hirsch MPG LLC · Chicago, IL
Overview
The design or Little Village Center uses simple, boldly colorful frames of stucco (blue, orange, red, yellow, green, and pink), reminiscent of both traditional Mexican markets and modern architecture, and large entrance archways of perforated metal and steel, to define the center, give each tenant its own identity and respond to the vitality that is seen up and down 26th Street, allowing the consistent forms, colors and materials to organize and anchor the center.
Little Village (La Villita) is a vibrant neighborhood that is the home to one of the largest Mexican populations outside of Mexico. 26th Street, also known as Calle Mexico, serves as the commercial and cultural heart of Little Village. The Little Village Arch is the gateway to 26th Street and Little Village, an iconic terracotta archway given as a gift by the Mexican government to the people of Chicago. Located adjacent to the arch, Little Village Plaza (LVP) was a dated, deteriorating shopping center with a jumbled mess of facades and signs, yet important for the neighborhood. The three-phase design called for a significant facelift, and a fresh mix of retail and service tenants, to clean up the mess yet retain the vibrancy of Little Village. The first phase was the renovation of the facades of the buildings to remain, which line two edges of the center. The second phase was the addition of two new buildings, a restaurant and bank along 26th Street, redefining the long missing urban edge and upgrading the entrance experience. The third phase was the reworking of the existing massive sea of asphalt parking by incorporating defined curbs, walkways, plazas, lighting and landscaping. Central to the plan was renovating the Little Village Discount Mall, a beloved and important small-vendor space that rents stalls for the local population to sell their products at an economical cost, playing on the traditions of the central Mexican Marketplace found in most towns and villages. The design defines the retail building using simple, colorful frames of stucco, reminiscent of both traditional Mexican markets and modern Mexican architecture. Large archways of perforated metal and steel mark the entrances. The bold colors (blue, orange, red, yellow, green, and pink) give each tenant their own identity while keeping the vitality that is seen up and down 26th Street, allowing the consistent forms and materials and the palette of bold colors to organize and anchor the center. Type of Construction Renovation/Addition
Gallery