Thursday, July 12, 2007

Peachy Keen-o Hilltop Mall


Early promotional literature for Hilltop Mall in Richomnd, California. A Tauban center, this mall was built after Eastridge in San Jose and before Stoneridge in Pleasanton. Many Taubman-esque features are evident. Keeping with the style of the time, you'll find eye-catching red carpet and a groovy circular walkway. Clearly this literature was printed just after the mall opened in 1976.
The state-of-the-art mall ramp was topped by a sculpture that looks to be from artist Charles O. Perry (similar to Stoneridge Mall). Although Charles O Perry doesn't seem to lay claim to this scultpture on his Website.
In a contrast to moody browns of the early Seventies, Hilltop mall featured futuristic trends in color choices. As was popular in the late seventies, you'll find the basics: black, white, and any primary color. Anyone remember the cover art for the B-52's album, "The B-52's"? Although the stores in the background, Naturalizer, Crescent Jewelers, and Kushins Shoes, stayed with "safe" colors, change out the center court carpet and the mall would still appear modern and tasteful right now in 2007.

Fast forward to 2007! Interject your skills and spot the differences that twenty years brings. Besides, the carpet color changing, store changes, and the addition of Sears, of course.
Both photographs are courtesy of the Grand Poobah of mallrat-dom, Dean Lundstrom. Many thanks to you, Dean!
Scott

Read my guide to Hilltop Mall.

See the aerial view.

3 comments:

Pseudo3D said...

Whoa! They left the fountains! Amazing!

Livemalls said...

Beautiful...past and present.

Pseudo3D said...

Reading PennCanMall.com, it seemed to me orange and yellow were popular as well.