Playa del norte
Phoenix, AZ
Vital Stats
Opened: 2008
Size: +/- 10,000 SF
Team: PKA, RSP, TwinEngine, Airpark Signs & Graphics
Opened in 2008, the Lot 2 Retail Building at the Playa del Norte development in Tempe is home to, most notably, Starbucks. Created to incorporate the design of the drive-thru space into the overall building, a huge cantilevered shade canopy floats above cars queueing up for coffee throughout the day. A second floor office space was home to the headquarters for the client. Additional ‘in-line’ retail space occupies the balance of the building, and offers shaded north and south facing outdoor dining spaces. The building breaks with convention by turning the retail frontage perpendicular to the building in order to create a better solar orientation. This has the benefit of creating what is effectively a billboard out of the perforated metal parapet space that is legible from the Red Mountain Freeway. The building has, since its opening, always been occupied.
What people are saying: ‘an amazingly cool building that just works’ – ‘the kind of retail projects we need to start seeing more of’
Vital Stats
Opened: 2008
Size: +/- 10,000 SF
Team: PKA, RSP, TwinEngine, Airpark Signs & Graphics
Opened in 2008, the Lot 2 Retail Building at the Playa del Norte development in Tempe is home to, most notably, Starbucks. Created to incorporate the design of the drive-thru space into the overall building, a huge cantilevered shade canopy floats above cars queueing up for coffee throughout the day. A second floor office space was home to the headquarters for the client. Additional ‘in-line’ retail space occupies the balance of the building, and offers shaded north and south facing outdoor dining spaces. The building breaks with convention by turning the retail frontage perpendicular to the building in order to create a better solar orientation. This has the benefit of creating what is effectively a billboard out of the perforated metal parapet space that is legible from the Red Mountain Freeway. The building has, since its opening, always been occupied.
What people are saying: ‘an amazingly cool building that just works’ – ‘the kind of retail projects we need to start seeing more of’