Featured in Rent TV | AO
The indoor and outdoor market hall space creates a foodie destination with more than 25 eclectic food and beverage offerings.
CANOGA PARK, Calif. – May 19, 2023 – Finding the perfect bite just became easier for West San Fernando Valley residents with the opening of Topanga Social at Westfield Topanga Mall, the result of a design collaboration between PGAL, AvroKO, and AO, a leading full-service architecture firm with design expertise spanning the full commercial real estate spectrum. The 55,000 square-foot dining hall offers an appetizing mix of food and beverage selections from more than 25 vendors with seating availability for 700 diners inside, and an additional 80 seats of outdoor courtyard space.
AO is the architect of record for the 250,000 square-foot renovation and expansion of Westfield Topanga Center, of which Topanga Social is the newest addition. A soaring three-story glass and steel pillar entrance welcomes visitors and serves as the mall’s pedestrian-friendly breezeway. This major undertaking required a rethinking of the existing space, a long-vacant former Sears department store on the southwest corner of the mall. For the transformation to food hall, the core and shell changed dramatically from its former incarnation of retail store, with AO modifying the interior support, creating a 5,300 square-foot shared kitchen space, adding restrooms, and all back-of-house areas.
Topanga Social is a joint creative venture between dining and hospitality global leader Earl Enterprises and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (owner of Westfield Topanga) and is destined to become a mecca for lovers of some of Los Angeles’ most buzz-worthy pop-ups and established culinary names.
“We have great relationships with Westfield and our design partners, resulting in one of the most stunning market-style dining experiences in the state,” said Jim Glina, Principal at AO. “The upscale food hall breathes new life into the mall and is sure to draw diners and shoppers alike to this destination.”
The interior design of the food hall was done by the award-winning global design firm AvroKO, who worked in collaboration with architects PGAL on creating an upscale and inviting environment for dining and socializing among the many food vendors that make up the main hall. Many of the eateries are debuting first-time brick-and-mortar locations, which will commingle with three full-service bars, as well as a “speakeasy” style arcade hidden from view.
Eateries and bars at Topanga Social include The Pie Room by Curtis Stone, Rock & Reilly’s, DTown Pizzeria, Katsu Sando, MANEATINGPLANT, Truffle Brothers, Mad Lab Coffee, Oakberrry, Poke Me, Shrimp Daddy, Margarita Garden, Fat Sal’s, SLAB BBQ, Hey Hey, Primo’s Donuts, I Love Micheladas, CandyStore, Garden Creations, Jay Bird’s, Burrata House, Dumpling Monster, Amboy, Tail O’ The Pup, and Wanderlust Creamery.
This is one of many projects that AO has done for Westfield. They are also architect of record for the expansion, renovation, and/or conversion of other major centers such as The Village at Westfield Topanga, a 550,000 square-foot garden-like lifestyle center in Woodland Hills with over 80 venues, Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, University Town Center in La Jolla, and Westfield Century City.
About AO
AO is a relationship-focused, design-driven architectural, interior and planning services firm helping clients create places where people and business flourish. In its 49th year, the firm boasts diverse expertise across multifamily, retail, hospitality, mixed-use, science and technology, data centers, restaurants, healthcare, office, industrial, parking, landscape, interiors, planning, global design, modular, public utilities and transit-oriented development. AO is known for its ardent collaboration with developers and owners, and deep expertise across various building types. AO operates from offices in the cities of Orange, San Diego, Sunnyvale and Oakland, California; Atlanta, Georgia; New York, New York; and Orlando, Florida, where it serves clients across the Americas, Asia and beyond. Visit aoarchitects.com to learn more.