The nation’s largest retail and entertainment destination, the Mall of America in Minneapolis, recently broke ground on a $325 million expansion project. The most significant construction project at the mall since its opening in 1992, the project will include a tourist welcome center, large event space, office tower, high-end retailers, new dining options and a 342-room JW Marriott hotel. The expansion project will add more than 50 retailers.
A large oval rotunda will cover the grand new entrance to the mall, and will feature electronically tintable SageGlass from SAGE Electrochromics Inc., Faribault, Minn. The tintable glass will provide solar control and comfort to millions of guests each year. The 3,500-square-foot rotunda skylight will be comprised of more than 300 panes of SageGlass, enabling the mall to control the sun without resorting to shades, blinds or other devises to curtail natural daylight.
Primarily operating automatically through light sensors, the SageGlass installation will change tint as the sun intensifies and moves west throughout the day. Tinting can also be controlled manually for special events that require customized glare or heat management. SageGlass’ electronically tintable dynamic glass maximizes daylight and outdoor views while controlling glare and heat gain. Chicago-based architectural firm DLR Group saw SageGlass as a proven way to achieve the desired balance.
Phil Stien, AIA, LEED AP and senior associate at DLR Group, says they are excited to include SageGlass in the design of the Mall of America’s atrium skylight. “We wanted to ensure that the space is filled with natural light but that we also had a means to effectively manage solar heat and glare so mall guests are comfortable year-round,” he explains. “Proven technologies such as SageGlass enable us to achieve these objectives in a seamless solution.”
Rich Hoge, vice president of operations for Mall of America, says the objective was to maximize natural light and comfort for guests. “With SageGlass, we can control the amount of sun so that it is cool and comfortable in the mall whether it is nine degrees or 90 degrees outside,” he says. “We’ll also benefit from energy savings without having to block daylight with blinds or shades, which would have also been a challenge for us to clean and maintain in such a large, elevated skylight.”
“Mall of America is an iconic facility and we are pleased to have been selected to participate in its exciting new expansion,” says Alan McLenaghan, CEO of SAGE Electrochromics. “SageGlass’ ability to block the heat and glare of the sun, while still allowing the space to be filled with natural daylight, exemplifies why customers are increasingly looking to our dynamic glass for solar control.”
Owned by Hotel Development LLC and managed by Marriott International, the JW Marriott will be a ground-up, 14-story hotel with direct access to the mall and will include a full-service restaurant and bar, grand lobby with lobby bar, fitness center, pool, extensive meeting space including a grand ballroom, executive lounge and underground parking.
The 180,000-square-foot Class A office complex will be home to a mix of national and international business tenants. It will be located on top of the new multilevel parking garage, with direct access to the mall.
Expected to be finished fall 2015, the expansion project is expected to generate 1,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent jobs.
Expansion at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn.
Owner: Triple Five Worldwide, Las Vegas
Architect: DLR Group, Chicago
Builder: Mortenson Development, Minneapolis
Glass: SAGE Electrochromics Inc., Faribault, Minn.