Willow Festival Commercial Project Blossoms with Mariani’s Involvement
What makes a large-scale retail development more than a collection of stores? At Willow Festival in Northbrook, developer Hamilton Partners enlisted the help of Mariani Landscape to create an outdoor experience that engages visitors with a creative mix of hardscapes and softscapes that lend a festive feel to the property.
Located at the bustling northwest corner of Willow and Waukegan roads, the 400,000 square foot Willow Festival is home to numerous large-scale stores including Best Buy, Lowe’s, and DSW as well as smaller retail stores, banks and restaurants. With the location drawing an average of 67,000 cars per day, the commercial space needed an easily maintained, cohesive landscape design that would complement the surrounding community.
The sheer size of such a space forced the design team to continuously think of the theme for the entire site when working on the smaller elements, according to Mariani landscape architect Shannon Mitchell. “This was one of the largest retail projects I’ve ever designed,” says Mitchell. “One of the biggest challenges was to stay focused on the design as a whole because there were so many little specific details we could have gotten caught up with. We really had to continuously think about how the language of the design had to connect the entire site.”
The finished project uses massive ornate beds of hardy perennials such as cottage pink dianthus, double gold daylilies and purple dome New England asters. The beautiful array of color is coupled with low-maintenance materials in outlaying areas such as reed and heavy metal switch grasses as well as shrubs and trees. A massive fountain surrounded by tall grasses and colorful flowers serves as Willow Festival’s focal point at the corner of Willow and Waukegan roads, quickly catching the eye and inviting passing motorists into the shopping center.
Another favorite element of the shopping center is a fish pond near the entrance to Potbelly Sandwich Works. A stopping point for many onlookers, the pond is made with a naturalized rock with outcropping stones that holds aquatic plants and, of course, fish. “It has really been fun to see people interacting with the space. It’s not just about the plants but it’s the people interacting with the design,” says Mitchell.
Hamilton Partners partner Todd Berlinghof worked closely with Mariani to offer ideas for the landscape concept. “The comments on the landscaping have been exceptional,” says Berlinghof. “They created the style by using hard and soft features in a unique way. Mariani’s design definitely served its purpose. Everyone has said the space looks outstanding.” Mariani recently designed additional landscaping to continue incorporating the overall design for new Willow Festival tenant, Zapatista Mexican Grill. “There is a lot of transition space from the parking lot to the front door of the retailer,” says Mitchell. The Willow Festival development has been very supportive about trying to infuse creativity.”
