Ballston Quarter Retail Renovation

The Ballston Quarter Retail Renovation featured the redevelopment of 368,000 square feet of retail space in the former Ballston Common Mall. Originally built in the 1950s, the mall was modernized and upgraded to further integrate it into the Arlington community. Demolition of a portion of the mall’s interior and existing roof made way for an exterior plaza. The project also included replacement of existing elevators and MEP systems, and improving existing infrastructure, structural, and façade features.

A major portion of the project, and one that required extensiveplanning, was the pedestrian bridge.The Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge is a one-of-a-kindstructurethat connects the redeveloped Ballston Quarter to the Ballston Metrorail station. The 195,000-pound,steel-pipe bridge connects at different points and ranges inbothheight(from 15 to 21 feet), and width (from 10 to 20 feet)across its 150-foot-long expanse. The bridge was constructed with multifaceted geometric steel that warps, curves, and shapes itself with unique angles at every connection. The massivesteel structure, which features a concrete floor, was installed across Wilson Boulevard–one of Arlington’s busiest thoroughfares.  The completed pedestrian bridge doubles as an important piece of infrastructure and public art.

CallisonRTKL and Cooper Cooper served as project designer and architect of record, respectively.