Orange County, CA

The Background
As one of the presidents of the highly successful surfing brand Quicksilver, Shaheen Sadeghi is intimately familiar with the buying power of youth. Sadeghi saw an opportunity to create a destination in Southern California for 18 to 25 year olds that would cater to their social, commercial, and cultural needs. At that time, no other venue was tuned in to the psychographics of savvy young consumers. Sadeghi named his project The LAB, and commissioned Pompei A.D. because of the firm’s cultural insights and community based design strategy. The Client
In 1993, The LAB, also known as the Anti-Mall, gathered seventeen specialty retailers on a 2.5 acre site with the goal of creating an environment where the 18-25 year olds of Orange County California would want to hang out.

The Concept
Pompei A.D. understood that in order to appeal to their intended demographic, a very savvy niche market, the LAB needed to be more than just a visually exciting shopping mall. The success of The LAB was dependant on the creation of a transformational environment - merging commerce, culture and community. Conceptually, Pompei A.D. sought to create an environment reflective of the values, aesthetics, and attitudes of the intended customer. Every iconoclastic element affirms the lifestyle and sensibilities of their values.

The Design
The LAB consisted of three converted industrial buildings on the 2.5 acre site. Pompei A.D. designed The Lab’s image, interior, exterior, and common areas, as well as its anchor store Urban Outfitters. The design details included open-air lounging areas, a fountain of oxidized steel barrels, indigenous landscaping, a performance space and site-specific sculpture – all elements that affirm the lifestyle and sensibilities of the customer.

The Result
The LAB has been recognized for its innovation and business success in numerous publications around the world, including The New York Times and USA Today. As an international tourist destination, The Lab is widely recognized within the retail industry as a model for destinations that address specific sub-cultures.

As the first lifestyle center based on the values and psychographics of the consumer, it is a predecessor to more recent destinations such as Sony’s Metreon in San Francisco. Sony’s Metreon is a real estate development merging culture, commerce, community and entertainment for a specific psychographics that the developer brand is seeking to build a closer relationship with.

Due to the success of The LAB, developer Sadeghi was compelled to build a sister anti-mall, The Camp, appealing to the outdoor sports enthusiast niche market.