Photo by Jim Simmons The 400,000-square-foot Westfield Southcenter expansion made wide use of natural materials.

The $240 million expansion of Westfield Southcenter comprises 400,000 square feet of shops, a Borders store, 16-screen AMC theater, dining terrace, several restaurants and two parking structures.

The expansion opened up the traditional, inwardly focused mall, creating a new public face.

The modulation and articulation of the wall surfaces break up the massing, creating a human-scaled building. Natural materials were used extensively to give the building a sense of identity, drama and scale.