Westside Pavilion
Trademark
UnclaimedA former West Los Angeles shopping mall being transformed into UCLA Research Park.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
Westside Pavilion was a three-story urban shopping mall in West Los Angeles, California, at the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue, with an additional section extending across Westwood Boulevard. Developed by the Australian Westfield Group and opened on May 31, 1985, the mall was conceived as a major regional retail destination serving the Westside of Los Angeles. Its design, by The Jerde Partnership, used bright orange, lavender, and green geometric elements to evoke a Parisian shopping street. The project connected an existing May Company department store with a new Nordstrom anchor and initially included approximately 70 shops. The mall was built on a site with an earlier retail and entertainment history. A mini-mall known as Westland and a freestanding May Company building dating from 1964 occupied part of the property. Another portion overlapped the former Pico Drive-in Theatre site, which operated from 1934 to 1950 and is regarded as one of the earliest drive-in cinemas in the United States and the first in California. Construction of Westside Pavilion generated local opposition because residents feared additional traffic, parking pressure, and congestion. Developers agreed to provide substantial on-site parking and preserve the Vons supermarket that had operated in the previous shopping center. Despite the controversy, the completed mall became a recognizable West Los Angeles landmark. A major expansion, officially called Westside Too, opened in 1991. It added shops, restaurants, and outdoor-oriented spaces on the other side of Westwood Boulevard, linked to the original mall by a pedestrian bridge. The expansion was initially popular but later performed less strongly than the original structure. By the late 1990s, many Westside Too storefronts were vacant or occupied by community-serving organizations. Barnes & Noble became its most prominent remaining tenant after opening a large bookstore there in 1995. The original mall was renovated in 2000 with upgraded flooring and seating areas, while Westside Too closed in January 2006 for a substantial rebuilding program. The replacement complex opened in June 2007 and included a 12-screen Landmark cinema with approximately 2,000 seats. Marketed as a destination for independent film, the cinema introduced Landmark's Living Room auditorium concept, with smaller rooms furnished with sofas, ottomans, side tables, and reserved seating. A wine bar and restaurants complemented the cinema. The complex also became associated with popular culture: portions of Tom Petty's music video for "Free Fallin'" were filmed at the mall, and the property appeared in the film "Clueless" and other productions. The retail center entered a prolonged decline as shopping patterns changed and nearby competitors strengthened. Nordstrom announced in 2015 that it would move its Westside Pavilion store to Westfield Century City, a relocation completed in 2017. Macy's announced the closure of its main store in 2017, with the store shutting in March 2018, and later announced the closure of its Macy's Furniture Gallery, which closed in March 2019. The Landmark cinema closed in May 2022, while the Westside Tavern restaurant closed in October 2020 during the economic disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in 2018, Macerich and Hudson Pacific Properties proposed converting most of the enclosed mall into media and technology offices under the name One Westside. The planned 584,000-square-foot redevelopment was intended to cost approximately $410 million, with Google as the proposed sole tenant. The former Macy's building was separately converted into West End, a technology and entertainment office complex owned by GPI Cos. The One Westside plan did not become the property's final use. In late 2023, UCLA announced an agreement to acquire the property, and the university completed the acquisition in 2024. UCLA is now repurposing the former mall as UCLA Research Park, a research and educational complex expected to house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA, the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, and other university programs. The transformation reflects the site's shift from enclosed retail to institutional research and innovation space.
History
The Westside Pavilion site has served several commercial and entertainment functions. Before the mall was built, the property included Westland, a small shopping center, and a May Company department-store building constructed in 1964. Part of the land had previously been occupied by the Pico Drive-in Theatre, which operated from 1934 to 1950 and is recognized as an early drive-in cinema site. Westfield Group developed Westside Pavilion as a major enclosed shopping center for West Los Angeles. The Jerde Partnership designed the building with a highly theatrical modern style, combining geometric forms and vivid orange, lavender, and green accents with a street-like interior environment. Construction cost approximately $90 million, and the mall opened on May 31, 1985. It linked the existing May Company store at Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue to a new Nordstrom department store near Pico Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard. The center opened with about 70 shops and became a prominent local landmark. Its development was controversial because nearby residents expected traffic and parking problems. Agreements concerning on-site parking and retention of the existing Vons supermarket helped address some of the community's concerns. The first Aéropostale store opened at Westside Pavilion in 1987. In 1991, the property expanded across Westwood Boulevard with a section known as Westside Too. Designed as an extension of the original concept, the addition included retail stores, restaurants, and a pedestrian bridge. It attracted considerable attention when it opened but did not sustain the same level of popularity as the original mall. By the late 1990s, many of its stores had left. Barnes & Noble, which opened a large multi-floor bookstore in 1995, became the most visible continuing tenant, while other spaces were used by community organizations and service providers. The original portion received a renovation in 2000, including German limestone flooring and carpeted seating areas intended to create a more contemporary and upscale environment. Westside Too closed in January 2006 for reconstruction. The replacement opened in June 2007 with a Landmark 12-screen cinema, restaurants, and Barnes & Noble as the principal surviving tenant from the earlier expansion. The cinema had approximately 2,000 seats and was promoted as the largest U.S. cinema devoted exclusively to independent films at the time. Its Living Room auditoriums used sofas, ottomans, side tables, reserved seating, and other residential-style features. Westside Pavilion also developed a profile in popular culture. The mall appeared in exterior shots for the film "Clueless," while interior mall scenes in Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" music video were filmed there. It was also used as a location for productions including "North," "Christmas with the Kranks," "Tower Heist," "Disconnect," "Luck," "Take Me Home Tonight," "Den Brother," and "No Man's Land." The mall was featured in an episode of "Deal or No Deal," in which host Howie Mandel selected a contestant working at a Hot Dog on a Stick outlet. A legal dispute arose in the late 2000s when animal-rights activists peacefully protested at the mall against BarkWorks, a pet store they alleged was connected to puppy-mill sales. Macerich limited demonstrators to the pedestrian bridge and imposed blackout dates and other restrictions. In 2011, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District held that the restrictions challenged in the case were unreasonable as a matter of law, reversed the lower court's decision, and remanded the matter. The parties settled in November 2011. The property's retail performance weakened during the 2010s. Nordstrom announced in 2015 that it would move to Westfield Century City, less than two miles away, and completed the move in 2017. Macy's announced the closure of its main store in October 2017; it shut in March 2018. The Macy's Furniture Gallery subsequently closed in March 2019. In 2018, Macerich and Hudson Pacific Properties proposed converting most of the enclosed mall into One Westside, a media and technology office campus intended for Google. The plan envisioned approximately 584,000 square feet of offices and an estimated renovation cost of $410 million. Hudson Pacific would manage and develop the project, while Macerich would retain a minority stake. The cinema was initially expected to remain, but it closed in 2022. The former Macy's building was separately repositioned as West End, a technology and entertainment office complex owned by GPI Cos. and designed by HLW Architects. The final direction changed when UCLA announced an acquisition agreement in December 2023 and completed the purchase in 2024. The university is converting the former mall into UCLA Research Park, a research and education facility located approximately two miles south of UCLA's Westwood campus. Planned occupants and programs include the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering. The redevelopment gives the university additional space for research at a time when expansion near the main campus is difficult. The former mall's transformation therefore represents a shift from regional retail and entertainment to university-led science, technology, and education.
- 2025
Overland & Ayres apartment complex is built
[1]An apartment complex is reported to have been built on the site of the demolished Macy's parking structure.
- 2024
UCLA acquires the property for research redevelopment
[1]UCLA acquires the former mall and begins its conversion into UCLA Research Park.
- 2022
Landmark Theatre closes
[1]The 12-screen cinema ends operations on May 22.
- 2019
Macy's Furniture Gallery closes
[1]The remaining Macy's furniture operation closes in March.
- 2018
Macy's closes
[1]The mall's main Macy's department store closes in March.
- 2018
One Westside redevelopment is announced
[1]Macerich and Hudson Pacific Properties propose converting most of the mall into Google-oriented technology and media offices.
- 2017
Nordstrom relocates
[1]Nordstrom completes its move from Westside Pavilion to Westfield Century City.
- 2011
Appeals court reverses ruling on protest limits
[1]The California Court of Appeal rules that the challenged restrictions on demonstrations were unreasonable as a matter of law.
- 2007
Landmark cinema addition opens
[1]The rebuilt Westside Too area opens with a 12-screen independent-film cinema and restaurants.
- 2000
Original mall receives renovation
[1]The original section receives new flooring and seating areas as part of an effort to refresh the property.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
Originally positioned as an architecturally distinctive, upscale urban shopping destination for West Los Angeles, Westside Pavilion later evolved into a mixed retail, dining, and independent-cinema complex before becoming a redevelopment site for technology offices and, ultimately, university research facilities.
Enclosed shopping mall · 1985
Westside Pavilion
The original three-story enclosed shopping mall opened in 1985 with a distinctive Jerde-designed interior, department-store anchors, specialty retail, dining, and substantial on-site parking. It served West Los Angeles as a regional shopping destination before retail decline and redevelopment.
Shopping mall expansion · 1991
Westside Too
Opened in 1991 across Westwood Boulevard, Westside Too added shops, restaurants, and a pedestrian bridge to the original mall. Its first retail configuration declined by the late 1990s, and the area was later rebuilt as a cinema and restaurant complex.
Cinema · 2007
Landmark Theatre at Westside Pavilion
The rebuilt addition opened in 2007 with a 12-screen, approximately 2,000-seat cinema focused on independent films. It included Landmark Living Room auditoriums with residential-style furnishings, reserved seating, and a wine bar. The cinema closed in 2022.
Technology and entertainment office complex
West End
The former Macy's building was converted into approximately 230,000 square feet of office space for technology and entertainment tenants. The property is separately owned by GPI Cos. and was designed by HLW Architects.
Research and educational facility · 2024
UCLA Research Park
UCLA's planned reuse of the former mall is intended to provide research and educational space outside the constrained Westwood campus. Planned programs include the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering.
Brand decisions
2024
UCLA acquisition and conversion to UCLA Research ParkM&ABackground
UCLA needed additional land for research and educational expansion, while the former mall no longer functioned as a conventional regional shopping center.
Action taken
UCLA acquired the property and began converting it into UCLA Research Park, with planned immunology, immunotherapy, quantum-science, and related programs.
Aftermath
The site's principal identity shifted from retail and entertainment to university research and education. The redevelopment is intended to provide expansion capacity approximately two miles south of UCLA's Westwood campus.
2018
Conversion of the mall into One Westside officesStrategyBackground
Declining retail occupancy and the loss of major department-store anchors led Macerich and Hudson Pacific Properties to pursue a non-retail use for most of the enclosed structure.
Action taken
The partners proposed a 584,000-square-foot media and technology office complex, with Google planned as the sole tenant. Hudson Pacific was to manage and develop the property, while Macerich was expected to retain a minority ownership interest.
Aftermath
The proposed One Westside configuration was superseded by UCLA's acquisition and research-campus plan. The Landmark cinema initially intended to remain but later closed in 2022.
Planned renovation cost. $410 million planned investment (2018 proposal)
Recent events
- 2023
UCLA announces acquisition and research redevelopment[1]
M&A
UCLA announced an agreement to acquire the former mall and repurpose it as UCLA Research Park.
- 2022
Landmark Theatre closes[1]
Other
The property's 12-screen Landmark cinema ceased operations on May 22.
- 2020
Westside Tavern closes during the pandemic period[1]
Other
The restaurant closed in October amid the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2019
Macy's Furniture Gallery closes[1]
Other
The remaining Macy's Furniture Gallery closed as part of a broader national store-closure program.
- 2018
Macerich and Hudson Pacific announce One Westside plan[1]
Other
The owners proposed converting most of the mall into a technology and media office complex planned for Google.
- 2018
Macy's closes its Westside Pavilion store[1]
Other
Macy's closed its main department store at the property in March after announcing the decision in 2017.
- 2015
Nordstrom announces relocation from Westside Pavilion[1]
Other
Nordstrom announced that its Westside Pavilion store would move to Westfield Century City, with the relocation completed in 2017.
- 2011
California appellate court rules on protest restrictions[1]
Lawsuit · Other
The California Court of Appeal reversed a lower-court ruling concerning restrictions imposed on animal-rights demonstrators protesting outside the BarkWorks pet store; the dispute was settled later that year.
- 2007
Landmark cinema complex opens after Westside Too redevelopment[1]
Product launch
The rebuilt addition opened with a 12-screen independent-film cinema featuring Landmark's Living Room auditorium concept.
- 1991
Westside Too expansion opens[1]
Product generation
A major expansion across Westwood Boulevard added retail, restaurants, and a pedestrian connection to the original mall.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources1 sources
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