 
Roomsonfire
Member
Username: Roomsonfire
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 10:47 pm: |    |
Does anyone have any vintage indoor pictures of Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi from the 1970's or even up until the early 90's? I talked to the manager of the mall and she couldn't find any.
I know the mall used to have some big metal sculptures hanging from the ceiling, terrazzo floors, a fountain in front of Macy's, and a theater of course. Also, there was the AWESOME non-ceiling in Macy's (I miss that, I do have a good pic of it I took), a lakeside mall-like elevator, and a set of stairs in the center court.
If anyone has any pics or maybe some descriptions of what the mall used to look like before the renovations started in the 90's, please let me know.
I know the head maintainence person was able to provide a few to me, and the silver pillars and new railings were installed in or before 1994. I've always been impressed with this mall. I think the ceilings in the center and anchor courts are really cool, and amazing that the basic architecture still looks so modern today as with (I later learned) many Taubmans.
(Message edited by Roomsonfire on February 13, 2009) |
Novine
Member
Username: Novine
Post Number: 1097
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 11:22 pm: | |
I would check with Taubman corporate or the architectural firm that designed the mall. |
Mikem
Member
Username: Mikem
Post Number: 1905
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 11:25 pm: | |
Vintage? Already? |
Ja1mz
Member
Username: Ja1mz
Post Number: 152
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 5:03 am: | |
I was looking for pics of Macomb Mall of the fountains that used to be there in the 60's-haven't had any luck |
Mikeydbn
Member
Username: Mikeydbn
Post Number: 114
Registered: 04-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 6:26 am: | |
I have some of Fairlane...
|
Roomsonfire
Member
Username: Roomsonfire
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 10:20 am: | |
yep, I've seen the ones from Fairlane and even two from Lakeside Mall, but seems like old pics of Twelve Oaks are a mystery!
Does anyone even know what it used to look like from memory? |
N7hn
Member
Username: N7hn
Post Number: 171
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 10:59 am: | |
werent fairlaine and 12 oaks almost identical? |
Cris
Member
Username: Cris
Post Number: 167
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 11:39 am: | |
I used to work in Novi and shopped there all the time around 1990-93 but now I don't remember that many details. It did have a movie theater, a Sears with auto repair, Hudsons and JCPenney. I think there was a food court in the same area as the movie theater. The Olga's restaurant on the second floor hasn't changed much since then. The glass elevator looked a lot like the one in the Fairlane picture above.
The mall that makes me feel most sad and nostalgic today is Summit Place. It used to be lively and crowded, and is now totally dead but still open. You can still go there and walk around, and it's a very weird feeling. Actually it's not totally dead-- the large anchor stores are still open-- but the mall part is dead. It's creepy. |
Roomsonfire
Member
Username: Roomsonfire
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 2:07 pm: | |
"werent fairlaine and 12 oaks almost identical?"
I assumed that too, but no, from the very vague pictures I have seen and from what an older friend told me, 12 oaks did not have the glass railings with the thick wood trim like lakeside and fairlane, and had white terrazzo floors, not the small tiles. |
N7hn
Member
Username: N7hn
Post Number: 172
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 11:49 am: | |
OH, guess i never looked that closely. To me they were the same, Guess they coulda saved some cash in the design differences , cuz I didnt notice them....= ) I worked at fairlane and lakeside, and went to 12 oaks often. Oh well..... shame on me. |
Fastcarsfreedom
Member
Username: Fastcarsfreedom
Post Number: 349
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 1:48 pm: | |
Viva the "non-ceiling". Fairlane still has it's non-ceiling and it's directional signage in the curvy-lowercase Hudsons-font.
As for "Taubman-ness", how was/is Briarwood? I realize it's smaller than the other 3 and pre-dated them by a few years--did it/does it employ any of the "high style" that were built into Fairlane, Twelve Oaks and Lakeside? |
Roomsonfire
Member
Username: Roomsonfire
Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 9:21 pm: | |
I wish they kept the non-ceilings in the Macy's and just added better lighting, new flooring, etc. I think it was one of the most unique interior designs I have seen in a mall department store. The only two stores left with the non-ceiling are Fairlane and The Crossroads Mall in Kalamazoo (opened 1980).
"As for "Taubman-ness", how was/is Briarwood? I realize it's smaller than the other 3 and pre-dated them by a few years--did it/does it employ any of the "high style" that were built into Fairlane, Twelve Oaks and Lakeside?"
Briarwood has an interesting design, with it being one floor, but still having different "levels" inside with ramps and stairs. I don't think it's a very good design in my opinion. They painted it too so it's not all white in normal Taubman fashion. It almost feels like just your on the top floor at other two-level taubman malls in terms of ceiling height. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 8998
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 9:38 pm: | |
Roomsonfire,
Was that 12Oaks maintenance fellow named Steve?
I was in all three malls from 1978 through about 1981, mostly Fairlane but a good amount of time in 12Oaks running stock transfers for Anton's Menswear.
They were similar, but each had their own identifying traits...so even dropped into the middle of any you'd know where you were in an instant.
When we talk vintage memories, can we at least call the store Hudson's?! |
Roomsonfire
Member
Username: Roomsonfire
Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 11:11 pm: | |
yep, his name was steve |
Reddog289
Member
Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 924
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 11:41 pm: | |
No pix {sorry} yet as a kid I was drug around to malls all the time. I thought Northland was big.When Fairlane and 12 Oaks opened I was lost 3 floors of stores!!. Never thought I'd ever get to go home. If I am correct I didn't think that the mall police liked people taking photos in the malls. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 9000
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 12:27 am: | |
Heh. First cousin. Really a great man. If he can't do it, it can't be done. |
Mcwalbucksnfitch
Member
Username: Mcwalbucksnfitch
Post Number: 86
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 12:53 am: | |
I have a good friend who works for management at Lakeside, and he highly admires the renovations done to Twelve Oaks in the '90s and wishes they would've done the same for Lakeside. I remember when Hudson's at Lakeside had the open ceiling, but my memories are vague, I was only a kid. I do however, remember thinking the huge hanging mirror sculpture in one of the center courts at Lakeside was cool, and I also remember the huge red sculptures they had. I wasn't sad to see them go. I'm glad they didn't stick with the same design for Lakeside as Fairlane, the ramps and tween levels just don't appeal to me. |