Fairfax Square

Fairfax Square is an upscale mixed-use development located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, directly south of Tysons Corner Center across Leesburg Pike. The complex combines Class A office space with luxury retail, dining, personal services, and fitness uses. It is composed of three visually similar high-rise buildings designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The buildings are distinguished by Brazilian granite exteriors and lobby interiors using Italian marble and wood paneling. The development provides approximately 400,000 square feet of office space. Its office tenants have primarily included financial-services and insurance firms, with American Express, Merrill Lynch, and New York Life identified among the occupants. This office component gives Fairfax Square a commercial-services role in the Tysons market, while its ground-floor retail has positioned the property as a destination for luxury brands rather than as a conventional neighborhood shopping center. Construction began in 1988 on the site of a former Kmart store and parking lot. Fairfax Square opened in 1990. At opening, its Tiffany & Co. store was reported to be the company’s largest location outside New York, with approximately 14,500 square feet of retail space. The complex also became an important Washington-area location for Hermès, which operates its only store in the Washington metropolitan area there. Hermès expanded its retail area after a 2006 reopening, reflecting the store’s reported performance relative to the company’s wider U.S. network. Other occupants and uses have changed over time. Fendi opened what was described as its fourth store in the United States at Fairfax Square, although that boutique later closed. A former eight-screen movie theater was replaced by an Equinox fitness facility after the theater closed in 2007, shortly after a larger 16-screen cinema opened at Tysons Corner Center. The complex has also included Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons and Joon Restaurant & Lounge. Fairfax Square remains part of Tysons Corner’s concentration of premium retail and office properties. Its identity is based on the integration of prominent luxury boutiques with corporate office facilities in a high-income suburban business district. It should not be confused with an older, smaller development with the same name in the City of Fairfax, Virginia.

Fairfax Square was developed on a site previously occupied by a Kmart store and its parking lot in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Ground was broken in 1988, during a period of substantial commercial growth in the Tysons area. The project was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and planned as a premium mixed-use complex with three identical high-rise buildings, substantial office accommodation, and luxury-oriented ground-floor retail. The development opened in 1990 with approximately 400,000 square feet of Class A office space. Its architecture used Brazilian granite on the building exteriors, while the lobbies incorporated Italian marble and wood paneling. The office portion attracted financial-services and insurance tenants, including American Express, Merrill Lynch, and New York Life. This tenant profile helped establish Fairfax Square as an office destination serving the region’s financial and professional-services economy. The retail component gave the complex a distinct identity within Tysons Corner. Tiffany & Co. opened a 14,500-square-foot store at Fairfax Square, described at the time as the company’s largest location outside New York. The location was later reported to be approximately twice the size of Tiffany’s newer store on Wisconsin Avenue. Hermès also established its only Washington metropolitan area store at Fairfax Square. After a reopening in 2006, Hermès doubled the store’s retail space, citing performance that consistently exceeded the rest of its U.S. market. Fairfax Square’s tenant mix has evolved. Fendi opened a boutique there that was described as its fourth store in the United States, but the location subsequently closed. A movie theater formerly operated at the complex as an eight-screen venue. It closed in 2007, soon after a 16-screen theater opened at Tysons Corner Center, and the space was replaced by an Equinox fitness facility. Other identified occupants have included Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons and Joon Restaurant & Lounge. The complex is part of the dense cluster of luxury retail and commercial properties surrounding Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. Its continued significance comes from the combination of recognizable international luxury tenants, premium office buildings, and convenient proximity to other major Tysons destinations. Fairfax Square is distinct from a separate, older development of the same name in the City of Fairfax, which contains a smaller amount of office and retail space.

• 2007

  Former movie theater closes

  [1]Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org

  An eight-screen cinema at Fairfax Square closed shortly after a larger cinema opened at Tysons Corner Center; the space was later replaced by an Equinox fitness facility.

• 2006

  Hermès expands its Fairfax Square store

  [1]Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Hermès reopened and doubled the retail space of its Fairfax Square location after reported performance above the company’s wider U.S. market.

• 1990

  Fairfax Square opens

  [1]Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The mixed-use development opened with three high-rise buildings, approximately 400,000 square feet of Class A office space, and luxury ground-floor retail.

• 1990

  Tiffany & Co. opens a major boutique

  [1]Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The Tiffany & Co. store opened with approximately 14,500 square feet and was described as the company’s largest location outside New York at the time.

• 1988

  Construction begins

  [1]Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Ground was broken for Fairfax Square on the former site of a Kmart store and its parking lot.

An upscale mixed-use destination combining luxury retail and services with Class A office space in the Tysons Corner business district.

• Commercial office property · 1990

  Class A office space

  Fairfax Square includes approximately 400,000 square feet of Class A office space distributed among three high-rise buildings. The office component has primarily served financial-services, insurance, and other professional tenants, including American Express, Merrill Lynch, and New York Life. Its formal lobbies and premium construction support the development’s upscale commercial positioning.

• Luxury retail · 1990

  Luxury retail boutiques

  The ground-floor retail component is centered on high-end international and specialty brands. Tiffany & Co. and Hermès are the best-known identified occupants. Fairfax Square’s retail offer is destination-oriented, emphasizing luxury jewelry, fashion, accessories, and premium customer service rather than broad mass-market shopping.

• Fitness and wellness · 2007

  Equinox Fitness & Spa

  Equinox Fitness & Spa occupies space formerly used by an eight-screen movie theater. Its presence extends Fairfax Square’s tenant mix beyond retail and offices into premium fitness, wellness, and membership-based services.

• Hospitality and personal care · 1990

  Dining and personal services

  Fairfax Square has included dining and personal-service tenants such as Joon Restaurant & Lounge and Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons. These uses complement the luxury retail and office functions by serving visitors, employees, and local customers.

• 2007

  Replacement of the movie theater with a fitness facilityStrategy

  Background

  The former eight-screen movie theater closed soon after a larger 16-screen cinema opened at Tysons Corner Center, changing the competitive context for entertainment uses at Fairfax Square.

  Action taken

  The theater space was replaced by an Equinox fitness facility.

  Aftermath

  The change shifted part of Fairfax Square’s offer from cinema entertainment toward premium fitness and wellness services.

  Source

1. 1Fairfax Squareen.wikipedia.org