A farewell walk around Lakeforest Mall.

Lakeforest Mall was a super-regional mall located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Built in 1978 by Taubman Centers, it would be the textbook definition of a Taubman mall, with a skylight-scattered ceiling, a grand center court with a fountain (that was unfortunately removed in 2013), several planters, and multiple conversation pits located throughout the mall.
Unfortunately, the mall suffered a rather quick death, with the first nail in the coffin being Simon opening their Clarksburg Premium Outlets in 2017. Two years later in 2019, Lakeforest would lose three of its four anchor tenants over less than 365 days. In 2020, lockdowns would force the mall to temporarily close, and many tenants opted not to reopen with the mall after lockdowns were lifted. Lakeforest ultimately reached the point where even local public officials were supporting redevelopment of the mall, and this is when Lakeforest started to really near the end.
The mall is now closed, and this beautiful structure is expected to demolished next year in favor of new mixed-use buildings that will likely be devoid of any kind of beauty or pleasant aesthetic.

Rest in peace, Lakeforest Mall, 1978-2023

Intro/gallery music by Alex Nes. Any other music used is coincidence and I do not own any of it; all copyright goes to their respective owners.