 The center was constructed to successfully bring the community together by " gathering art , culture and entertainment under one roof with retail . " The Dayton 's store was modeled after Dayton 's flagship store in Minneapolis , Minnesota . In November of 1956 , organic architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited the mall as part of a tour of new buildings in Minnesota ; he critiqued Southdale 's overall design , stating " [ the ] garden court has all the evils of the village street and none of its charm , " further criticizing several other buildings in nearby Minneapolis . He unfavorably added that Gruen " should have left downtown , downtown . " 
