Two decades ago, when Horton Plaza Shopping Center opened, the brand new retail mecca turned Suburbia’s attention back to the Centre City. Shoppers came to experience its 49 eye-popping colors, its vertical scale, its pedestrian bridges and angled walkways. Wildly eclectic architecture sprawled over more than six blocks. Here was an open-air mall unlike any other. Created by architect Jon Jerde and his talented design team, it took its inspiration from influences as diverse as Old Italy and Pueblo Indians along with San Diego’s historic buildings and domes. The result? A shopping center that cobbled together elements of surprising beauty and whimsy. Today, between 25,000 and 35,000 shoppers a day visit Westfield Horton Plaza, where they can find 140 specialty stores, three department stores (Macy’s, Mervyn’s and Nordstrom), live theater, 14 movie screens, an abundance of eateries and a fitness center. This festival marketplace remains a unique urban shopping environment as far from the suburban mall layout as those Italian hillside villages that influenced architect Jerde. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the imaginative world of Horton Plaza. Our tour starts near the mall’s entrance at Broadway Circle (E Street and Third Avenue). Stand in front of the statue honoring Horton Plaza developer, the late Ernest W. Hahn. This is a great spot to take in the confluence of the shopping center and the surrounding city. Tiled obelisk rises from circular entrance to Lyceum Theater. Immediately behind the Hahn statue is a 36-foot high tiled obelisk, part of Horton Plaza’s public art program. Look closely at the jaguar design on the obelisk, and you may wonder whether you’re coming or going. Artist Joan Brown’s big cat has its body on the back side of the obelisk, with only its tail facing pedestrians approaching the mall. It’s a hint of the playful spirit awaiting visitors ahead. The obelisk is set in a circular opening that descends to the Lyceum Theatre below street level. The Horton Plaza theater has two performance areas with a total of 750 seats. Reproduction of Knights of Pythias Building connects street with mall interior. Before going inside, observe Horton Plaza’s outer buildings. Note how their sidewalk store entrances help connect the city with the center. Two of the Horton Plaza structures near the shopping mall entrance also help tie the mall to San Diego’s past. From the obelisk, look back and to the left at the ornate gray structure occupied by Citibank. Its facade is a replica of the historic Bradley building, which was demolished to make way for the shopping center. On the E Street side of Broadway Circle behind the obelisk is another nod to history, a blue structure that reproduces the facade of the Knights of Pythias building, which also bit the dust on the Horton Plaza construction site. Check out the interesting western artwork that the building’s major tenant, the Original Levi Store, affixed on the facade.