Malls & Department Stores (Architecture in Focus)

At the beginning of the 20th century, the department store developed from markets and urban arcades, from which the shopping mall evolved in the post-war period. The operators of department stores and shopping centers are coming under increasing pressure from the competition of the continuously growing internet trade. By the same token, however, there is also an increasing tendency for the internet trade to become involved with real shops. The challenge is to optimize the quality of the customer’s stay. This is accomplished by the interspersing of the offer by cultural institutions, a variety of dining opportunities and exciting leisure activities. The time spent in a department store or a shopping center must be conceived as an experience, separate from the consumption of goods, which engages all the senses. Which is where architectural quality as well as a targeted design can play an increasingly important role.