What It Should Be...

Currently, as we are pulling ourselves out of economic depression, a new emphasis has been placed on balancing content and context. People have become less optimistic about the state of the world leading to a decline in consumption. Where the shopping mall of the 20th century had relied on encapsulating a perfect world within a box, it now must appeal to an audience that no longer embraces such idealist circumstances. It has become impossible to remove the consumer from a context that prevails in every aspect of our life and contributes to a generally pessimistic attitude. Instead, we must begin to create a shopping mall that through design encourages connections and understanding of the surrounding context. The big box should open up and assume a supporting role in the midst of the 21st century issues of reviving the downtown, sustainable transportation, accommodation of public needs, networking within the immediate context, and minimizing environmental impact.