Regenerative mall: From spaces of consumption to places of production

[摘要] United States is a country of shoppers, leaving hundreds of malls scattered around the country surrounded by fields of parking, waiting for the 30-year lifecycle to run its course. When the economic crisis hit in 2008, it became clear that it wasn;;t just the economy that was dependent on retailer;;s success, ;;public spaces;; were also dependent. As malls close, the gathering spaces that offered a privatized version of the so beloved ;;public sphere;; close as well. This thesis argues that the decline and fall of these ;;public spaces;; resides in the mall;;s monofunctional nature and isolation. This thesis proposes a methodology of mall reanimation that transforms the inherited concept of the mall as a space of consumption into the mall as a place of production. Finally, this thesis aims to offer a capitalistic view on sustainable and profitable development that questions the ultimate form of suburban sprawl and land subdivision.

[发布机构] Rice University

[效力级别] Architecture