an optimistic approach to junkspace

The negativity exhibited towards malls and commercial corridors that Koolhaas expresses provides an opportunity for architects to be critical of their work. This is something that was lacking during modernism and is necessary to continue to improve our practice.

That said, the idea of a shopping mall is simply a perversion of a metropolitan idea. Commercial corridors exist throughout the world in places like Via del Corso in Rome, the great bazaar in Istanbul, or King Street in Charleston. These may all be exterior spaces, and some more victimized by international corporate presence, however there is something else that makes these spaces unique. Time has allowed for the perception and use of these spaces to evolve and while the stores that are present change, the urban context provides an anchor for the user. The natural evolution of a city gives an inherent value to a place that cannot be mimicked through rapid and systematized growth. 

An H&M/William Sonoma/Verizon mobile store can exist in any of these locations, and its branding can certainly lead to a sameness that creates junkspace. Yet, it is possible to overcome this perception. Sameness is easy to achieve in suburbia where land is available for a copy and paste process that shares ideas but also creates universal experiences. As we learned from modernism, universal is not always appropriate, but can be easier fought in an urban context where time can embed more meaning to a place. Given time, it is possible that this sameness will be overcome by the unique desires of people that exist in these copied communities throughout the world and cultural value in a place can again be realized.