Disneyland: The Worst Junkspace

"Let’s explore public space, discover casinos, spend time in theme parks . . . Junkspace is the body double of space, a territory of impaired vision, limited expectation, reduced earnestness." - Rem Koolhaus

According to Koolhaus’ Junkspace, today we look at architecture from the past and take pieces from it to create our modern designs, but we don't understand the meaning of what they represent. We create “junkspace”, places that are empty of substance and depth.

Nothing can be a better example of this than Disneyland, with it’s faux facades and cheesy nostalgia to a time gone by.

Built in 1955, during a period of optimism and growth in America, Disneyland was everything that the post-World War II era wanted. It created a place of happiness and nostalgia, especially along Main Street U.S.A. It gave people a place to go to get away from the worries of the world and just enjoy time in a false reality.

“Architects and designers have tried to distil the alchemic formula of wonderful city spaces for centuries…Disney and his designers showed an uncanny understanding of the way that architecture affects emotions…They figured out in the 1950’s and ‘60s, long before we understood neuroscience, exactly how to use design to get people from a place of anxiety and fear to a place of hope and happiness.” - Charles Montgomery On the Sunny Side of the Street

However, Disneyland wasn't the only place that was created during this time period to evoke such a sensation. In 1959, Victor Gruen designed the first outdoor shopping mall in Kalamazoo, MI. This shopping center created a main street of shops and restaurants that was strictly pedestrian, and gave the suburban public a place to hang out and enjoy leisurely.

If these Junkspaces are everything that is wrong with modern architecture, then why do people enjoy them so much? Isn’t our main goal as architects to create spaces that improve our environment and make people more comfortable?