The Death of the Shopping Mall: Junkspace in Our Communities

 

The Death of the Shopping Mall: Junkspace in Our Communities

Growing up, many of us remember spending time exploring the countless stores of our local mall. Long before the time of online shopping and amazon, people could spend hours browsing the endless selection of merchandise. These massive structure use to play a significant role in our communities; though today, many of these spaces sit nearly empty. 

We are all to familiar with the "Final Sale: Everything Must Go" signs that line the streets each time another department store goes under. Many malls just barely hanging on by a few stand alone stores. A prime example of how the concept of "junkspace" can inhabit our own communities. 

These spaces that were once full of life are now eerily quiet, dim and still. Now they only leave behind these large structures, which often sit abandoned for years on end while financial decisions take hold.

As designers, we should begin to ask ourselves "How can we make these spaces spark a new life into their communities once more?".