P(a)lace of Consumption: Architecture, the Revitalisation of Space through Shopping Mall Design Principles

Architecture can be regarded as both a product for the retail environment and as a medium which can influence change in contemporary society. Within the context of the retail environment, architecture becomes intrinsically associated with the concepts of business sustainability because of the needs from investors challenging the needs of the public. Business sustainability within the retail environment is concerned with the success of the tenants occupying the investors' assets whilst the architectural sustainability focuses upon the public acceptance of the space that is transformed once being constructed and in the future. Furthermore, the architecture within the retail environment encapsulates the utilisation of space, crime and neglect prevention, retail attractiveness and targeting users through urban design principles. The research identifies the gap between the urban design principles and the individual business success within the inner-city. This thesis explores the coordination of the urban design principles and shopping mall design principles upon the existing urban fabric which is set to revitalise and improve dilapidated areas within the Wellington inner-city. This is to not only improve the retail location, but also the residential environment which is ever increasing. The shopping mall design principles have been integrated into the retail urban fabric and as the research states, shopping mall design is more successful than the individual street retail by improving the productivity of the businesses as well as allowing a higher grade of space to be created with the additional income and mutual design motivation. Although the shopping mall design principles are traditionally implemented upon a single ownership environment and as such allows a decision to be made through a single official, the inner-city is filled with multiple owners upon the one site which adds limitations to the design that can be manipulated. As such, this thesis designs as though the site is organised under a collective, allowing a common goal to be achieved. The important successful shopping mall design principles have been segregated into four clusters; anchors, configuration, interior aesthetic and control. These clusters combined with the common urban design principles allow the individual small business owners to challenge the large-scale retail businesses putting them out of business. Also, national and international urban and shopping mall precedents have been analysed as showing physical representations of the research studied in the literature review. The design being placed upon a dilapidated area within the Wellington inner-city the success of the design case study will determine the future success of the idea migrating into other areas of Wellington's inner-city. The idea that beginning the concept in the worst case scenario would allow the design to act as a catalyst for growth into already established market areas such as Cuba Street and Courtenay Place.