Class in a food court? How bazaar

Walter Benjamin’s The Arcade Project is really telling of how a very simplistic piece of architecture, the arcade, did so much to change the retail experience because it did not only support space making, but as well supported the economic. The arcade provided a simple but somewhat luxurious and novel experience that was innovative in its use. It helped elevate the marketplace and somewhat condense it into one giant destination gallery of shops, a department store on steroids perhaps? One could argue that the arcade was an idea played off of a street covered oriental bazaar. What is somewhat humorous is that the shopping experience left the street and now with projects such as Destiny and the South China Mall, street life is what the mega mall experience is drifting back towards.
Another important fact to recognize is that the arcade was the first step towards the modern day mall. It enabled the shoppers to have a heightened experience creating an enclosed social setting and gathering place that was uninhibited by the elements. This fact stays true for today as modern malls are not only economic but a gathering place to meet, hang out, and even hold a class in the middle of a food court.