House of Fantasy

In Kowinski’s work he exemplifies the standard American mall as an autonomous selling device, capable of being a place far beyond a destination to purchase consumer goods, but more of a “special world” (61) where protection and seclusion become essential elements to success. Kowinski brings to fruition the notion that the standard mall seen in America contains a plan governed by local patterns, mathematics, and demographics, all developed long before the mall was even conceptualized. At first one may mistake this equation to work in any location or application, leaving architecture with little influence; however Kowinski makes it evident that the culmination of so many different efforts into one building is the exact reason why architecture is very much at work in the American mall. He notes “it has some interesting architectural touches, due perhaps to the relatively unusual conjunctions…” (59). With so many different programs all working as one autonomous device, architecture is responsible to evoke a sense of scale, provocative enough to initiate exploring, yet subtle enough to ensure safety and comfort. Zepp concludes that “the enclosure, combined with architectural balance, engenders the sense of safety many people claim they find in the mall” (51). It becomes evident that the mall is primarily about promoting comfort and safety so that shoppers can relax and become immersed in the environment, thus making them susceptible to advertisement and improving the chances of purchasing something. The shopping malls of America are truly a product of architecture deeply embedded within a strict plan developed to initiate profit, as well as promote safety and relaxation in a sort of “house of fantasy…separated from the outside world” (61).