Retail oxymoron

By twist of fate the shopping centre market in Poland took off at the same time as the first few anti-consumption organisations. At the end of the 1990s, a strong narrative was gaining ground critical of the Western lifestyle, its model for spending free time and its cultural norms. It was also the time of the first anti-globalisation movements. Literature castigating the consumerist society, accusing it of wallowing in shallow and worthless preoccupations was also en vogue. In such a prevailing zeitgeist, the image of the shopping centre as an icon of consumerism could not go unscathed. The attitude of the Catholic Church was to defend traditional days off from work and this, combined with the criticisms of those who accused malls of killing off small-scale retail, also left a deep mark. This damage to the reputation of malls was further weakened by the activities of developers. A dozen or so years ago the main trend in mall design usually involved the construction of fenced-off facilities with car parks hidden underground. The retail itself was the only goal. Such an attitude was understandable after decades when consumer goods were simply unavailable. The most important thing was that customers went shopping. In those days, customers were simply not bothered about the architectural and finer details of the mall on the way from one shop to another. Examples of such centres can be still seen all over Poland. Derogatory terms such as ‘bunker’ and “giant fridge” were used to describe such blots on the landscape – and not without justification.

However, times change, shoppers have become more aware, they have travelled and matured... but the monsters are still the same. Locals who keep a close eye on changes to their communities became more organised and more of a force to be reckoned with. So I am not surprised that some of the residents of Wilanów, for example, are now protesting against a project by GTC that is clearly retrograde in their eyes. People change their lifestyles, their expectations grow – and this is also true with regard to the space that surrounds them. But now the concept of ‘city-forming’ has also come into play – improving the attractiveness of public space, influencing its development and the activation of urban life. This requires that the mall is opened up to the surrounding area and respects it, along with well-designed architecture that takes into account people’s needs and their comfort. Such large projects cannot just be about business. There is also the responsibility for what is built and how. Shopping centres exist in their urban space for many years. They will have to function as part of it and grow old – hopefully with dignity.

I am not convinced by the “sorry, this is the climate we have” argument, which is sometimes advanced to advocate closed, roofed-over shopping complexes. The developers of Manufaktura in Łódź were clearly unfazed by the ravages of the Polish winter and so created a public square right in front of a typical shopping centre. This features a volleyball court in summer, an ice-rink in winter, outdoor cafés and restaurants. Obviously money is a major factor, and this is incomparably larger for a project integrated with a given location and the needs of the local community. But still, a good project can look after itself. However, all the people involved in creating retail space do need to change their way of thinking.

Shopping centres such as Forum Radunia in Gdańsk and Art Norblin and Wilanów Park by Morelia Investments in Warsaw are competing with each other to be regarded as city-forming projects. There has been a clear shift in the press communications about the latest projects to refer to “a design that takes into consideration the activities of future users, their expectations regarding public space, professional life needs and ‘after hours’ activities” and “visitors will be able to relax in an urban square including several cafés and restaurants surrounded by greenery. A public boulevard with a glass roof will be created along the revitalised embankment”. So much for the PR. But what will come out of all this? Let’s wait and see. ν