Since humankind first started building houses, each structure has been based on a builder‘s specific design idea. Ideas that were in accordance with the style of the time and thus transformed themselves from era to era. In this way architecture followed clear rules until the end of the 19th century, rules which stipulated that beauty and style are the priority. This also applied to commercial architecture. Accordingly, neo-classical elements were used to decorate the first department stores. But a changing Zeitgeist meant changing expectations for architecture. Following the basic tenet “form follows function“ coined by Bauhaus architect Le Corbusier, a purely pragmatic mind-set came to dominate architecture at the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently department stores from the 1930s to the 1950s typically had unadorned Bauhaus facades. Even the first shopping center in the middle of a field looked like oversized concrete blocks with a purely functional character. In the 70s stores with anonymous “system facades“ started popping up in German city shopping districts. This bare uniform look from architects such as Eugen Eiermann (known for the restoration of the Berliner Memorial Church) banned any architectural relationship to the surrounding environment. As the first shopping centers made their way into German city centres in the 80s, they looked like arbitrarily landed space ships, oversized and in stark contrast to a cityscape which had evolved over time, because architects and city planners had failed to adapt the size and style of the department stores to their surroundings.

Today we have learned from the mistakes of the past. Since there is no longer a uniform, architectural building style, architects, developers and city planners now make efforts to beautify and harmonise downtown areas. Architectural blunders from the post-war years were cautiously undone and historical facades were rebuilt; old buildings are often now protected by historic monument laws and strict rules also govern new construction. The goal was and is to create a renaissance of the city centre as a lively social, cultural and commercial epicentre.

Today along with pedestrian zones, shopping centers are an integral part of German city centres. This trend is projected to continue, according to estimates from the EHI Retail Institute, with around 95 percent of the currently planned newconstruction centers located in central business districts and city neighbourhood centres. Their interiors mostly rely on a functional building typology, usually a mall with two or three sales floors. However, the exterior of each building must now be individually tailored to suit its location and the architectural character of the city itself. “The particular challenge is to develop functional and aesthetic concepts in keeping with city planning issues and adapted to the specific condition of a location“, explains Andreas Fuchs, an architect specialised in the design of shopping centers.

For example, planners must incorporate existing street connections into a project, integrate existing public spaces or create entirely new ones. Moreover, architects must perform a balancing act between traditional and modern design for old city centres by referencing the old city‘s style in their interpretation of a modern building‘s basic architectural elements. For example, curtain walls in glass and stone must fit in harmoniously with a historical city streetscape. Sometimes entire facades are reconstructed according to historical models like with the City Arkaden in Klagenfurt. For this project, parts of a historical streetscape were entirely rebuilt, including the original balconies with wrought-iron railings.

Another example is the Stadt-Galerie in Hameln, a new construction project that had to account for the old city‘s network of small neighbourhoods and its half-timbered wind-bent houses. A modern, gigantic building would have destroyed the unique cityscape. To keep in line with the centuries-old Weser Renaissance style, architects preserved the landmark-protected façade of a historic administration building located in the heart of the old town centre on the Pferdemarkt and integrated the Stadt-Galerie into the site. In this way, a modern center was created whose interior had the requisite space for retail shops and met customers‘ expectation, all the while keeping in compliance with the strict requirements of historic monument status for the exterior.

While many shopping centers are thus carefully integrated into existing city streetscapes, other centers are intentionally designed to supplement a city‘s development or add to the cityscape, such as for example by emphasising certain geographical conditions. For example, a shopping center on say a riverbank can channel currents of people to its doors and thus become a new geographical point of attraction for a city. Besides a commercial purpose, the center also satisfies a city planning function.

Furthermore, a spectacular shopping center can be an enormous improvement for locations that have few inherent attractions. This is known as the “Bilbao Effect“, named after the Basque city that became world-famous thanks to architect Frank O. Gehry‘s sensational Guggenheim Museum. Whereas once all religious and aristocrat buildings were accorded major, symbolic significance, whereas castles and churches gave a location its identity, in more recent times it is the cultural buildings, transportation centres (like airports or rail stations), sports stadium and also commercial buildings which can attain almost cult status through exceptional design. Here architecture becomes a trademark, indeed a brand.

It is also an effect of size, seemingly irresistible, as described by the media analyst and philosopher Norbert Bolz. “Apparently functionalism is discomforting; people are again searching for substance, a symbol, meaning and identity“. In this way, monumental architecture creates powerful symbolism which in turn rubs off on a city.

For other shopping centers, a specific motto may run through the overall concept‘s architecture and substance. So-called theme malls are an internationally important trend, such as the Galeria Baltycka in the Polish seaport of Gdansk. Like the name suggests, the place is all about the Baltic Sea .

The ceiling windows are reminiscent of sails, one side to the water being blue and the other toward the land an earthy brown. Interior design elements repeatedly rely on water, beach, dunes and forests. In addition, a map of the Baltic Sea region has been inlayed into the flooring. “In this way we create an emotional connection for the visitor, a uniqueness“, explains the lead architect Renate Müller. This enables the customers to identify better with the building and the architecture. Moreover, for locals as well as tourists the building inevitably creates a seaside holiday feeling, which boosts the mood for shopping.

There are many approaches to the construction of retail buildings. Depending on the location, either existing stylistic condition or a building‘s functional goals may be the dominant issue. From the perfectly integrated center in an historical city to theme malls to the identity-creating monumental structure, today everything is possible, making every new center an exciting challenge for architects, developers and city planners.

Nicolette Maurer

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