Shopping centre and urban regeneration: reflections on the potential for a synergic relation
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2014
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Edições Universitárias Lusófonas
Resumo
Shopping Centres are usually related with the proce
ss of suburban growth and urban
sprawl. Key element and urban reference of the moto
rway cities, these semiotic
symbols for the consumption’s life standard, shoppin
g centres are also considered
the executioners of traditional commerce.
Urban centres on the main Portuguese cities suffer
a chronicle problem of abandon
and desertification, mostly related with housing pri
ces and inefficient policies on
urban regeneration, to which the local commerce aba
ndon is collateral.
Considering the urban essence as a social happening
, where public and private
activities coexist in a complex and intricate struc
ture, where the hierarchy of space
and building is sewed by the common citizen necessi
ties – shelter, food, work and
leisure – it is reasonable to assume that the comme
rcial activities which provide the
software or interface for this basic requirements o
f contemporary urban living, may
be the essential catalyst for a city vitality.
The main question on this paper is: Can shopping ce
ntres be used as the anchor for
urban regeneration of consolidated metropolitan are
as? If so, what might be the
adequate typologies, dimensions and logistic require
ments?
Not disregarding any other important factors of the
urban framework, operating on
the border between public and semi-public space, th
e anchor terminology is not
innocent. The paradigms of the contemporary shoppin
g centre stand on the basic lexis of the traditional city - where the most icon
ic anchor shops relate with the
squares in a similar symbolic pattern as that of th
e public or corporate buildings,
whilst the smaller shops are placed along the “mall
” streets and configure the
common private blocks, as in a real city.
Here lies one key factor: the lack of authenticity
of the shopping centre urban
dialogue, which in this case, could be referred as au
thentiCITY. As an opposite
example, we may refer to the importance of big depa
rtment stores, in the commercial
vitality of many European city centres, where shopp
ing happens without a mimetic
solution. In this case, the relation between urban
street shopping and department
store shopping is diffuse and disconnected.
In conclusion, the purpose of this paper is to expl
ore the possibilities of connection
between urban street shopping and the shopping (cen
tre) urban experience,
considering the potential for a synergic relation.
For this purpose two case studies, located in Lisbon,
were considered,: Chiado
regeneration scheme, by Architect Alvaro Siza Vieir
a (where stands the reconversion
of the Chiado Warehouses, by Architect Eduardo Sou
to de Moura) and the Martim
Moniz area, in which stand two small shopping centre
s built in the 80’s.
Descrição
Revista Lusófona de Arquitectura e Educação
Palavras-chave
CENTROS COMERCIAIS, SHOPPING CENTRES, ESPAÇO PÚBLICO, PUBLIC SPACE, PLANEAMENTO URBANO, URBAN PLANNING, ARQUITETURA, ARCHITECTURE, REGENERAÇÃO URBANA, URBAN REGENERATION, LISBOA, LISBON