Mini-cosmos

Ira Zepp explains that malls are mini cosmos,self-contained worlds, cosmic ‘centers’, and this is evi-denced by their typically quadrilateral design and the frequency of words like ‘center’ and ‘crossings’ in their names (e.g. “Rivertown Crossings” and “CenterpointMall”).

The intended effect of the shopping mall is to create a sacred space and time in which ‘big picture’questions and the outside world become irrelevant. InThe Malling of America, William Kowinski writes,“Whatever you actually came here for is in the distant past. You’ve been floating here . . . for hours. But that’s the whole idea of this psychological structure: to turn off your mind and let you float . . . .”.

But will malls last? Do they have a future?  Google doesn't seem to think so:

I'm fascinated by these tiny cities, and the events that happen inside their walls. Which is why I've made 'Mall accidents' my first category of freak accidents.