RECREATIONAL COMMUNICATION SPACE OF A MODERN INTEGRATED URBAN SHOPPING CENTER

Abstract

Article is dedicated to studying the influence of shopping centers on the urban environment, with the goal of determining the preferable qualities of their recreational communication spaces. The main factors of their negative impact are the product of the inversion of their facades, autonomy of their spatial organization and function, as well as disparity of their scale with the smaller one of urban spaces. These issues can be traced to the qualities of an introverted spatial structure. Based on the aim of comprehensively integrating a shopping center to its urban context, it is proposed that its recreational communication space focus on providing accessibility, readability and permeability of its internal structure. The latter must be weighed against the need of keeping the mall’s environment comfortable, which may be balanced by the use of a mixed system of enclosed and open-air recreational communication spaces, as well as buffer spaces and active visual connections.