What happens when a mall dies? In my latest newsletter, I visit two of San Francisco's moribund shopping spaces -- the former Twitter building, and the former Westfield mall. What I find is very liminal. https://buttondown.com/thehypothesis/archive/inside-the-dying-malls-of-san-francisco/ #sanfrancisco #urbanism
@annaleen The last time I spent much time in the Westfield was during the November 2018 wildfires, for the breathable air. It's hard for me to see these malls coming back because given our mild climate, I would think any store would rather front a pedestrian-scale street outdoors so people can find it.
@annaleen the Center really should make more of a fuss about the curved escalators, because they seem ordinary but are actually unique in the US / western hemisphere / something like that.
@annaleen For a more upbeat San Francisco shopping center experience, check out Japan Center. It used to have a lot of empty shops, but it's been pretty lively recently, especially on weekends.
@annaleen This made me laugh out loud:
> [...] a glorious unbranded emptiness that future archaeologists will no doubt describe as “ceremonial chambers” or “special use spaces.”
Seriously, it's fascinating to compare those historical buildings with local counterparts, like the Unirea and Victoria stores in Bucharest, respectively. Or to contrast with modern malls, for that matter.
@chaz I've been going there since I was a kid, and I'm always amazed at the way it reinvents itself with new shops all the time
@paulmison I didn't realize that! They are pretty epic.
@annaleen looks like first, but no longer only. https://elevation.fandom.com/wiki/Spiral_escalator
@paulmison I'm so glad they're allowed to talk about escalators on the elevator wiki
@soulexpress maybe it will rise again?
@annaleen I seriously doubt that. Shopping malls all over New England have been dying for years.
@djfiander It might be. Sens8 was partly filmed in San Francisco