Architect Victor Gruen developed the idea of the commercial suburban shopping mall. Northland Shopping Center in Detroit brought Gruen’s ideas to fruition in 1954. Two years later, Southdale Shopping Center near Minneapolis was completed.
Southdale featured enclosed atriums and climatized pedestrian arcades along with artwork installations and places for shoppers to stop and socialize. But Gruen’s interests were not limited to suburbia. He also wrote and lectured extensively on the subject of urban development.
Gruen was adamant that architects had the power to influence trends in cities, saying:
In our fast-moving times, there are only two choices: progress or retrogression. There’s no such thing as standing still in the atomic age. If we are not able to improve the appearance of our cities, we will have to face their disappearance.
See the Victor Gruen papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.