DYNAMICS IN SHOPPING MALL DESIGN - CASE STUDY ON IULIUS MALL TIMISOARA

Transition from communism to capitalism has massively affected Romanian society in its every aspect. Opening up the free market and thus to the western consumerist way of life, unleashed a frenzy of large commercial construction developments (more than 60 shopping malls built during the last 14 years). Current studies are mainly focused on matters of marketing and social issues, whereas few of them try to investigate how these shifts translate into architecture. The case study that we conducted on Iulius Mall Timisoara, one of the largest shopping hubs in the western part of the country, aims to outline major design issues concerning spatial and functional requirements in relation to the contextual matters mentioned above. The research is based on the comparative analysis of the different layout schemes and tenant mixes that emerged over the last ten years, in order to highlight the extreme dynamic and the constant need to reinvent architecture according to customer needs. Considering the fact that predictions indicate a continuing growth of retail industry in the CEE countries, setting up local typologies and guidelines for both planners and developers is a necessity. The information provided by our research should be considered during the process of defining regional mall types.