Eloise Kaehny

Eloise Kaehny

Upon visiting both Copley Place/Prudential Center Mall and Newbury Street, I was surprised to find how each attempted to mimic certain characteristics of each other. The Copley Place and Prudential Center Malls are large, enclosed, shopping centers. High glass ceilings, shiny marble floors, and large glass storefronts create a pleasant, bright experience for shoppers and passerbyers. The extensive use of glass in the storefronts, ceilings, entrances, exits, and pedestrian walkways lets natural light illuminate the shopping areas, and glimpses of sky and surrounding streets and buildings are possible. In the center of the mall, a multi-story atrium with a waterfall and benches creates a central seating area. It seems that this shopping complex attempts to mimic a natural, outdoor environment while (obviously) remaining enclosed. It also seems that the shops located on Newbury Street attempted to”replicate the experience of a shopping mall” by using the same floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts, using different elevations as a way to catch the eyes of shoppers (eye-level and basement level shops), as well as marketing luxury products of the same caliber as those in the mall (designer bags, perfumes, watches, etc). Newbury is clearly a commercial area because of the significantly wide sidewalks that accommodate large volumes of foot traffic, as well as the numerous shops that continue adjacently for many blocks. Although some aspects of Newbury Street seem to mimic that of, for example, Copley Place, it is still clearly part of its surrounding urban environment to a greater extent. It is easier to take cross-streets to enter and exit the street, and it is possible to view the Boston skyline, residential buildings, banks, churches, etc that are on all sides of the street. The shopping complex, however, is somewhat isolated and requires the crossing of multiple heavy-traffic roads. The complex is less seamlessly incorporated in the urban fabric - multiple large parking buildings are nearby (maybe the complex is geared towards commuters who rely on their cars for transportation). While it is easy to enter and exit Newbury Street, there are fewer entrances/exits to the shopping center - once you have entered, it is easily navigable. But to actually leave the complex requires more effort than leaving Newbury Street.