Gloria Yu

Gloria Yu

Copley Place was obviously more high-end than the Prudential Center—which was noticeable through the material that was used and the spaciousness and lightness of the interior. The furnishings of Copley place were either white marble for the hallways between stores or red-brown marble for emphasis in resting areas. It was very brightly lit with a luxurious gold light, with the stores lit especially brightly. The ceiling of Copley Place was very high and the space felt very open, with numerous floors visible from the first floor. They were aesthetically stacked on top of each other, almost evoking a sense of awe. Things did not feel crowded or cramped because the ceiling was so high, and the space very open—the hallways were very wide and the resting area was very spacious, with multiple benches. The ceiling was made entirely of glass, which also added a natural sense of light to the mall. It was a place that one could spend a long time in without feeling stifled. The attempts to add nature or greenery was visible—with potted plants placed along the halls and throughout the floors, with the resting area boasting a wide are of greenery and even a waterfall. This was pointedly different from the Prudential Center, where immediately the passageways were much narrower, and I found myself having to move aside for people. The ceilings were much smaller, the shops much closer together, and I felt a bit claustrophobic. The interior was a more simple white and beige, and the ceilings lower. There was still an attempt to incorporate nature into the interior, but this area was a little removed from the shops, whereas in Copley, it was incorporated into some of the bigger brands. This could be that for Prudential, since it is less high-end than Copley, they want shoppers to actively purchase rather than rest in the middle. The entrance to Copley Place was large and made of glass, with almost a plaza like area outside with statues of horses. Despite the numerous chairs outside, no one was lounging out in the chairs, which also seemed to denote its status.

Newbury Street, despite being outdoors also was similarly set up like the indoor shopping districts. The elaborate buildings are all uniform, with some large shopping windows, which display products. There were many sub-basement areas where many cafes and restaurants and outdoor seating spaces were placed to maximize space. A building, made up of three-ish smaller buildings repeated itself down the street, with trees placed regularly, and some of the sub-basement spaces fenced with shrubbery, much like how little spruces of nature was incorporated into the shopping malls. The street however feels a little different from a shopping mall in that the buildings seem like residences. It feels more like a boutique that maintains independence from the other stores and business alongside it, because it seems to have its own independent space, although the buildings are similar. The buildings are also not very modern, and we tend to associate shopping malls with modern furnishings instead of stone embellishments and red-brick, which allows us to somewhat disassociate Newbury Street from a traditional shopping mall.