Melissa Balding

Melissa Balding

My first sketch shows me traveling through the Boylston Arcade. I worked backwards from the direct instructions as I was coming from the Newbury Street direction. I entered in the Boylston Street entrance and moved towards the Center Court and then out the Huntington Arcade. As I moved through the mall, I quickly lost energy. The life was especially sucked out of me when the doors to the South Gardens were locked and I was trapped inside. I regained a sense of energy at the promise of frolicking about outside down Huntington Street. The red indicates things screaming for my attention. The green represents my attention being diverted in every which way, taking away my energy, or part of my soul. The way different parts of the mall compete for visitors’ attention seems exhausting to me and the way store fronts come out into the central walkways feels invasive and trapping. I think the clear glass ceiling was supposed to alleviate this in a way, but I felt like it was a tease more than anything. This vibe feels very different than Newbury Street where the stores are further off the sidewalk. Even the stores that do have pop out upper levels gave me more of a sense of an optional invitation for their clear commercial functions. I think the stairs play a key role in this ability to distance walking in the general space and giving attention to the commercial spaces. I felt like there were more people using Newbury Street as a calm hangout and space to be social, but I think this may just be because, if it wasn’t already clear, I have a outstanding disliking for malls, and a strong preference for whatever feels like open space. My drawing of Newbury Street comes from the perspective of someone sitting at Sonsie, a restaurant with a, open front with chairs arranged to all face outwards to Newbury Street, as if the street was a stage.