Shopping Mall Culture

The modern capitalist system spatially expresses its presence and functioning in today’s cities through shopping malls (AVM). In contemporary social structures described as a "consumption society", these centers have become an inevitable reality of urban life. The great cities of the past, once associated with production, now accommodate these massive structures where consumption is concentrated and organized.^【1】

Throughout history, the culture of commerce in Anatolia and around the world has taken various forms, from marketplaces to covered bazaars. Although the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, established in 1461, is regarded as one of the earliest and largest prototypes of modern shopping centers, the concept of the modern enclosed shopping mall emerged in the 20th century.^【2】

The first example of a modern enclosed shopping mall was the Southdale Center, opened in 1956 in the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. Designed by Austrian architect Victor Gruen, this structure was built to address the lack of social life in suburbs and to create a "city center" unaffected by climatic conditions. Gruen’s design eventually evolved into a global model and became the primary spatial instrument of consumption culture.^【3】

Shopping malls are not merely commercial structures; they are sociological spaces that shape consumption culture. George Ritzer describes these structures as "cathedrals of consumption". The search for peace and meaning that people once pursued in religious spaces has, in the modern era, been transferred to shopping malls perceived as "temples of consumption".^【4】

These spaces are also analyzed within the framework of Jean Baudrillard’s theory of "simulation". Shopping malls are simulated environments that isolate themselves from the realities of the outside world—climate, noise, chaos—and generate their own internal reality and temporal order. When individuals enter these spaces, they detach from external social realities and enter a sterilized atmosphere of consumption.^【5】

As products of modernization and urbanization processes, shopping malls have not only accelerated consumption but also transformed the concept of "leisure time". The modern individual spends a significant portion of their time outside work in these spaces for shopping, entertainment, and socialization. This trend has led to the institutionalization of leisure time within an organized spatial framework rather than its casual or spontaneous use.^【6】

The modern shopping mall culture in Türkiye began to take shape after the 1980s with the adoption of liberal economic policies. The most concrete beginning of this process was the Galleria Shopping Center, opened in 1988 under the leadership of then Prime Minister Turgut Özal. In Türkiye, shopping malls have become the most prominent symbol of the transition from traditional bazaar-based commerce during the Republican era to modern consumption complexes.^【7】