It is said that architecture can transform people—bringing joy to our souls, making us feel uplifted and cared for. But it can also evoke sadness, anxiety, and even terror. When you think about it, every two bricks put together, every wall around us, and every window we look through is architecture. Whether good or bad, beautiful or ugly, we live with it day after day. It’s likely the first thing that sets our mood in the morning when we open our eyes, or when we arrive at school or work.
John Cary, in his TED talk titled “How Architecture Can Create Dignity for All,” spoke about the importance of architecture, regardless of the level of infrastructure or wealth. He emphasized that all construction and design—big or small—should matter, for everyone, whether poor or wealthy, young or old.
I wholeheartedly agree with him. We must begin to value every kind of space that surrounds us by raising awareness because this is our chance to better the world we live in. Every person in the world, without exception, deserves to be seen, valued, and respected.
In this essay, I will discuss two buildings—two different places that evoked two opposite feelings in me. Let me start with the positive one since I want to set a good mood, and I promise to conclude on a positive note, so you don’t lose this feeling.
AFI Mall, Brașov, Romania
AFI Mall in Brașov, Romania, is a relatively new construction completed in 2020, designed by Moshe Tzur Architecture Studio from Tel Aviv. Whenever I think back on my trip to Romania last summer, and whenever people ask me about it, I don’t hesitate to share the impression that AFI Mall left on me. I visited it three times in three consecutive days.
I don’t consider myself someone who leads a busy life outside of the house. Part of the reason is that I spend a lot of time studying, and the other part is due to the pandemic, which limited my ability to visit places. As a result, I’ve come to regard AFI Mall as one of my most frequented places, despite it not being particularly close by. Brașov is the city where I was born, and I’m very proud of it. It has a unique charm, characterized by a blend of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture, making it one of the most visited cities in the country. But this mall is something else entirely.
With a contemporary approach, its architectural composition is carefully integrated into its context. Like Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, the modern and the organic exist in a symbiotic relationship. The connection of this project with the city, with the entire natural and built environment that surrounds it, is respectful and subtle. Natural forms are incorporated into AFI Mall’s design. The tubular metal structure holding up the ceiling, consisting of straight and curved tubes, resembles a network of tree branches, with trunks rising up from the hearts of the restaurants on the second floor. Triangular and square patterns cover the ceiling, with many opened as windows toward the sky. Quiet rivers, surrounded by plants, run alongside the dining tables, where visitors relax and chat with friends.
Outside the restaurant area, at the back of the mall, is a large terrace with plenty of green space, benches, and tables. It’s spacious enough for occasional outdoor movies and features a playground for children, conveniently located near the seating area for parents. I must also mention that this terrace, like a giant backyard, sits at the foot of Tâmpa Mountain Peak. You have to experience it to truly understand the feeling—it makes you feel lucky, whether you’re a resident of the city or a tourist.
The mall also hosts multiple exhibitions with seasonal themes. During my visit, there was a dinosaur and dragon exhibition on display, making the shopping mall feel a lot like something out of the movie *Avatar*.
The shopping area is expansive and elegant, with interior windows as tall as six meters, each single panel weighing approximately 350 kg. There are shops for all budgets, yet all are treated with equal importance. I felt extraordinary to be able to enter these stores with such elegant interiors and to notice that the products were affordably priced. Like many other ordinary people, I was happy to be able to buy them.
Finally, the top floor is reserved for a cinema, which I didn’t have time to visit. Hopefully, next year. 🙂
This is how I believe a shopping mall should look. From the moment I took my first steps inside, the grandiosity of the place, combined with its beauty, utility, and welcoming, natural atmosphere, made me feel valued—as if someone had designed this place with me and all my friends in mind. I think the architects of this center knew exactly how to do their job and didn’t disappoint. Everywhere you look, everything is carefully calculated and placed to serve a specific purpose.
I believe this space can serve as a model that should definitely be recreated, and it’s a place for architects to consider before embarking on a new mall project.
Walmart: A Contrast in Experience
I will take less time to talk about Walmart, which, as anyone can guess, is the negative example in this story. I probably won’t have the same flow in my words since just thinking about it stirs up anxiety within me. An insult to architecture? Well, let’s see. It’s my opinion, of course, and I hope it’s not too much for a professional architecture critic at the beginning of her career. 🙂 But I can certainly name a few things that left me flabbergasted.
I’ve had to enter Walmart a few times, and each time I felt trapped within those walls with no windows. I almost feel like a hamster in an experiment, and all I want to do is collapse and cry. “Mom, can we get out now?!” On top of the lack of windows, the lights are blinding, making me feel as if I’ve just woken up from surgery. Perhaps in the era of “zero waste,” the architects thought to make use of every inch of space and forgot about the importance of natural light… hmm. We have a few other megastores around, like Provigo, Metro, and even Super C, so we know that using natural light is possible.
I also feel that the overwhelming number of items in the store creates a chaotic atmosphere, leaving no room for the customer to breathe or feel comfortable. There are so many vivid colors, all crammed into one place with no regularity in the shapes of the signs. The shelf with corn is just a meter away from the shelf with t-shirts. The metallic shelves make it look more like a thrift store—like a magician’s hat where you reach inside, not knowing what you’ll pull out. This leaves a cheap impression, making me reluctant to buy anything for fear of losing my dignity.
I don’t want to compare Walmart to AFI Mall—I perfectly understand that it’s a different kind of store, a megastore that serves the purpose of offering thousands of items in one place, quickly and conveniently. But even so, some dignity can be demanded.
All stores, if properly built, can give customers a sense of coziness and pleasure while shopping down the aisles. Some have succeeded in having a distinct personality. Take IGA, for example. But Walmart has none of that. The way it’s built and the message it seems to send rush people through the store to quickly buy what they need and leave, without taking the time to look around, leaving them feeling voiceless and invisible. Overall, I don’t think the ideology behind this construction is very clever, and I believe many adjustments should be made to show greater respect for human beings.
