<h1>Book Review: The City of Walls / The Life and Death of Shopping Centers</h1>
The book Cities of Walls by architect Anna B. Háblová draws attention to a problematic phenomenon in our society – shopping centers. We have gotten used to perceiving them as an obvious part of cities. The book opens the reader's eyes and shows what shopping centers have caused to cities and people, and how far this could go with our society (following the American model). The tone and seriousness of the book can be inferred from the subtitle, Life and Death of Shopping Centers, which strikingly references the work Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs.
Anna Beata Háblová views the issue of shopping centers rather systematically, dividing the book into four sections. Individual parts are separated by a short comic strip that attempts to convey the message of the book in another form. In the first section, the author introduces the reader to the history and development that led to the current form of the temples of consumption. The second part focuses on the relationship of shopping centers to the city, and subsequently, the third explores the common characteristics of the centers. The author concludes the book with six recommendations for better designing shopping centers. This is based on fifty years of experience with shopping centers in America, which we should take as a lesson.
The style of the book balances between readable scripts, educational literature, and occasionally ventures into a mode reminiscent of fiction. This diversity may mean a pleasant refreshment in reading or, conversely, raise the question of whom the book is actually intended for. Theoretical reflections are complemented in the book by practical examples: in the form of drawing shortcuts and comparisons to specific Czech and foreign shopping centers. I believe that particularly more Czech examples would enhance the book's attractiveness.
The graphic design of the book is well-executed; it limits itself to a minimum of fonts and works only with one color alongside black, white, and gray. This color weaves through the book from the cover to the highlighting of ideas in sketches. The square book thus hides serious reflections on the state of our society behind a playful blue cover. Let us hope that the comic lightness of the book will attract enough readers to read (and reflect on!) it.
Author of the publication: Anna Beata Háblová
Publisher: Dokořán, s. r. o., Prague 2017
Format: 19x21 cm, 256 pages, hardcover
ISBN 978-80-7363-861-0 (Dokořán)
ISBN 978-80-87931-73-8 (IPR Prague)
Anna Beata Háblová views the issue of shopping centers rather systematically, dividing the book into four sections. Individual parts are separated by a short comic strip that attempts to convey the message of the book in another form. In the first section, the author introduces the reader to the history and development that led to the current form of the temples of consumption. The second part focuses on the relationship of shopping centers to the city, and subsequently, the third explores the common characteristics of the centers. The author concludes the book with six recommendations for better designing shopping centers. This is based on fifty years of experience with shopping centers in America, which we should take as a lesson.
The style of the book balances between readable scripts, educational literature, and occasionally ventures into a mode reminiscent of fiction. This diversity may mean a pleasant refreshment in reading or, conversely, raise the question of whom the book is actually intended for. Theoretical reflections are complemented in the book by practical examples: in the form of drawing shortcuts and comparisons to specific Czech and foreign shopping centers. I believe that particularly more Czech examples would enhance the book's attractiveness.
The graphic design of the book is well-executed; it limits itself to a minimum of fonts and works only with one color alongside black, white, and gray. This color weaves through the book from the cover to the highlighting of ideas in sketches. The square book thus hides serious reflections on the state of our society behind a playful blue cover. Let us hope that the comic lightness of the book will attract enough readers to read (and reflect on!) it.
Reviewer: Ing. arch. Karolína Kripnerová
Author of the publication: Anna Beata Háblová
Publisher: Dokořán, s. r. o., Prague 2017
Format: 19x21 cm, 256 pages, hardcover
ISBN 978-80-7363-861-0 (Dokořán)
ISBN 978-80-87931-73-8 (IPR Prague)
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
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