Buildings as images. A case study on the Medieval local mall

Abstract

This essay explores the pervasive visual culture of postmodernity, emphasizing the continuous need for decoding and interpreting a multitude of images that surround individuals daily. In this context, the study focuses on the Vivo! shopping mall in Cluj-Napoca, examining it as a visual text within the framework of Marc Augé’s theory of non-places and Rem Koolhaas’ critique of contemporary architecture in “Junkspace.” While postmodernism has diversified visual experiences, it paradoxically contributes to architectural uniformity. The essay delves into the dichotomy of shopping malls as non-places, oscillating between private and public, and analyzes their significance in urban landscapes, particularly addressing the exhaustion associated with these seemingly mundane structures.