Chengdu's Huge New Mall, and a Musing Lemming

(From ETGCN, via International Business Times, used w/o permission.)
"Inside the shopping area of the New Century Global Center."

"World's Largest Building, New Century Global Center, Opens In Chengdu, China"
Mark Johanson, International Business Times (July 01 2013)

"Whenever you're talking about the world's biggest, largest, tallest or fastest, chances are China is somehow involved. After all, the People's Republic boasts the world's biggest shopping mall and museum, tallest statue and highest observation deck, among other superlatives. And, as of this week, you can add the world's largest freestanding building to the growing list.

"The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, in Sichuan in western China, is so big that it's got its own artificial sun. Indeed, at 500 meters (1,640 feet) long, 400 meters (1,310 feet) wide and 100 meters (325 feet) high, it's massive enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses or three Pentagons, according to local authorities.

"Of course, you won't find any Sydney Opera Houses or Pentagons inside this 1.76 million-square-meter (18.94 million-square-foot) space. The colossal structure, which opened June 28 under the management of Exhibition and Travel Group, is like an enclosed town, with businesses, offices, shopping malls, theaters, two five-star hotels, a skating rink and even a water park called Paradise Island with an “indoor beach.” The New Century Global Center also boasts a faux Mediterranean village, following the bizarre trend in China for copycat European towns...."

Mark Johanson's article is fairly upbeat, which is just as well since it's in IBT's Media & Culture/Travel section. When was the last time you read something unglowing in that a 'places to go' publication?

That said, the Lemming's impressed with Chengdu's new shopping mall. It's not just big: architects did a good job of making it look good. In the Lemming's opinion.

Where Chengdu's new shopping mall goes in lists of 'world's biggest shopping malls' will depend on who makes the list. Minnesota's Mall of America is 23rd in a 'biggest shopping malls' list on Wikipedia.

That's because whoever put the list together didn't count an amusement park that's inside the mall. Credit where credit is due: there's a notation that the Mall of America would be #11 on the list, if all the interior space counted.

The West Edmonton Mall, several hours north and west of the Lemming, is big, too: and was the biggest in the world until 2004. These days the really big shopping malls are in Asia and the southwestern Pacific, and that's almost another topic.

Marine Theme for an Inland Mall, and Smog

(From ETGCN, via International Business Times, used w/o permission.)
"The hotel rooms are seen in the New Century Global Center."

"The exterior of the new mega-structure is shaped like a wave, while the interior has a marine theme, despite the fact that the nearest ocean is some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. The Japanese-designed artificial sun, meanwhile, will shine 24 hours a day and offer a welcome respite from the thick smog that typically blankets Chengdu's streets.

"The building forms the centerpiece of a recently developed area known as Tainfu New District on the outskirts of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Like many Chinese megacities, this hub of 14 million is rapidly expanding, with a growing subway system and a new airport planned for 2020.

"Officials had hoped to have the New Century Global Center completed in time for a global forum hosted by the U.S. magazine Fortune that brought presidents and CEOs of some of the world's largest companies to the city for two days in early June. That didn't pan out, but the government isn't shy about its desire for Chengdu to become the economic capital of western China. Chengdu's GDP reached 800 billion RMB ($130.48 billion) by the end of 2012, according to state media, ranking it third among China's sub-provincial cities...."
(Mark Johanson, International Business Times)

"Not shy" is a pretty good way to describe a promotional video the Lemming found. The audio isn't distorted, but you might want to turn the volume down before playing it:

• "The largest building in the world: New Century Global Center in Chengdu"
  GoChengdoo, YouTube
  video, 17:51

Chengdu probably does have smog. China has been running its industrial and commercial development in fast-forward, and may better air-quality standards in a few years. Then again, maybe not.

The Lemming decided to settle outside metropolitan areas, partly because the air is cleaner out here. Most of the time, anyway. Now and then a manure pit's turned when the wind is just right, and a very organic fragrance permeates the Lemming's abode. More topics.

Another View of a Smoggy, Phoney,  . . . You Get the Idea

(From STR/AFP/Getty Images, via CNET, used w/o pemission.)
"The New Century Global Center (top) looms over the Export-Import Bank of China in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province."
"China opens city-sized shopping mall, with fake sun"
Tim Hornyak, CNET (July 3, 2013)

" The international tallest building arms race has been dominated by Dubai, with its Burj Khalifa, for several years, but China has upped the ante by unveiling what it calls the world's largest building.

"The New Century Global Center building opened recently in Chengu, a city of more than 14 million people in southwest China's Sichuan province. It's described as 'the world's largest standalone structure' by Chinese officials and is 328 feet high, 1,640 feet long, and 1,312 feet wide.

"While Boeing's plant in Everett, Wash., is the world's biggest building by volume, the Chinese mall seems to be tops in floor space. Almost the area of Monaco, its 420 acres of floor space could fit nearly three Pentagons, four Vatican Cities, or 20 Sydney Opera Houses.

"The cavernous structure will feature a mix of retail outlets, a 14-screen movie theater, a university complex, offices, hotels, a water park called Paradise Island, a skating rink that's big enough to host international competitions, a pirate ship, 15,000 parking spots, and even a fake Mediterranean village...."

Did the Lemming mention that the New Century Global Center is huge? That's a common denominator in these articles. Also the smog.

Given time, the Lemming thinks that China's leadership will get around to cleaning up their country's air. That's not just empty optimism. The powers that be over there seem to have decided that putting China back on the map for world commerce is a good idea.

If they don't know that folks notice smog now, they soon will. "Soon" by the Lemming's standards, anyway.

"Ersatzery?"

"...Oh, and there's an artificial beach, too.

"But the ersatzery doesn't stop there. While Chengdu's factories, which include a Foxconn plant that turns out Apple gizmos, regularly contribute to the city's smog problem, visitors will enjoy an artificial sun that gives off light and heat 24 hours a day and a 164-yard-long LED screen serving as a stand-in for the horizon...."

Tim Hornyak can't seem to get over the artificiality of Chengdu's new megabuilding.

Artificial light, air at a controlled temperature, and efforts to make indoors feel like outdoors doesn't bother the Lemming quite so much. But then, the Lemming lives in Minnesota, where water is a mineral for several months each year. "Artificial" and "habitable" are far from mutually incompatible here. Yet more topics.

Related posts:

• "Santa Monica Place, Famous Architects, and Why Minnesota Malls Have Roofs"
  (May 2, 2012)
• "Taipei 101: Shopping Center, Offices, and a 728-Ton Sculpture"
  (January 18, 2012)
• "Lemming Tracks: China, Internet Traffic, and Why It Matters"
  (November 18, 2010)
• "Wiggly Buildings and Other Weirdness"
  (September 13, 2010)
• "China Olympics and Algae: Bad News, Good News, Bad News"
  (July 3, 2008)

Santa Monica Place, Famous Architects, and Why Minnesota Malls Have Roofs

"Venice Designer of Santa Monica Place Mall Honored"
Paul Chavez, Venice-MarVistaPatch (May 1, 2012)

"David Rogers, a Venice-based architect, has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects in the design category. Rogers most recently was the principal designer of the Santa Monica Place mall.

"David Rogers, a Venice-based architect whose most recent works include the Santa Monica Place open-air shopping mall, has been named as one of 105 fellows of the American Institute of Architects in the design category.

"Rogers is the co-design director of The Jerde Partnership, an international architecture and design firm based in Los Angeles...."

The rest of the article is mostly about David Rogers: which figures, since the Venice-MarVistaPatch reporter is writing about a 'home town celebrity.' David Rogers has done work outside California: like the Beursplein in Rotterdam, Zlote Tarasy in Warsaw, and something in the Kuntsevo district of Moscow. Rogers isn't quite 'world-wide, though: He seems to have missed South America, Australia, Greenland, and Antarctica.

The Lemming's more interested in Santa Monica Place, though. In this post, anyway.

That's a Big Makeover

"Santa Monica Place Swaps Gehry for Airy"
Marissa Gluck, The Architect's Newspaper (August 6, 2010)
"Stodgy mall by starchitect transformed into luxury galleria hocking sunlight and sea breeze"

"Thirty years ago a little-known architect named Frank Gehry designed a three-story indoor mall near the beach in Santa Monica while working at Gruen Associates. It was a far cry from the sumptuous buildings he creates today, but the use of metal, glass, and expressive forms was still there, in its infancy.

"Now, little of the original Santa Monica Place remains, as it has been renovated and reconfigured into an outdoor luxury shopping center by Dallas-based Omniplan. Save for some chain link signage, it is an entirely different place, less jazzy and more natural, less claustrophobic and more connected, a classy joint-at least by mall standards-that the developer hopes will attract the crowds that never flocked here before...."

Happily, this article includes photos. Quite a few of them. Including this set, shrunk down to fit in this blog.

Here's what Santa Monica Place looked like, 'before:'


(Bobak Ha'Eri/Wikimedia Commons, via The Architect's Newspaper, used w/o permission)

That's what Frank Gehry's atrium for Santa Monica Place looked like. It was like a lot of other shopping malls built around 1980. Nothing wrong with that, in the Lemming's opinion, but the place apparently needed some pepping up.

Here's the same place, 'after:'


(Marisa Gluck, via The Architect's Newspaper, used w/o permission)
"Few of Gehry's flamboyant flourishes remain, but the roofs of the escalators do recall the mall's prior architect."

It's amazing, what taking the roof off a room will do for its appearance. Folks here in Minnesota don't have that option. Actually, we do: but the room would get really, really, cold during winter.


(Marisa Gluck, via The Architect's Newspaper, used w/o permission)
"Looking out toward the promenade."

That looks like a really nice place. There's room to walk, those tiny trees almost provide shade, and there isn't too much room to walk. The Lemming remembers vast concrete expanses of - concrete - back when Modernism was new.


(Marisa Gluck, via The Architect's Newspaper, used w/o permission)
"The dining deck, with upscale eateries and views of the ocean, is a main attraction."

This is the sort of architectural photograph that the Lemming appreciates. The camera is near a human's eye level - and placed where someone might actually be standing. That is how everybody except some acrobatic photographers is going to see the area. A tip of the Lemming's hat, for this 'you are here' photo.

Related posts:

• " 'Fountain of Abundance' and the Psychedelic Buffalo"
  (April 27, 2012)
• "Taipei 101: Shopping Center, Offices, and a 728-Ton Sculpture"
  (January 18, 2012)
• "Santa Monica Place, Cool New Mall in California: It Would be Even Cooler Here"
  (August 10, 2010)
• "Frank Gehry's 'Curvy' Buildings"
  (July 2, 2010)
• "Antoni Gaudi - Buildings With That Home-Cooked Look"
  (July 15, 2008)

"Fountain of Abundance" and the Psychedelic Buffalo

"Fountain in West Acres Shopping Mall, Fargo, N.D."
Digital Horizons, Photo Gallery for the North Dakota State University Institute of Regional Studies (1977-08)


(Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo (35mm-0560.8), used w/o permission)
"View of shoppers seated around a courtyard in West Acres Shopping Center. A fountain and hanging plants decorate the area. In the background is visible the storefronts for Daytons and Flagg...."

"... The fountain is entitled 'Fountain of Abundance' and was created by P. Richard Szeitz...."

Looks like you could order a copy of that photo. A link on that page goes to http://library.ndsu.edu/archives/collections-institute/photography/reproductions/. Not the catchiest name in the world, maybe: but your browser should be able to find it. And that's another topic.

West Acres has been around since around 1972, and started out with that sculpture as a sort of centerpiece. They removed it for a while, but looks like it's back in public view. Along with a very strange bison.

The West Acres website, www.westacres.com, says that the psychedelic buffalo is in Buffalo Court, which makes sense. That's the one near Herbergers, at the west end of the original Mall.

The fountain is at the 'far end' of the mall, in - what else? - Fountain Court. That's the southwest end of the mall. It's also a whole lot brighter there, than when the Lemming last visited. Which was - quite a while ago.

The color photos are from West Acres' "Regional Showcase" page, by the way. The shopping mall seems to be presenting itself as a sort of cultural center.

The east end of the mall "...is where you'll find West Acres' 1,000-gallon freshwater aquarium filled with African cichlids. Pipedream, a spiral-like, soaring interactive sculpture made of 100 brushed and beveled steel pipes, engages young and old alike. In concert with Pipedream is a similar glass sculpture within the aquarium...."

The Lemming thinks it's okay for a shopping mall to attract shoppers with sculptures, aquariums, and other 'cultural stuff.' Your experience may vary. This photo shows where the "abundance" sculpture started out:

"....Center Court near Macy's is a great place to relax for a bit. Browse through our great collection of books that either feature our region or are penned by local authors (or both), and peruse photographs taken throughout the region...."

If you're still reading this post: thanks for your patience. The Lemming grew up across the river from West Acres, and enjoyed sharing a virtual visit to the place. It's still a lively regional shopping area: with no empty store fronts, the Lemming's been told.

Allegedly-related posts:

• "Mayan Apocalypse Transition: Book a Galactic Cruise; or Take the Cosmic Bike Tour"
  (February 3, 2012)
• "Taipei 101: Shopping Center, Offices, and a 728-Ton Sculpture"
  (January 18, 2012)
• "St. Paul, Minnesota, and The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel"
  (November 16, 2011)
• "Wiggly Buildings and Other Weirdness"
  (September 13, 2010)
• "Santa Monica Place, Cool New Mall in California: It Would be Even Cooler Here"
  (August 10, 2010)

Taipei 101: Shopping Center, Offices, and a 728-Ton Sculpture

Taipei 101's official website (English version - www.taipei-101.com.tw/index_en.htm) May take a while to load. But once it's in your browser, you should see a cute little 3D animated critter with text balloons saying things like "Hi~~" and "Let's Green On!" They've got information for visitors, folks interested in leasing space in Taipei 101, and some 'about' pages.

"Conception"
Taipei 101 official website, English-language version

"The greatest challenge in designing a statement building is not the construction technology involved, but how the building reflects the culture in which it functions. The spirit of architecture lies in the balance between local culture and internationalism.

"In the West, a tall building demands respect and attention from the spectators. To the Asians, it symbolizes a broader understanding and anticipation of things to come: we 'climb' in order to 'see further'..."

Well. That's nice. Let's see what else the page says about the tower.

"... TAIPEI 101 Tower rises in 8 canted sections, a design based on the Chinese lucky number '8'. It is a homonym for prosperity in Chinese, and the 8 sections of the structure are designed to create rhythm in symmetry, introducing a new style for skyscrapers...."

Taipei 101's Awards page lists some of the tower's records. World's:

• Highest, ground to structural top
  508 meters
• Ground to highest occupied floor
  101 floors, 428 meters
• Ground to roof
  448 meters

That was in 2005, when Taipei 101 opened. Then the Burj Khalifa opened: all 160 floors, 828-plus meters of it. Granted, the top 200 meters of the Burj Khalifa is a spire.

The Burj Khalifa's World's Tallest Towers page has an interactive graphic that shows side-by-side comparisons with quite a few skyscrapers. Taipei 101 is still a pretty tall building, though.

Taipei's landmark skyscraper's architects used a 728 ton tuned mass damper to keep the tower from swaying too much. Instead of making it a strictly utilitarian hunk of stuff, they designed the mass damper as a sort of sculpture. And the Lemming posted about that before:

• "Architecture Meets Physics: The Skyscraper and the Pendulum"
  (June 28, 2008)

The Taipei 101 shopping mall is billed as:

• "The First International Top Brand Shopping Mall in Taiwan"
  "Luxury Boutiques, Fashion, and Gourmet Food"

The shopping center's floor guide is a series of interactive graphics: attractive, easy to use, and apparently quite useful for visitors. It also has an example of why translations can be tricky. These are instructions for using the guide, in English:

"Please transfer to the mouse on the picture, then knows the most detailed shop owner and the facility information."

The Lemming had no trouble understanding that. But it's not what a native speaker of English would have said.

The floor guide shows a 7-Eleven on the B1/Grand Market level, by the way. Those things are everywhere, it seems.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Shanghai World Financial Center: Amazing Architecture, a Disgruntled Dragon, and Getting a Grip"
  (October 19, 2011)
• "Taipei Performing Arts Center Proposal: Ordinary, This Isn't"
  (March 4, 2009)
• "Architecture Meets Physics: The Skyscraper and the Pendulum"
  (June 28, 2008)
• "The First Skyscraper (in New York, anyway)"
  (October 13, 2007)
• "The Foshay Tower, Minneapolis"
  (October 10, 2007)

St. Paul, Minnesota, and The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel

The Lemming had planned to write about what happened to St. Paul's Town Square Park. It used to be a remarkable indoor park area - occasionally used for social gatherings like high school proms. Alas! The fate of St. Paul's downtown Town Square Park remains a mystery. To the Lemming, anyway.

In sharp contrast, the fate of Cafesjian's Carousel, once of the Minnesota State Fair grounds, and briefly in residence at Town Square, was in the hands of folks who know how to tell a story.

A tip of the Lemming's hat to Our Fair Carousel, Inc., the not-for-profit owner and operator of Cafesjian's Carousel.

Who's carousel? As the Lemming hinted, there's quite a story about that.

Cafesjian's Carousel

Oddly enough, someone named Austin McFadden paid to have Cafesjian's Carousel built. The Lemming guessed that someone decided that "Cafesjian's Carousel" sounded cooler than, say, "McFadden's Merry-Go-Round." The Lemming was wrong. More about that later.

Cafesjian's Carousel/ourfaircarousel.org has a nicely-done website about the St. Paul cultural landmark.

Excerpts:

"Cafesjian's Carousel--History"
Our Fair Carousel

"A State Fair Tradition... Back in 1914, an enterprising man named Austin McFadden paid the Philadelphia Toboggan Company $8,500 to build a carousel, bring it to St. Paul, and assemble it on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair. He ran it as a concession for many years, after which it passed into the hands of other families.

"Each year during the fair, Minnesota families would ride the carousel. Parents brought their children, grandparents rode with grandchildren, young people rode with friends and sweethearts, and over the years the carousel wove itself into the stories of thousands of families.

"Most of those families, perhaps believing that the State Fair owned the carousel, took for granted that 'their' carousel would be at the fair forever. That was not to be.

"Slated for Auction... In 1988, Minnesota carousel fans were shocked to learn that the privately-owned carousel had been put up for sale. By the time the story hit the newspapers on November 11, twenty horses and a chariot were on a truck headed for a December 10 auction in New York. According to the story, the carousel's owners had tried unsuccessfully to find someone to buy the carousel and keep it intact...."

There's more on that page, about what it took to keep the carousel in Minnesota, and in one piece. Not that "twenty horses and a chariot" are exactly one piece. "Intact" was a good choice of words, in the Lemming's opinion.

The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel Continues

"...Operating at St. Paul's Town Square... The carousel moved into a new home at Town Square Park, an enclosed city park on the top level of a building in the heart of downtown St. Paul. The building housed a variety of stores and restaurants, and for about two years, business at the carousel was good...."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

From another page on the website:

"In 1990, the carousel opened in an enclosed city park on the top level of Town Square in downtown St. Paul. (Note escalators in the foreground and shops on the level below the carousel.) Initially a shopping center, Town Square soon began to evolve into an office building, drawing few carousel visitors. By 1993, slow business at the carousel forced Our Fair Carousel to seek a new location."
("Town Square Larger View," Our Fair Carousel)

A Four-Season Indoor Carousel: Closing?!

"...By 1993, however, downtown retail business was in decline and Town Square itself was beginning a transition from retail to office space...."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

Even the best merry-go-round needs people who want to go around merrily. And have time to do so. That transition from urban shopping area to buildings with 'office space for lease' in the windows was not good for Cafesjian's Carousel.

It's probably difficult to feel like a merry-go-round ride, when you're on coffee beak and worried about downsizing. And that's another topic, probably for another blog.

The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel Concludes: For Now

"...New Home in Como Park... In spring 2000, Cafesjian's Carousel opened in a new, $1.1 million copper-roofed pavilion in Como Park. When the carousel is in operation, eight 14-by-14-foot garage-style doors can be opened in various configurations to suit the weather. Just outside the doors..."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

The Lemming's glad that folks with the skills and level of interest it takes to work out arrangements for Cafesjian's Carousel. Moving that twenty-horse piece of Minnesota history across town, and having a place to set it up at the end of the trip, was a big job.

So was bringing it back to the way it looked in 1914. And that's another story:

• "Cafesjian's Carousel--Restoration"Our Fair Carousel
  

Cafesjian's Carousel: Cool Name, and More

As the Lemming said, the carousel that Mr. McFadden paid a toboggan company to build didn't get its name on coolness alone. Back to Our Fair Carousel's website:

"Our Major Benefactor..."
Our Fair Carousel
"Cafesjian's Carousel is named for Gerard L. Cafesjian, who has contributed more than $1.2 million to its purchase, restoration and operation. Mr. Cafesjian was an executive with West Publishing Company; he is now retired and lives in Florida....

"...'I believe something special happens on a merry-go-round,' he said. 'The music, the magic and the movement combine to create a one-of-a-kind experience. When we preserve the carousel we also preserve that joy and hope--that happiness--for the entire community, for years to come.'..."

A sincere tip of the Lemming's hat to Gerard L. Cafesjian.

The Lemming Sounds Off

Folks like Mr. Cafesjian, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and others, are part of why the Lemming doesn't mind living in a world where a great many people have a great deal more money than the Lemming.

The Lemming thinks it's easier for a wealthy individual to decide that an old carousel is worth restoring, than it would be for some collection of bureaucrats.

Then there's Cousteau, who decided that Earth's oceans were more than just water, salt, and seaweed.

The Lemming's also run into self-important boors with more money than sense: but like everybody else, they buy food, clothing, and other necessities. Some of them pay a staff to carry out their crazy orders. That's where folks like the Lemming sometimes get their paychecks. And that's yet another topic.

St. Paul's Town Square: Closed Since 2001

"St. Paul's Town Square Park will be shuttered by year's end; The indoor downtown park that has hosted proms, weddings and noontime concerts has fallen to budget cuts.(NEWS)"
Joe Kimball, Star Tribune, via Highbeam Research (December 22, 2000)

"With little fanfare, downtown St. Paul's indoor Town Square Park will close at the end of the year, a victim of budget cuts.

"Closing signs had not yet been posted Thursday in the city-run park that has hosted band concerts, weddings, corporate events and lunch-hour naps for 20 years.

"By late next week, however,a gate is expected to be installed at the top of the escalators that come up from the skyway level, eliminating access to the 26,000 square feet of gurgling fountains and plants and trees that thrive under a canopy of windows...."

All that the Lemming has been able to learn about what happened to that outsized indoor facility is this caption: "The Town Square courtyard has been reopened in early 2003, but as a rentable space for events, owned by a private company." ("Town Square Complex," Fotki)

What the name of that rental company is, and whether the indoor park is still in use, seems to be one of the more jealously-guarded secrets in St. Paul. There's a hotel adjacent to the old Town Square Park, but they're remarkably reticent. 'Nuff said.

Mayfair Mall: Delayed Flash Mob in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin?

Mayfair Mall (www.mayfairmall.com), in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, closed early yesterday afternoon. A large crowd of "unruly" teens smashed glass, damaged merchandise - but didn't manage to hurt themselves or anyone else. Happily.

That last is the good news. The bad news is that there's quite a lot of damage done: and quite a few kids who seem to need a reality check. In the Lemming's opinion.

So far, that's the gist of what's been released. The police weren't releasing many details of the incident. Or, rather, the Lemming didn't find any updates in the news, as of about 10:45 a.m. Central today.

Here's some of what the Lemming did find, with the inevitable comments:

Mayfair Mess: a Personal View

"No fun at Mayfair"
Todd Bragstad, Milwaukee BizTalk blog, The Business Journal (January 3, 2011)

"What my family and I witnessed on late Sunday afternoon at Mayfair Mall not only turned our stomachs, it turned us off.

"After watching throngs of young people congregating unchecked in the corridors on both the mall's upper and lower levels as we shopped, we had just paid for some items in the accessories department in the lower level of Boston Store when things got crazy.

"After hearing a commotion toward the center of the store, I looked over to see a white-cloaked cosmetics clerk yelling “stop it; get out of our store.” A line of kids were shouting and following each other single-file up and down the stairs and escalators before they raced through the store, smashing signs, knocking over displays and dodging security.

"My wife, two teenage daughters and myself...."

This blog post has the virtue of showing what happened at Mayfair Mall from 'inside:' and not edited down to a sound bite by reporters and editors.

The Lemming also appreciated this bit of background:

"...Mayfair's management and owners, General Growth Properties Inc., Chicago, took a lot of heat in 2007 when it enacted its parental guidance policy, a rule that requires mall visitors age 17 and under to be accompanied by an adult 21 or older from 2 p.m. to closing on Fridays and Saturdays. Unfortunately, it did not include Sundays...."
(BizTalk blog)

Mr. Bragstad doesn't specify who complained about the parental guidance policy, back in 2007. It could have been teens who didn't like restrictions; or it could be folks closer to the Lemming's age, who never quite got over the '60s. 'Responsibility' isn't the four-letter word it used to be, but it's still occasionally inconvenient. And that's another topic.

Mayfair Mall News: Making the Most of Few Details

"'Group Of Youth' Causes Disruption At Mayfair Mall In Wauwatosa"
WISN, Milwaukee (January 2, 2011)

"Very Few Details About Incident Being Released

"Few official details are being released about an incident that occurred at Mayfair Mall on Sunday around 5:30 p.m.

"Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier told 12 News there was 'definitely a disruption' that forced the mall to close early.

"A customer inside Boston Store during the disruption described what she witnessed to 12 News.

" 'A crowd of like 50 to 60 kids just came barreling through the upstairs door at Boston Store, knocking down everything they could touch. They went running down the stairs. All that we heard was glass breaking. There was security yelling to every manager to lockdown the doors, lockdown the mall, lockdown the store,' the customer said.

"That customer sent a few photos to 12 News that show mannequins and items knocked down inside Boston Store...."

The WISN article has an embedded video, and a link to photos of the Mayfair Mall damage.

The Lemming sympathizes with folks in the news business, when something like the Mayfair Mall mess happens and there aren't all that many important facts to report. WISN did a pretty good job of it, in the Lemming's opinion.

Moving along.

Mayfair Mall: Early Report and Why Earwitness Testimony Need Salt

"Mayfair Mall closes early after tumult"
Meg Jones, Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel Online (January 2, 2011)

"Unsubstantiated reports of gunfire received

"Mayfair Mall closed down early on Sunday afternoon as New Year's weekend shoppers were told to leave after witnesses reported seeing groups of unruly young people shouting and running in the Wauwatosa shopping center.

"There also were unsubstantiated reports of gunfire.

"Elsa Mercado was trying on clothes in a fitting room at Ann Taylor Loft when she heard loud noises. Her sister was at another store, and when Mercado tried to leave to check on her, she discovered she was locked in as some of the stores brought down their security gates.

" 'Someone was pounding on our door and saying, "Please let me in. There's gunfire." We unlocked the door and let him in. He was very frightened, he was very pale,' said Mercado, who used her cell phone to call 911.

"Mercado said the 911 dispatcher asked her location.

" 'They wanted to know where I was; it seemed like they had gotten a lot of calls throughout the mall,' said Mercado, who saw a group of rowdy young people she estimated to number around 100. 'It was happening throughout the entire mall. It was not isolated to one part of the mall.'

"A Mayfair Mall official said in an e-mailed statement late Sunday that the behavior of a group of young people was isolated and there were no injuries.

" 'What occurred this afternoon appears to be a group of youth intent on disrupting the shopping experience at Mayfair. The safety and security of our visitors are always our top priority. This behavior is isolated and we will not condone it,' Mayfair Senior General Manager Steve Smith said in the statement...."

"Gunfire!" Or, rather, "unsubstantiated reports of gunfire."

There's a difference. The Lemming discussed eyewitness testimony last year:

• "Chukchi Blob: It's Algae (No Space Aliens, Alas!)"
  (July 20, 2009)
  Particularly
  • About Eyewitness testimony:
  • It's not entirely unreliable
    • "Is Expert Testimony On Eyewitness Reliability Admissible?"
      Forensic-Evidence.com (March 18, 2003)
    • It's not entirely reliable
      "HOW RELIABLE IS EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY?: A Decision By New York State's Highest Court Reveals Unsettling Truths About Juries"
      FindLaw (May 16, 2001)

The Lemming hopes that Mayfair Mall's Mr. Smith is able to carry through on his assertion: "....This behavior is isolated and we will not condone it."

It's nice that nobody got hurt this time: but broken glass and damaged merchandise costs money to repair or replace. Folks working at the closed shops may not get paid for the time they'd have put in, if the young nitwits hadn't misbehaved: and the Lemming remembers what being a few hours short on a weekly paycheck can do to a household.

Bottom line: yesterday's activity at Mayfair Mall was not exactly a harmless prank. How much property damage and lost wages there was isn't clear yet: but a whole lot of folks got more than just inconvenienced.

For the sake of the kids involved, I hope that they're given an opportunity to pay for the cleanup and reimburse the folks whose jobs they interrupted. And that they learn how to behave around people who aren't their own circle of acquaintances.

Maybe that sounds "judgmental," or the more up-to-date "hateful." The Lemming doesn't think so: but that's just the Lemming's opinion.

Delayed Flash Mob at Mayfair Mall?

"Police foil planned mall flash mob"
Odd News, UPI (December 30, 2010)

"Police in Wisconsin said they foiled an attempted freeze tag-playing flash mob event on one of the year's busiest shopping days.

"Wauwatosa police said managers at Mayfair Mall became concerned after learning 130 Tosa West High School students joined a Facebook group organizing a flash mob -- a group of people assembling in a public place to perform a pre-arranged activity -- to play freeze tag at the mall Dec. 23, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday.

"Police said the students in the Facebook group were issued one-day bans from the mall on the intended day of the event and the four teens who organized the Facebook group agreed to call it off...."

Maybe this is why the police have been so quiet about yesterday's incident. In their position, the Lemming would be looking very carefully at connections between the flash mob that didn't happen on Friday, and the vandalism that did on Sunday.

California Mall Fire: "This is absolutely ridiculous"

Roseville, California, didn't have a good day.

There's a 240-store shopping mall in Roseville, California, called the the Westfield Galleria. Which is a little odd, since it's on the northeast side of Sacramento.

The building's in pretty good shape, considering that it took seven hours to put out the fire. The good news is that nobody seems to have been hurt or killed in the fire.

---

Fire in the Mall

"Calif. Mall Severely Damaged After Out-of-Control Fire"
FOXNews (October 21, 2010)

"An entire arm of a high-end mall outside Sacramento, Calif., has been damaged in a fire that spread out of control after a man who barricaded himself inside the building was arrested.

"Officials say the Roseville Galleria could be closed or limited in operations for months because of Thursday's blaze, which caused part of the roof on the building's south end to collapse.

"Authorities say the 1.3 million-square-foot mall was evacuated earlier, after the man holed up in a store and started what appeared at first to be a small fire.

"Police said the blaze began spreading as members of the bomb squad were examining the man's backpack, forcing them to flee the building.

"Police identified the man as 23-year-old Alexander Corney Pigee...."

Some articles spell the fellow's name "Pigee," others "Piggee." There's probably a correct spelling: but with a slightly-uncommon name like that, it's no surprise that 'breaking news' reports are a bit iffy about how many of which letters it's got.

The Lemming realizes that worse things can happen, than the place where you earn a living burning: but there are better sorts of events, too.

The 'alleged' arsonist's mother seems to have told a station (KCRA-3) that he lost his job recently. That can be upsetting. From the looks of things, Mr. P. will have lots of company now. Somehow, though, 'misery loves company' probably doesn't apply in this case.

---

Masterful Understatement

One of the best comments made on what happened today appeared in an ABC News10 story:

"Employees, customers shocked by Roseville flames"
News10.net (October 21, 2010)

"...Mall employee Ray Cook watched the firefighters working on the blaze.

" 'This is absolutely ridiculous,' Cook said. 'I can't believe I'm actually witnessing this. This is not what I thought I would be seeing when I came into work today.' "

Couldn't have put it better, myself.

---

Westfield Galleriea Fire: Local Paper, More Details

"Roseville's Westfield Galleria Mall ablaze, suspect ID'd"
Lien Hoang, Roseville Press-Tribune (October 21, 2010)

"The quietest time of day at Roseville’s top landmark turned frantic Thursday when a man took over a store and set off several fires.

"Alexander Piggee forced a total evacuation of the Westfield Galleria Mall after he allegedly marched into a second-story Game Stop, told employees he was armed, and ignited multiple fires that brought down part of the roof. The fires were not fully extinguished by press time.

"Peace officers, who have arrested Piggee, got the first call at 10:22 a.m. The 23-year-old transient reportedly barricaded himself in the backroom or bathroom of the Game Stop after forcing the employees to leave.

"Officials have linked Piggee to two recent arsons in Sacramento County...."

The Roseville Press-Tribune article has quite a bit of detail, including mention of one reason why the fire was so hard to contain:

"...When they arrested Piggee (pronounced pi-GAY), authorities said he was no longer wearing a backpack he had carried inside. That prompted a bomb investigation, but when the squad located the bag, flames flared up again, forcing them to leave the building. They couldn’t recover the backpack, which ended up buried beneath debris after the partial roof collapse, as of latest reports.

" 'It was just too unsafe,' Roseville Police Lt. Michael Doane said, adding that the squad was using a robot and protective gear. No injuries were reported...."
(Roseville Press-Tribune)

Sure, with 20-20 hindsight it's 'obvious' that there wasn't a bomb in that backpack. But when someone sets fires in a landmark building - and leaves a package behind - law enforcement and firefighters would be daft to not consider that there was an explosive device, ready to blow up in someone's face.

Another paragraph fills in more of the fire's timeline:

"...Smoke that billowed from the mall roof died down until 1:45 p.m., when it burst back into the sky and sent pieces of ash raining down into the parking lot. It was not until this second wind that the roof over Game Stop came down...."
(Roseville Press-Tribune)

---

More News, More Details: and More Consequences

"Fire Rips Through Mall; Arson Suspect's Mom In 'Shock'"
3KCRA.com (October 21, 2010)

"...Meanwhile, the mother of Alexander Piggee, the man arrested in connection with an earlier standoff and blaze at the mall, said she was in 'shock.'

"Piggee, 23, said on his on Facebook page that he lives in the Sacramento area and has battled mental illness. He said he is originally from Stockton...."

'And the moral of this is - - -' There may be folks among Earth's billions who are, really, alone. But they seem to be few and far between. Most of us have someone whose lives we affect: parents, siblings, friends, neighbors.

And, in this case, the folks whose place of employment we torched.

The Lemming isn't surprised that the (alleged) arsonist's mother is "in 'shock.' " This isn't the way any reasonable person would want a member of the family to get into national news.

The 3KCRA.com news article adds a few data points to the timeline:

"...At about 1 p.m., Piggee was loaded into a police car and taken to the Roseville jail...."

He was spotted being taken from the jail to an ambulance around 5 p.m. "...Police said he was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with an undiagnosed medical condition. By 7 p.m., Roseville police said, Piggee was transported to the Placer County Jail.

"Smoke billowed skyward and flames shot from the roof of the mall Thursday afternoon as an earlier fire flared up again. At about 6:45 p.m., more flames were seen flickering from the roof of the building....

"...Authorities said the original standoff occurred at the GameStop store at the mall, which was evacuated at about 10:30 a.m. Police and firefighters from several agencies responded....

"...The earlier blaze appeared to die down by early afternoon. But shortly before 2 p.m., a large plume of smoke rose from the mall. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof, which partially collapsed...."

Something that many news items mentioned was that Roseville is in the same shape that many American towns and cities are in: Folks need jobs, but have a hard time finding them.

Burning down part of a major employer's building isn't going to help that situation.

Turns out that KCRA is a CNN affiliate:

"California mall ablaze after man sets fire, barricades self in store"
CNN (October 21, 2010)

"...The man entered the Westfield Galleria at Roseville 'speaking incoherently' in the late morning, police said. He claimed he had a handgun and then set the fire, which has lasted for hours.

"Police and fire crews converged on the scene, and several police officers led a suspect out in handcuffs shortly after 1 p.m. Authorities said they believe he may have been involved in an arson the night before, Sacramento fire officials told CNN affiliate KXTV.

"Roseville police identified the suspect as Alexander C. Pigee, 23. He was being checked at a hospital before being sent to jail, officials told CNN...."

Another vote for the "Pigee" spelling. I'm pretty sure that the courts will sort out which spelling they prefer. And, quite possibly, decide that Mr. P. did something illegal. For his sake, I hope so. Right now, turning him loose in Roseville might lead to informal - and highly unpleasant - sanctions.

The town's had enough trouble for the week, in my opinion.

Why All This Fuss Over a Fire?

The Lemming doesn't, as a rule, post about 'breaking news' stories. This time, though, what's happening will affect - directly and indirectly - a great many people in a state I lived in, years ago.

Think of it as having a small personal stake in this story

City of Roseville California

"The fire has been 100% contained; the Roseville Fire Department will be on-site monitoring hot spots throughout the night.

"Update @ 8:20 p.m.
"The suspect, Alexander Corney Pigee, was transported at 6:45 p.m. to the Placer County Jail.

"Follow this event on the City's Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/cityofroseville...."

I'm sure that the city isn't trying to boss anybody around: that "follow this event" phrase is, in American English and following our cultural norms, more of an invitation than an order.

Wiggly Buildings and Other Weirdness

"The World's 18 Strangest Buildings-And Why We Love Them"
Popular Mechanics (2010)

"This July, the American Institute of Architects forecasted steep declines in nonresidential construction spending through 2010. Spending is projected to decrease by 16 percent this year and another 12 percent in 2010. With less money flowing through the industry...."

There's quite a bit more text, mostly about how when money's tight folks don't tend to spend on weird buildings.

Cutting to the chase:

"...Here are some of our favorite unusual designs for museums, offices, homes and libraries—and why they are so effective at drawing attention...."

It's a slide show, with a short description for each photo.

The Lemming's favorites are:


(Popular Mechanics, used w/o permission)

Number 7: The Crooked House. It's in Sopot, Poland, in a shopping center there.

"...Drawings from a children's books illustrator, Jan Marcin Szancer, partially inspired the building's wavy look, which fits snugly between neighboring buildings and looks as though it's sagging in place. The building's roof is meant to create the illusion of dragon scales...."

This is one of several buildings, including a Guggenheim museum, that look like the architect had a phobia for straight lines - or maybe the builders had a few too many beer breaks. (April 9, 2010) I don't know if buildings that look like they're refugees from fun-house mirrors are a recognized style, but my guess is that this sort of thing will have a name in the 'history of architecture' books.

And a fairly short run. The first few wiggly buildings could be passed off as 'daring' or 'creative' - but after a while someone's going to twig that people have to use the things, and there are reasons for having vertical walls.

Still: It looks cool.

Then there's the Community Bookshelf, photo number 9.


(Popular Mechanics, used w/o permission)

"This funky building is the parking garage for Kansas City's Central Library. It features 22 book titles, which the Kansas City Public Library Board of Trustees selected from library members' suggestions...."

Parking garage? Okay: but that's the first garage I've seen with steps leading up to the entrance. Maybe vehicles go in and out somewhere else.

The Lemming is okay with this sort of ornamentation: it fits with the function of the place, and dresses up what would otherwise be a long expanse of fairly uninteresting wall.

Santa Monica Place, Cool New Mall in California: It Would be Even Cooler Here

"Santa Monica Place Opens, Transforms Enclosed Mall Into Vibrant Outdoor Urban Center"
The Jerde Partnership, via PR Presswire (August 9 (presumably 2010))

"Los Angeles-based The Jerde Partnership today announced the opening of the new Santa Monica Place, which transforms an indoor, suburban-style mall into a vibrant, open-air center. The project, nearly a decade in the making, was designed by Jerde to resurrect the old-style mall as an urban hub that will realize its potential as the heart of the city. In addition to removing the roof from the enclosed center, Jerde planned key communal spaces and a circulation pattern that will promote pedestrian connectivity between the bustling Third Street Promenade, historic pier, civic center, and the city's other popular attractions.

"Santa Monica Place first opened in 1980 as a suburban-style, enclosed, three-level mall that would draw department stores to the area. Despite the rising popularity of the city and nearby attractions, Santa Monica Place became less popular among shoppers and retailers as the adjacent, outdoor Third Street Promenade grew in popularity. Macerich, a prominent shopping center owner, manager and developer based in Santa Monica, acquired the center in 1999 and began to work on its redevelopment in 2002...."

As corporate press releases go, it's not bad. No photos, long paragraphs, words and phrases like "vibrant" and "nearly a decade in the making" an incomplete date-of-release - still, like I said, it's not bad.

Now, here's a link to the Santa Monica Place website. It's designed around the idea that you might want to come and check the place out, and gets that job done.

"Newest Disney Store redesign opens in tourist-area Santa Monica Place"
insidethemagic.net (August 9, 2010)

The insidethemagic.net folks did it right: photos, and an embedded YouTube video.

"Shoppers swarm remodeled Santa Monica Place mall"
Los Angeles Times (August 7, 2010)

Not much text, one small photo - and a price tag for the makeover: $265,000,000.

"Santa Monica Place"
SantaMonica.com

"The all new, open-air Santa Monica Place offers dozens of exciting specialty stores and a rooftop Dining Deck offering gorgeous ocean views and a tremendous variety of both casual and chef-driven restaurants...."

Another pretty good page about the new outdoor mall. This one has a list of the department stores, specialty retailers, and restaurants - and a link to transportation information.

What gets me is why 'corporate' press releases can't be written like the copy for some of these websites. I've got an idea that might explain that sort of thing:

• "Why Your Boss Doesn't Understand the Information Age"
  Starting a Business Without Losing My Mind (August 9, 2010)

Finally, looking at these glowing descriptions of the excellence of Santa Monica Place, where peeling the roof off transformed it from a "fortress-like" mall to this vision of coolness, the thought crossed my mind: I haven't seen places like that here, where I live.

There aren't as many folks living in this part of the country, as there are in the Los Angeles area, which makes a big difference. But that's not the only reason for the relative lack of open-air shopping centers around here.

I live in central Minnesota, where water is a mineral for several months each year. Imagine the palm trees in that photo sticking out of about a foot of snow, with sparkling icicles hanging from the leaves.

Food Court Musical: The Video

"Food Court Musical"
Improv Everywhere (March 9, 2008)

"For our latest mission, 16 agents staged a spontaneous musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. We used wireless microphones to amplify the vocal performances and mix them together with the music through the mall’s PA system. We filmed the mission with hidden cameras, mostly behind two-way mirrors. Apart from our performers, no one in the food court was aware of what was happening. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below."

I suppose it's better than mimes.