Marketplaces
Of malls and markets
Shopping malls have shed their negative image of an alien presence in city centres. By combining consumption and social interaction, they offer an interesting approach to counter online competition. Bargains aren’t the only things to hunt here.
By Isabell Spilker
Hillary the Hawk
Avian pest control
There are few quests as hopeless as banishing pigeons from inner-city areas. Many measures have been tried, such as spikes on perches, poison and ultrasound – none of them sustainable and several highly questionable. Yet one tactic tried in Munich for some time now has proven both effective and acceptable. A Harris hawk called Hillary keeps order in the Stachus shopping centre and the Hofstatt arcades. The shopping centre managers engaged the services of a falconer, whose hawk has marked these areas as its territory. From time to time, Hillary the hawk arrives to show the pigeons who’s boss. Hillary is a natural predator for pigeons – she makes poison, electric fences and spikes redundant. She’s also much more effective: in the wild, birds of prey feed mainly on pigeons – and the pigeons know this. The falconer brings his hawk to the site, as often as possible to begin with, and later only infrequently. As soon as a pigeon finds its way into the shopping areas in search of the usual crumbs, Hillary chases it out. It takes a little while for the pigeons to get the message, but using the hawk this way is a promising approach – and quite a sight for shoppers to behold. Hillary’s handler rewards her with pieces of meat, so the pigeons remain unharmed. They simply learn to find a more peaceful place to feed in future.
Architecture of consumption
World of Malls

This exhibition is accompanied by a book of the same name, showcasing shopping malls from around the world. It presents excellent and noteworthy projects, either already established or still being planned. Accompanying these are historical, architectural and social reflections on shopping centres.
Village
100 % inspiration

In the Village in Hall 11.0, ten well-known, design-oriented companies describe their ideas for the retail trade and how they skillfully present products at point of sale. Make sure you drop by and see what’s going on!