The Society of Consumption: Rethinking the Mall Through Textile Re-Utilization

Abstract

The enclosed shopping mall, emblematic of our consumer-driven society, emerges as a pseudo-public space that exacerbates the problem of textile waste, and diminishes the malls potential to embody the qualities of an engaging community space. This thesis introduces a methodology for adaptive reuse, drawing inspiration from the re-utilization of textile waste, assuming it as both the subject and method. Textile re-utilization explores strategies involving disassembly and reassembly; when applied as an architectural tool, textile re-utilization can cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship between the community’s environmental sustainability and social well-being. The objectives of the thesis are to blur the conventional boundaries between private and public domains, seeking to redefine the values ingrained in our consumption habits. This transformative process, rooted in circular engagement, aspires to adapt the mall’s existing structure to foster a renewed and sustainable interplay between consumers, merchants, and textiles.