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Enoch enthuses about the (upmarket) shopping mall experience in Hong Kong, but I feel this is the typical phenomenon of Asia adopting Western consumer tastes just as they are about to decline.

The Economist has documented how these shopping behemoths are dying, and it is not too difficult to see why. The process is being accelerated by America’s economic woes, but there are also clear social and political reasons for the waning.

They became not merely temples of consumption but also hangouts for youth with an excess of time and attitude. In effect, an acute social problem was swept from the streets to private property. What business is willing to take on that kind of risk?

So what happens to these buildings once they’ve been slowly hollowed out? Here’s an image essay. It is essentially urban renewal, and an instance of that which makes sense. These buildings are usually located in the conceptual centres (geographic or otherwise) of population areas, and serve as an obvious conduit for communities. Transforming them into something that facilitates social interaction rather than segregation is only a positive thing.