Westfield Stratford City: The Development Of A Human Being - Essay Example

Westfield Stratford City: The Development Of A Human Being Introduction It is often suggested that living in a society should be regarded as one of the prerequisites for the development of the inner potential of a human being. Indeed, many abilities which are considered to be characteristic could not have developed if it had not been for the presence of other people. Nevertheless, the very space that exists in the social environment should also be recognized as an important factor that was able to shape the culture of humans. This paper will address the identity of Westfield Stratford City, the way it was constructed and how it has developed over time. The size of the shopping centre The first aspect that should be analyzed carefully is the actual physical dimension, namely the amount of space that the shopping centre in question takes up. It must be noted that Westfield Stratford City is one of the largest facilities of this kind. This allowed it to be spread and reach public transportation lines. Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration that the actual location of the shopping centre provides potential consumers with a comfortable access to via underground lines or busses. If Westfield Stratford City had been smaller it could not have covered so much ground and could have been connected to one particular route; however, due to its size people are able to use different means of transportation to arrive at time, which surely contributes to its positive reputation. Another point that might be taken into account is that the size of the shopping centre made it possible to create enough space for the cars to be parked near by. In spite of the fact that people use public transportation to get to it, a significant number of people still prefers to their personal cars. This has rather important implications for the relationship between the place and the people who visit it. Thus, by far there is a strong connection that can be senses between the centre and the consumers who parked their cars next to it. This means that when a person comes by car, the fact that he or she leaves it next to Westfield Stratford City enhances the sense of belonging and positively affects shopping. What is even more important is that Westfield Stratford City should not be regarded as a simple building with stores in it, but rather a peculiar part of the social environment where commerce is able to interact with the culture that people created. Indeed, it has been suggested that “place and non-place are rather like opposed polarities: the first is never completely erased, the second never totally completed” (Augé, 1995, p. 78). So, one of the advantages of the shopping centre in question is that the experience that people will receive in it will always be fresh since it is created by the shops there which change in order to be appealing to the potential customers. Multi-storey presence It would not be a mistake to suggest that inside Westfield Stratford City there are ordinary shops and shops which might be considered to be perils of the place. Thus, the map reveals that the Marks & Spencer as well as John Lewis has the biggest presence as they can be found virtually on every storey of the centre. What is more important is that they are located in the opposite sides of Westfield Stratford City. This is no coincidence. This was done deliberately to make people perform a slow journey from one end to a different one, travelling from one independent commercial environment into another. In addition to that, the fact that the above mentioned stores are presented on many several storeys allows them to structure the products and differentiate between according categories. All this raises the issue of the connection between the brand and the physical space that is occupied by it. The researchers state that “the question we need to ask is to what degree both we as consumers, and the brands we buy, are connected to and affected by the nature of the spaces in which that buying and selling takes place.” (Betsky, 2000, p. 136). As once can easily see the two shops deliberately occupied so many storeys in order to show the variety of the products. Rivalry of the brands It is completely understandable that such a platform as Westfield Stratford City should be seen as an extremely important strategic point. Indeed, numerous consumers come to the shopping centre daily which provides a company with an opportunity that can hardly be missed. That is why there is no wonder in the fact that famous brands would want to be presented on this platform in order to reinforce their position in the market. A careful examination of the map will reveal that the legendary rivalry of Apple Inc. and Samsung can be easily seen in this shopping centre as well. To begin with, one will be able to see, that the stores of the above mentioned companies are not located on the same store. It is quite understandable that close physical proximity of them is likely to ignite the competition even more. In addition to that, they probably want to be in the centre of attention and would not like to share it with the other. What is more important is that Apple Inc. tried to get the maximum advantage from the situation and made sure that its store is located higher than the one by Samsung. Indeed, this is rather peculiar and small fact, but it surely affects people who shop in Westfield Stratford City. Thus, the store by Samsung is located on the ground floor. This sends the message of openness to people, the desire to be closer to them and popular. On the other hand, the Apple store is located on the first floor which implies that not everyone is able to come to this store, putting emphasis on the exclusiveness of the product. Not only material values It is quite understandable that Westfield Stratford City should be regarded as a good example of space that has been occupied by different brands and, therefore, transformed into the new reality. That is why it would be rather logical to draw a connection between the situation in question and the phenomenon of consumerism. The latter is surely a part of culture that highlights material values and emphasizes the relationship between happiness and owning things. Nevertheless, it would be an exaggeration to suggest that the shopping centre in question stands for consumerism only. Thus, there is a place in this environment that is directly devoted to some of the most important things in one’s life, namely inspiration, rest, and faith. Speaking of the former, one should point out that shopping should not be seen as a senseless activity of exchanging money for the good, but rather an important cultural activity which allows people to feel themselves as a part of something bigger, relate to something that is beyond their personal world. Keeping this in mind, one can easily see that a quite place is necessary for the people to be inspired to carry on shopping. In addition to that the creator of the space also made sure that the consumers would have a place to rest. Indeed, shopping may be a rather tiresome physical activity. As it has already been mentioned, the area that is covered by the shopping centre in question is tremendous. That is why it is quite obvious that visiting every ever particular shop would take not only a lot of time, but also a lot of energy. This special place was also designed for the people to be able to reconnect with their spirituality. Indeed, some might suggests that having a room that people might use to spiritual contemplation inside of one of the largest shopping malls is quite ironic. Nevertheless, this shows that those who created it did not see spirituality as something opposite to the process of shopping. Indeed, the ability to find a quite place to sort one’s thoughts out allows people to feel fullness and understand that Westfield Stratford City does not only prove them with an opportunity to buy new goods, but rather make their life fuller in every aspect. The change of the place It is quite understandable that the social environment should not be perceived as a static phenomenon, but one that is engaged in constant change. So, it is not surprising that over time Westfield Stratford City as a physical space changes, being influenced by the technological advancement. There is a point of view which suggests that “the design of electronically augmented space can be approached as an architectural problem” (Manovich, 2006, p. 222). Indeed, all this is clearly seen on the example of the shopping centre in question. To begin with, one might point out that Westfield Stratford City is equipped with Pavegen floor tiles – a peculiar innovation that redefines the role of the people inside a building. Thus, this technology allows one to harness that kinetic energy which is produces by the people moving indoors. As a result, people become more connected to the building that they think as they literally power it. In other words, this means that new technology provides even more opportunities for the people to interact with the space making their own real contribution. In addition to that, the infrastructure of Westfield Stratford City is closely connected to another part of the modern world, namely smartphones. Indeed, people are able to download the map or an application that would provide the people with the necessary information and make sure that the experience that they receive will be extremely pleasant. All this leads to the understanding that not only physical space should be taken into account, but also the its virtual counterpart. So, with the development of technology the connection between the people and space is becoming even stronger. Conclusion Having examined all the points which were brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: Westfield Stratford City should be recognized as a peculiar example of the phenomenon where economic world was able to interfere with the physical one. Indeed, this is a place which features a strong presence of brands and it largely defined by the latter. It must be noted that brands often use physical space to present the variety of the products, as in the case of Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, or gain a subconscious competitive advantage, as in the case of Apple Inc. and Samsung. References Augé, M. (1995). Non-places: Introduction to an anthropology of supermodernity. London: Verso. Betsky, A., & Pavitt, J. (2000). Brand New. London: V&A. Manovich, L. (2006). The poetics of augmented space. Visual Communication, 5(2). Read More