12 of 18

Mediacite—Liege

Where: Belgium



Background: Designed by Ron Arad Architects, the Mediacite was opened in 2009 as an effort to revitalize the city of Liege, which had once been the world's center of steel production, but has since been in economic decline.



Why It's Unique: "In retail, traffic is life," Thomas says. "Whether it's a horizontal mall or it's a vertical mall, you have to get people using the muscles in their feet, walking around; to the retailers' standpoint, making you buy things; to the architect's standpoint making it come alive so people want to be there." Mediacite's roof was designed as an afterthought, but is now the most notable aspect of this shopping mall, allowing shoppers to enjoy weaving through the mall's extensive interior. The rooftop structure was designed using steel ribs that weave through one another to form a grid-like network. The steel structure mirrors the floor pattern guiding the shopper through this extensive shopping mall.