The Effect of Architectural Features of Shopping Centers in the City on User Preferences and Behaviors: The Case of Van Shopping Center

Abstract

Shopping places have been involved in commercial life in various forms throughout history. Today, it has become a public space, called a shopping center or mall, and consists mostly of indoor spaces and includes different functions other than shopping. These structures, which are located in the city centers, have taken place in the urban peripheries with the economic developments and the increase in vehicle ownership over time. While the rapid proliferation of shopping centers made this form of shopping an alternative to the traditional bazaars, on the other hand, it has been tried to make an effort to create a difference among the shopping malls through the architectural features and opportunities offered in the design. This study focuses on the architectural features of the malls and aimed to determine the changing preferences of the users and their shopping-based behaviors regarding the architectural features of the mall. Van AVM, was determined as the case study area and the survey was realized with 170 participants. The habits and access methods to visit the mall, the reason for choosing the mall, the factors that affect the frequency of visits, and the amount of time spent were evaluated. In addition to these, the perceptual-sensory conditions of the mall were questioned. Obtained results revealed that the architectural features and facilities of the mall affect the behaviors of the users, the frequency of visits and the preferences.