le marche

on an island of asphalt, concrete and sewage rises a new mall between the rehab colonies and slums of oshiwara and the high rises full of tv serial wannabes is the new knife like silver and frosted glass clad le marche. the atrium is a cold multi reflective surface whose volume seems to increase the further up you go as escalators offset outwards and the terraces of different floors are revealed. above is a heavy undulating steel truss on steel columns and a glass roof making the upper floors unbearably hot and that bathes the whole mall in a carpet of criss crossing shadows. the food court is all wood-finish laminate warmth and the basement is the supermarket labyrinthine with digital blowups of fruits and smiling faces on any blank surface.

the entire thing is terribly made when compared to the glitz of the oberoi mall. the paint is peeling, the laminate chipped. it feels like its on the edge of ruin already- and it is brand new. this is the way the world is going to end. with hollow hot buildings precariously keeping up appearances as the cheaply bought floors begin to crack under the feet and the space frames gather cobwebs. the battle against desolation is fought everyday by uniformed sweepers and cleaners.