April 2011 | Eyesore

Architectural Abortions from the USA and Around the World (And Sometimes Other Miscellany Infecting the Landscape)

No foolin'? Yes, foolin. This new Meijer Big Box store in Aurora, Illinois, is all tricked out like Main Street, USA -- well, actually a cartoon of Main Street. Why? Because we have become a cartoon nation of cartoon people who are only worthy of cartoon surroundings. American life has no dimension, and that's just fine with us. By the way, this is not an example of the New Urbanism. This is merely the new schlock. Kunstler predicts that this development will have a shelf-life of under ten years as the entire Happy Motoring / Chain Store / Trucking / Consumer nexus whirls around the drain of the post-oil singularity, and we discover the hard way that neither bio-fuels nor electric cars will save it. Below is the interior of the magic box behind the fake shopfronts. Thanks to Tim Moyer for the tip!