ABSTRACT
This space, heterotopia in Foucault’s concept of the instable zone of creativity
(Foucault 1986), both builds on the organised project of modernity, and subverts
it. Desire and nostalgia are interleaved, resulting in contradictions and uncertain-
ties. In this chapter, we explore the nature of some of these spaces through
contemporary entertainment complexes – shopping malls and casinos – the
architectural children of a new democracy re-inserted in the global consumer
economy. Entertainment complexes embody the contrasts between wealth and
poverty and frequently evoke heritage in their pitch for the attention of the con-
sumer. Our argument is that these spectacular inventions are both manifesta-
tions of the global entertainment industry – interpreted with a local patina – and
also opportunities for new, popular, public spaces. They are amalgams of nostal-
gia and desire – shaped, and shaping, aspects of city living. As physical spaces,
they are true ‘desire lines’ (Hall and Bombardella 2005).
