120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

We're Moving! 🚚 Our bookstore is closed today and this weekend. Open and Shipping again on Monday πŸŽ‰

Theater of Shopping

The Story of Stanley Whitman's Bal Harbour Shops
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Theater of Shopping by Alastair Gordon and Matt Tyrnauer explores the captivating history of retail spaces and their evolution into extravagant cultural landmarks. The book delves into the life and work of Morris Lapidus, an architect known for his innovative and theatrical designs that transformed shopping malls into immersive experiences. It's an insightful look at the intersection of commerce, architecture, and societal change.
Read More
Format: Hardback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Theater of Shopping. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the intersection of architecture, retail, and cultural history. It delves into the origin and transformation of shopping spaces, uncovering how they've influenced and mirrored societal changes over time.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This lavishly illustrated book celebrates one of the most influential and successful retail centres in the world, from its opening in 1965 when it changed the retail landscape by inviting European designers such as Gucci and Valentino to open stores within a shopping mall until the present day.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Theater of Shopping tells the story of retail visionary Stanley Whitman and the creation of Bal Harbour Shops, the most successful luxury fashion shopping centre in the world, and one of the last family-owned malls in America.

Written by critically acclaimed author Alastair Gordon, Theater of Shopping is a cultural history of both a place and a personal legacy. The open-air mall opened in 1965 as a pedestrian-friendly environment that turned shopping into a kind of theatrical event. It featured the work of young design talents like Valentino, Versace, Mugler, de La Renta, and other foreign designers who were unknown in America before first showcasing their collections at Bal Harbour Shops.

The text weaves together fashion, luxury commerce, architecture, landscape design, urban development, and family history, to create a highly readable narrative. It is illustrated with more than 300 images including never-before-published drawings, plans, and photographs by renowned photographers such as Richard Avedon and Ezra Stoller.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Theater of Shopping explores the development of Bal Harbour Shops, highlighting Stanley Whitman's vision for a luxurious open-air shopping destination in Florida. Reviews praise the book for detailing Whitman's perseverance in attracting high-end department stores and boutiques, thus reshaping the retail landscape.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780847862825

Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 19 February 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Rizzoli International Publications

Illustration: 350 Colour Photographs

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 241.0mm

Height: 321.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Alastair Gordon is an award-winning critic and author who has written regularly about architecture and design for many publications including the New York Times, New York Observer, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, House Garden, Metropolis, and Dwell. He served as Contributing Editor for architecture and design at WSJ, the Wall Street Journal Magazine for many years. He has published several critically acclaimed books including Naked Airport, Weekend Utopia, Spaced Out, Unfolded, Romantic Modernist, Qualities of Duration and Wandering Forms. Matt Tyrnauer is a writer, director, producer, and award-winning journalist whose recent films include Valentino: The Last Emperor, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was short-listed for an Academy Award for best documentary feature. Matthew Whitman Lazenby is the CEO and President of Bal Harbour Shops.

Also by Alastair Gordon

View all
  • Island Follies: Romantic Homes of the Bahamas
    A celebration of Henry Melich’s wonderfully whimsical and romantic island escapes, which continue to inspire the work of designers today. Island Follies: Romantic Homes of the Bahamas is the first book to explore the work of Henry Melich (1924–1999), a Czech-born architect who brought a beguiling form of neoclassicism to the Caribbean. While Melich built projects in the United States...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Also by Matt Tyrnauer

View all
  • Valentino. A Grand Italian Epic
    For almost half a century, Valentino dominated Italian haute couture, dressing the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, he could already count Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Despite his retirement in 2008 and death in 2026, little has changedβ€”his brand continues to...
    Hardback
    $23500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoirΒ Home Again.This is more than a rock story.Β Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it.Β From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017β€”revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)β€”critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. β€˜A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank β€˜A book to keep close and...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    Hardback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    Hardback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Vagabond
    The outrageous, riotous memoir from the cult actor and star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and IT. Actor, rock 'n' roll singer, the prince of Halloween, confusing sex symbol. Many labels have been given to the inimitable Tim Curry over the years. All are true, and yet none are quite right. Here, for the first time, Curry reveals...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.