Shopping Arcade

Publisher's blurb: The precursor to malls, the first shopping arcades appeared in Europe in the late 18th century and were developed as a response to the muddy, cramped, streets filled with dangerous horse-drawn traffic. The arcade was a glass covered pedestrian-only shopping alley lined with shops and kiosks. The glass ceilings of the main concourse allowed light into the building and kept the inclement weather at bay.