A shopping arcade — in Dutch, French and German a *passage* — is a covered route through a city block, publicly accessible at both ends, with shops or apartments on either side and usually a glazed roof above. It combines the openness of a street with the shelter of a building.
Origin and make-up
The shopping arcade emerged in the nineteenth century, when cast iron and glass made it possible to roof large spans while keeping daylight. The classic arrangement is always the same:
- A narrow, elongated space between two built-up frontages
- A roof of iron or steel and glass, often a pitched roof or a barrel vault
- Shopfronts at ground level, with one or more storeys above
- Two entrances, so the arcade forms a genuine route through the block rather than a dead end
Applications
Arcades are still built today, though they tend to be called atria or covered shopping streets. What matters in design and refurbishment:
- Daylight and overheating — a glazed roof brings light, but without shading or solar control glass it becomes very hot in summer. Openable lights at the ridge let warm air escape by the stack effect.
- Fire safety — an arcade links several fire compartments. Smoke and heat extraction, escape route lengths and compartmentation govern the design and must be checked against the applicable building regulations.
- Roof maintenance — plan a safe route for cleaning the glazing, and rainwater drainage down both sides.
- Public access — legally an arcade is often private land with a public function. Opening hours, management and rights of way need to be documented.
Related terms
- Arcade
- Atrium
- Gallery
- Rooflight
- Shopfront
- Cast iron
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