Mercato Shopping Mall

This guide to Mercato Shopping Mall in Dubai follows architect Daniele Morelli's contrarian idea in 2002: instead of chasing Dubai's supersized mall race, build something modeled on Renaissance Tuscan towns like Florence and Venice. It traces the design choices — cobblestone walkways, frescoed ceilings, a glass-domed atrium — drawn from those originals, and the mall's debut as the first themed mall in the Middle East. Listen for how the space changes after dark, when the piazza lights come on.