Designed to Sell: The Meeting of Form and Function in the Historical Origins of the Dayton Arcade

The history of arcades is one of perseverance, adaptation, and evolution. The existence of arcades is intrinsically linked to major socioeconomic shifts that have created new realities in the spheres of retail, consumerism, and marketing. As social and economic realities shift so, too, must the systems that accommodate them. Existing systems must change and evolve to avoid being rendered obsolete by new emerging systems that are better equipped to handle these socioeconomic shifts. The arcade was once a novel innovation of entrepreneurs seeking a way to capitalize on the emerging middle class and the consumer culture that was developing as a result. However, the socioeconomic shifts continued, and the arcade found itself in a much different position: it was now the existing system that needed to navigate the challenging endeavor of adapting to survive in the new commercial reality. Arcades find themselves in a similar position today. A new shift toward postindustrial capitalism has necessitated arcades to undergo significant transformations, in many instances leading them to a sharp departure from their historical roots. The Dayton Arcade is no different; it certainly played a major role in reshaping the retail experience and social identity of Daytonians when it first opened in 1904. For 50 years after its opening, the spatial and architectural features of the Dayton Arcade made it a central feature of life in the city. Toward the end of that period, the Arcade’s importance had begun to fade as social conditions surrounding commercial culture evolved, rendering the Arcade obsolete. This