...lost...

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I loathe the Westfield redevelopment in the Sydney CBD with a passion. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against new development, because I do believe it has its place.

Before Westfield got its sticky little fingers on the site, it was a ramble of shops and arcades that was slightly confusing to begin with, yet navigable with a little familiarity. They weren't high-end shops, but rather 'niche' shops. I concede they were a little shabby and could have done with a bit of a spruce up.

Westfield's redevelopment was a long-running project and yet by the time it re-opened, the new shopping centre somehow had become even more confusing to wend your way through than the old arcades. It's a jumble of glass and light and it confuses the hell out of me, so much so that I rarely venture in there. I invariably come out with a migraine.

The fact that it's all expensive labels and superficiality doesn't help either.

This view from the escalators, looking up, reflects exactly how I feel about the place. It's not quite level (forgive me!), but I blame that on both my eyesight and on trying not to get trampled during the lunch hour stampede.