shortdek

In the New Jersey Meadowlands, the marsh just 9 miles west of Manhattan, the largest and most expensive mall ever built in the United States is under construction. When it's finished in summer 2009, "Xanadu" will be a Vegas-meets-Disneyland pleasure dome featuring the country's tallest Ferris Wheel, its first indoor artificial ski slope and some 200 shops. (At right, an artist's rendition of Xanadu's Egyptian-themed multiplex.) More astounding than its scale, however, is its timing. It comes amid clear signs that the age of the American mall--that most quintessential of national institutions--is finally over. Last year was the first in half a century that a new indoor mall didn't open somewhere in the country. Here's a global look at some of the biggest, brightest, gaudiest malls ever built. They may be our last.