The 50 Coolest Malls in the World

Ah, malls: not just the place you went as a teenager to pretend you didn't have parents. While the mall in your hometown may have been the typical, two-story atrium where moderately priced clothing and endless food court samples were yours for the pillaging, the malls on this list are of another species entirely. These malls are on major capitalist steroids, with hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars being funneled into indoor roller coasters, on-site ski slopes, IMAX theaters, go-kart tracks, and shark aquariums.

And what about the stores? See, that's the thing—at these malls, the shops are secondary. Sure, pop tags if you want, but then you'll be missing out on happy hour bingo under a skylight roof, hitting the slopes in your new Hérmes scarf, or petting sea lions on your way out. Decisions, decisions.

Here are the 50 coolest malls in the world.

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50. Aventura Mall

Where: USA
Address: 19501 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura, Fla.
Website: aventuramall.com
Year Built: 1983

Not as flashy as Miami's Bal Harbour, Aventura is a huge mall with something for those who can appreciate luxury but might not want to drop a down payment in day. I have a feeling Miami's housewives would hit up the Equinox gym here before heading to the Ferarri and Porsche home stores, where you won't see any cars, but lots of shiny housewares with fancy names. And it's Miami, so it doesn't hurt to have tanned, beautiful women constantly walking past you. That alone is worth a visit.

49. Westfield London Shopping Centre

Where: UK
Address: Centre Management Suite, Unit 4006, Ariel Way, London
Website: uk.westfield.com
Year Built: 2008

Cool ceilings seem to be a theme amongst these malls, and the Westfield London Shopping Center attempts some of the same features other malls on the list excel at. The Telegraph UK, though, referred to the mall as "a cross between a giant 1980s airport terminal and a big, brash and shiny shopping mall." Ouch. But regardless, there are shops on shops on shops, with the high fashion stores located in the Village section, and the rest located in the main atrium. It may get a few remarks of criticism, but before its opening in 2008, the historic land the mall currently sits on sat vacant and decaying, and mo' shops is better than no shops, right?

48. CambridgeSide Galleria

Where: USA
Address: 100 Cambridgeside Place, Cambridge, MA
Website: cambridgesidegalleria.com
Year Built: 1990

The thing about waterfront malls is that, if you like, you can pull up in a boat. Nothing feels more official than arriving somewhere by water. The mall itself, however, has a misleading exterior. With a disproportionate number of shoe stores, and no one store holding a better or higher Nike account than the other, it's a monotonous sea of kicks with little variety. The food variety, too, is like every restaurant ever name-dropped in a season of South Park: P.F. Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen, and the Cheesecake Factory are all delicious, but in a historic, tourist-magnet city like Boston, where are all the specialty cuisine spots? But in winter time, you can't beat the view of the mall on the riverfront; it's romantic, so bring a date.

47. The Avenues Mall

Where: USA
Address: 10300 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, FL
Website: simon.com
Year Built: 1990

A towering skylight lets in plenty of Florida sun while you're inside spending your dough, though with Abercrombie & Fitch as one of the most upscale stores in the mall and the country's second largest Forever 21, you won't have to spend much money to enjoy the mall's ambiance.

46. The Eatons Center

Where: Canada
Address: 220 Yonge St., Toronto
Website: torontoeatoncentre.com
Year Built: 1977

Toronto's Eatons Center sits in the heart of downtown Toronto. We promise you won't miss it-the world's biggest Sears dominates the street with 817,850-square-feet of retail space. Depending on when you go, you might catch a celeb mid-book tour at the Indigo Books and Music store; JWOW, Gordon Ramsey, and Kat Von D all stopped in recently, so you get the caliber of superstar the bookstore brings in. If you look up, a group of fiberglass Canada Geese are frozen mid-flight, hanging from the domed ceiling. The sculpture, Flight Stop, is by Canadian artist Michael Snow, who once sued the mall for hanging Christmas ribbons around his tiny sculptures.

45. DLF Emporio

Where: India
Address: 4 Nelson Mandela Marg Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
Website: http://dlfemporio.com
Year Built: 2008

Unlike some of India's other crazy malls, DLF Emporio's focus is on luxury, extravagance, and all gold everything. The vast interior looks more like a palace than a mall, with Italian marble, burnished wood, and brass details trimming stores like Dior, Giorgio Armani, Jimmi Choo, Porsche, and Tom Ford. You can splurge om your girl, get your tux game right, and purchase a new whip all in the same location. Or, you know, you can window shop. But with one of the highest rental rates in India, every step you take, you're supposed to be spending more money. No pressure.

44. Forum Mall

Where: India
Address: No. 21, Hosur Road, Bangalore
Website: theforumexperience.com
Year Built: 2002

You know how you liked to hang out at that one kid's house after school, and not because he had an amazing house or awesome stuff, but because that was just the place to go? Well, the Forum Mall in Bangalore is kind of like that. From the outside, it's a big, gleaming glass box of shops, but the stores you'll find are more along the lines of supermarkets than high end fashion, with Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and KFC topping off its selection of cuisine. With a college and high school located nearby, the mall and its movie theater are always crowded, so bring a friend to blend in.

43. Alto Palermo

Where: Argentina
Address: Avenida Santa Fe 3253 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Capital Federal
Website: altopalermo.com.ar
Year Built: 1990

Oh, don't mind the street running through the middle of the mall. It's supposed to be there. The Alto Palermo shopping center in Argentina is an architectural gem, with its mirror-like exterior reflecting the blue sky and surrounding buildings. Stores like Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, and Christian Dior will drain your pockets, but that's what you went shopping for, right?

42. Ambience Mall

Where: India
Address: Delhi-Gurgaon Border, NH-8 Harjan Basti, Sector 17, Gurgaon
Website: ambiencemalls.com
Year Built: 2007

It's a bit ironic that the largest, most hectic mall in India has a name that many people associate with calm surroundings. If you're in search of inner peace, you can head to the Swasdee spa for a massage and then let a mall staff member drive you around in a mall cart while you window shop. Or, you can do a little bowling, a little shopping, and a little dining at India's most expensive restaurant, Spectra. When you're ready to knock out, head to the attached five-star Leela Kempinksi hotel and rack up a room service tab.

41. Zhengjia Plaza

Where: China
Address: No. 228, Tianhe Road, Guangzhou City
Website: N/A
Year Built: 2005

You'll never have to leave the premises at the Zhengjia "Grandview" Mall, where a 48-story five-star hotel and a 30-story office building stand connected to the 7-story shopping complex, which can attract up to half a million shoppers a day. Take a stroll down the Chinese gourmet street for a bite before lacing up for a few rounds at the ice skating rink. But vacations should all be a bit tropical, no? No worries: the Hawaiian Palm Square just outside the mall has a palm tree-lined 65,000-square-foot musical spring fountain. Aloha and Ni Hao...how convenient.

40. King of Prussia

Where: USA
Address: 160 North Gulph Rd., Suite 2700, PA
Website: simon.com
Year Built: 1963

The King of Prussia mall may sound fancy, but it's an equal opportunity shopping experience with a little something for everyone. The largest mall on the East Coast sections off the luxury stores so as not to distract the mid-level shoppers. The high-end outpost includes exclusive deals with stores like Neiman Marcus, Hérmes, Hugo Boss, DKNY, Louis Vuitton and more, while the mid-level offers more affordable spots like H&M, Zara, and Sears. The large domed ceiling and white columns support the two levels; a massive redevelopment plans to expand the mall for its 50th anniversary.

39. Bullring Birmingham Centre

Where: UK
Address: 38 High St., Birmingham
Website: bullring.co.uk
Year Built: 2003; site has existed since 1553

When the new Bullring replaced the old Bull Ring, the change in name may have been small, but it was out with the old and in with the new, shiny, and modern. The Seldfridges department store, designed by Future Systems architects, is a gleaming, wavy bubble of 15,000 shiny aluminum discs, and jutting out from one of the openings is a enclosed walkway leading to more stores. As far as shopping goes, middle-of-the-line shops like Hollister and Forever21 are some of the most popular, but you came to sightsee anyway, right? You can't miss the 7-foot bull on your way out; the sculpture has been the subject of quite a few vandals in the last few years. You can see how that'd be tempting.

38. Wynn Esplanade

Where: Macau
Address: Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE
Website: macau.com
Year Built: 2006

Millions of square footage in retail space? Not so much for the Wynn Esplanade shops. You won't need a map to find any of the 40 stores, but who needs all that space when the world's finest stores are hand selected and almost served to you on a platter? The small retail space, attached to a hotel and casino, is filled with stores like Hérmes, Rolex, Ferrari, and Fendi. If you look up, Baccarat chandeliers line the ceilings, where you'll also discover an intricately-carved golden crown adorned with the Chinese zodiac.

37. Grand Indonesia

Where: Indonesia
Address: Jln. MH. Thamrin No.1, Jakarta
Website: grand-indonesia.com
Year Built: 2010

Are we really surprised by a Zen food court in Indonesia? Divided into five zones-Bark Zone, Burnt Wood Zone, Glass Zone, Bamboo Zone and Brick Zone (sounds like Sonic, right?)-the food court, named Food Louver, serves an amalgamation of international cuisines for those with picky palettes. Of course, the food court is only a portion of the Grand Indonesia Shopping Town. Attached to the 3-district mall is a 5-star Kempinksi hotel, a 56-floor office building and a BlitzMegaPlex cinema. It's like an entire city in a mall. How convenient.

36. Centro Comercial Sambil

Where: Venezuela
Address: Avenida Libertador 1010, Caracas
Website: tusambil.com/
Year Built: 1999

The Sambil chain of malls in South America are all glorious odes to consumerism, but Centro Comercial is the largest, with close to 500 shops and 5 levels of entertainment options. At this point, you know shopping comes secondary at most of these malls, so don't hesitate to scope out the art gallery, which contains commissioned works from the Jacobo Borges museum. The aquarium is not far off, and the Parque ExpoAventura has robotic dinosaurs, a lá Jurassic Park. After you've worn yourself out, scoop some wings and catch un partido de fútbol at Hooters. Yup: they're everywhere.

35. MetroCentre

Where: UK
Address: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 9YG
Website: intumetrocentre.co.uk
Year Built: 1986

MetroCentre could technically count as five malls, since it's color-coded sections are all malls on their own. To even further break down its massiveness, the shopping sections are also broken down into theme: The Village, the Forum, and the Studio. IMAX? Very cool. VIP lounge to watch your movie on an IMAX screen? Why not...you deserve it. And after a day of shopping, if your iPhone battery is running a little low after Instagramming everything, charge up at the newly opened Apple store.

34. Greenbelt (Ayala Center)

Where: Phillipines
Address: Ayala Center, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, Metro Manila
Website: ayalamalls.com.ph
Year Built: 1991

Usually, when we think malls, we think glass balconies and escalators, but the Greenbelt addition to the Ayala Center is a lush center with over seven acres of dewey greenery under an open sky. The view is nice from the outdoors, but the indoor shopping will tempt you inside, with stores like Louis Vuitton, Hérmes and Balenciaga making it worth your time...and obviously your money.

33. Festival Mall

Where: Phillipines
Address: Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, 1780 Muntinlupa City
Website: festivalsupermall.com
Year Built: 1998

Theme park, singular? Naw, Festival Mall has theme parks, as in more than four different kinds. Aside from the massive Ace Hardware and Handyman stores, the shopping here is just all right. What's great, though, is your ability cross off everything on your "fun" to-do list in one trip: go bowling, see a movie, shoot some pool, ride a roller coaster (the longest and highest drop in the Philippines), sing some karaoke and/or play some bingo. It's like the adult equivalent of Chuck E. Cheese's and Six Flags smashed into one. And with a recent expansion proposal given the green light, expect an additional 600 shops and 74 acres of themed fun in the coming years.

32. Panamericana Multiplaza

Where: El Salvador
Address: Centro Comercial Multiplaza, San Salvador
Website: multiplaza.com
Year Built: 2004

Booze and shopping: a match made in heaven. The biggest mall in the chain of Multiplazas, Panamericana has an entire section called Las Terrazas, with two clubs (NVY and Stanza) and seven bars with names that encourage tipsiness: Fiesta Mexicana, Likwid, the Stills, and a karaoke bar, KGB, are just a few. Some of them specify the closing hours as "morning."

31. Bawadi Mall

Where: United Arab Emirates
Address: Zayed Bin Sultan Rd., Al Ain
Website: bawadimall.com
Year Built: 2009-2012

As if Dubai needed another massive mall, the Bawadi mall is nearing completion with a final launch date set for 2012. Aside from your typical shopping destinations, the mall features a go-kart track, rollerskating/ice skating rink, roller coaster, movie theater, and bowling alley. But the best part of Bawadi Mall will be Al-Gaws, a covered outdoor market with a sloping roof and over 40 local vendors selling handmade goods, homemade remedies and money exchange. All this for just $2.7 bilion dollars. In Dubai, that's practically chump change.

30. Grand Canal Shoppes

Where: USA
Address: 3377 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV
Website: grandcanalshoppes.com
Year Built: 1999

One word: gondolas. You're in Las Vegas, and chances are you're hung over from the previous night's festivities, so let a nice man navigate your shopping experience on a little gondola while you pick and choose which high-end stores to stop and splurge at, or take in the 7-foot ceiling masterpieces painted by the SKY ART team with nods to Michelangelo. The Shoppes sit adjacent to the Venetian Hotel and Casino and the Palazzo, so if you don't see something you like, ditch the gondola and go gamble...either way, you're bound to lose money.

29. The Kitai-Gorod GUM

Where: Russia
Address: Ветошный пер., 17, Moscow
Website: N/A
Year Built: Renovated in 2005; building dates back to 1893

This shopping mall has been through it all, from Stalin's orders to turn it into an office building in 1928 to a luxury renovation in 2005, all while maintaining the original architecture. The roof is made of 50,000 metal pods designed to support heavy snow and also create a canopy of light over the shops inside. GUM is the name given to the state department stores in the various cities of the former Soviet Union, but the new name (in Russian) means Main Department Store, implying it is the best and only one. How sneaky.

28. South Coast Plaza

Where: USA
Address: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA
Website: southcoastplaza.com
Year Built: 1967

We know, we know: you think California shopping, you automatically picture popping tags on Rodeo Drive, but Costa Mesa Plaza is the largest mall in Cali, the home of classic scenes from Clueless, The O.C., and 90210. And just like the aforementioned movies, girls with Daddy's credit card make rounds at the 250 stores like it's a trip to the dollar store, with the mall's sales reaching as high as $800 per square foot. That's a whole lotta 0's for every step you take, but that's Cali for you.

27. Del Amo Fashion Center

Where: USA
Address: West Carson St., Torrance, CA
Website: simon.com
Year Built: 1961

This mall gets mad cool points if only for the sheer amount of movies with scenes filmed here, and because it's been around since before your mom was born. You may recognize the mall in one form or another in the background of movies like Valley Girl, Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown and Billy Bob Thornton's classic, Bad Santa. From 1981 to 1992, it was the largest shopping mall in the world, before Mall of America came in and swooped the title. Aside from it's Hollywood fame, the shops themselves are the usual: Urban Outfitters, H&M, Marshalls. But each movie is a hearty dollop of street cred, so stop through and show love.

26. Forums Shops at Caesars Palace

Where: USA
Address: 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV
Website: caesarspalace.com
Year Built: 1992

The Forums Shops at Caesars Palace prove that it's not the size that counts, but the location, luxury names, and...amount of films with scenes shot there? Dozens of movies feature scenes shot at Caesars Palace, but some of the most memorable titles include Rain Man, Showgirls and most recently, The Hangover. Aside from its Hollywood appeal, the 160 high end shops are a lavish ode to luxury, making it the highest grossing mall in America, outselling even Rodeo Drive's plastic-loving celebs and socialites with higher sales per square foot. Tourists, bachelor parties, and those on splurge-heavy weekends all stop through the shops on the strip and drop a few 0's either post- or pre-gambling, depending on their level of baller status. The inventory will have you contemplating whether to spend on luxury goods or late night goodies. Tough call.

25. Aricanduva Mall

Where: Brazil
Address: Avenida Aricanduva, 5555 São Paulo
Website: aricanduva.com.br
Year Built: 1991

Some malls you visit to drop a few stacks on luxury goods, others for the scenery, but at Brazil's largest shopping mall, you go for the 14 fully-authorized car and motorcycle dealers and the skate park. While other malls' main tenants are stores like Macy's, Barneys or Bloomingdales, the Aricanduva Mall counts Peugeot, Honda, Fiat, and GM amongst their anchors. So after a long day of soaking up sun and oogling beach bunnies on the beautiful sands of São Paolo, test drive a motorcycle or waste some time at the skate park...the stores can wait.

24. Ala Moana Shopping Center

Where: USA
Address: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI
Website: www.alamoanacenter.com/
Year Built: 1966

It would be a crime for Hawaii's best mall to be an indoor one, which is why Ala Manoa is the largest open air mall in the world, with palm trees and perpetual sunshine serving as a backdrop to your excessive shopping. Hawaii itself is already a major tourist magnet, but the outdoor mall draws visitors from around the world, and with that comes over $1 billion dollars in annual sales. Once the largest shopping mall in the country when it opened in 1966, Ala Manoa still gets extra points for making you feel like you're communing with nature even though you're just taking steps towards losing your house.

23. Pitt Street Mall

Where: Australia
Address: Shop 4R13/135 King St Sydney NSW 2000
Website: pittstreetmall.com.au
Year Built: 2010

So we cheated a bit: the Pitt Street Mall is actually a street full of stores, but the expensive strip is owned by the Westfield company, notorious for its choke hold of the mall game. Look up and you can't miss the Sydney Tower, the second tallest building in Australia. But without a doubt the best part of Pitt Street Mall is the Strand Arcade, the last remaining arcade of five built during the Victorian era.

22. CentralWorld

Where: Thailand
Address: 1 RAMA Rd, Bangkok
Website: central.co.th
Year Built: 1990

Those who advise against mixing business with pleasure surely didn't plan the CentralWorld mall, originally called the World Trade Center before 9/11. The shopping complex is a connected to a 45-floor office tower, a 57-storey 5-star flagship hotel, and TK Park (Thailand Knowledge Park), mixing business with all kinds of opportunities for pleasure. Altoon + Porter Architects LLP, the architect firm behind CentralWorld, is responsible for some of the East's most modern structures, and we can thank them for opening up the floor plan of the stacked 8 floors of stores and entertainment in the mall's recent 2006 renovations. Shop, sleep, work. Repeat.

21. Magna Plaza

Where: Holland
Address: Shopping Center Magna Plaza, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 182, 1012 SJ Amsterdam
Website: magnaplaza.nl/nl
Year Built: Renovated in 1992; building has existed since 19th century

With all the über-modern glass ceilings and light-up fountains, it's nice to see a tasteful mall housed in a preserved historical building. The Magna Plaza in Amsertdam was once the Main Post Office, built in 1899 and situated right behind the Royal Palace. While it has since turned into more of a shrine to fine dining and luxury goods, the exterior and interior has maintained its intricate, neo-Gothic architecture. Upon entering the mall, you'll be greeted by a grand piano and live music during certain peak hours. Don't pass up the Dutch cheese guy waiting at the entrance, with your choice of wine and cheese to accompany your window shopping. Upstairs, RDLFS, a skate shop from the late '70s, has a store equipped with decks, shoes, and gear for your basic skate needs. It's Amsterdam-of course it's awesome.

20. Palladium Shopping Centre

Where: Czech Republic
Address: Namesti Republiky 1, Prague
Website: palladiumpraha.cz/en/
Year Built: 2007

Didn't someone once say shopping was like worshipping material things? Well, they may have been wrong, but the foundation of the Palladium Shopping Centre sits on what was once a convent, where nuns prayed in solitude and shunned materialism. Bye-bye nuns, hello shops. We suggest skipping the usual spots like H&M and Topman, and picking up a few items at Gant instead. Then, ride the four neon-lit escalators to the fifth floor, titled "Patro Gurmán," meaning "the Gourmet Floor." Cuisine from around the world is represented in the 20 restaurants and cafes. If you can't choose just one, don't.

19. SM City N. Edsa

Where: Phillipines
Address: EDSA Cor. North Avenue, Quezon City
Website: msupermalls.com
Year Built: 1985

The grandaddy of malls in the Philippines, SM City North EDSA has been around since 1985 and expanding ever since, proving to be the O.G. of the country's outrageous supermalls. With 4 annexes, a huge main City Center building, 12 movie theaters, a bowling alley and a Sky Garden, this mall's 400 restaurants and 1,100 shops are only part of the draw. The exterior of Annex 2 appears like architectural waves rippling up the side of the facade, leading to the Sky Garden, where you'll find yourself amidst 55 species of plants, grass, and trees. There's even a calming waterfall. While the mall's recent expansions are undeniably sleek and modern, don't let all the new school charm fool you: there's still a bingo hall hidden inside, so bring your grandma and all your change. Make that old lady proud.

18. SM Megamall

Where: Phillipines
Address: SM Megamall Building I, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
Website: sm-megamall.com/megamall2
Year Built: 1991

If you find yourself in the Philippines, you may need to reserve an entire week to visit each of the country's three SM supermalls, though the SM Megamall might be the craziest: it's spread out over 44 acres, with over 750 stores from brands like Polo to local designers...just don't you dare go in that Von Dutch. Need a visual to help you understand how much space this is? Imagine approximately 33 football fields of shopping mall stacked 6 stories high, all with original, empire-like stores with names like Toy Kingdom and Cyberzone. Aside from the more predictable cinema, which houses 12 theaters, go check out the Chapel of Eucharistic Lord, tucked away on the fifth floor. Because after you've spent all you cash, what else can you do but pray?

17. Madrid Xanadú

Where: Spain
Address: Autovía A5, salida 22 - 28939, Arroyomolinos
Website: madridxanadu.com
Year Built: 2003

It's time to break out your bubble goose coat: Madrid's largest mall is also home to Madrid SnowZone, a massive indoor snowscape with enough snow for 300 people on skis and snowboards, and several quaint bars and restaurants that sit looking down on the snow park. The New York Times called the facility a "Snowy Pleasure Dome" back when it opened; sounds kinky, but fairly accurate. Not into snow? It's cool; catch a matinee at the Cinesa Movie Theater, play a round of mini golf, channel your inner racecar driver at the go kart track, try your hand at bowling, or, you know...shop.

16. Panda Mall (being developed as Uno Mall)

Where: China
Address: Poly Park 198, No. 1980 Shulong Avenue, Chengdu
Website: N/A
Year Built: Coming Soon

It's eerie when any building is left vacant for more than a decade, but it's even more ominous when it's a colossal 5.4-million-square-foot structure sitting right in the middle of one of China's busiest regions. In 2006, developers bought this ghostland mall for $47 million, and plans to turn the space into a tourist haven that will boast an ice-skating rink, a cinema, a luxury car gallery, a roof garden with a climate-controlled indoor swimming pool, and, because the complex is located in the heart of one of Chengdu's furniture-retail areas, a sprawling furniture gallery, all attached to a Ritz Carlton. That's right, if it's broken, throw a Ritz on it. Prosperity ensues.

15. SM Mall of Asia

Where: Phillipines
Address: Central Business Park, Bay Blvd., Bay City, Pasay, Philippines
Website: smmallofasia.com/moa
Year Built: 2006

When it comes to the SM Mall of Asia, shopping is secondary to everything else the sprawling 4.2 million square feet mall has to offer. Four buildings are interconnected by walkways, but we recommend you ditch the Main Mall and head to the Entertainment Mall, where all the fun is. Feel like catching a flick? Check out the San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX theater with an 8-story high screen, or step into the Director's Club Theater for more intimate screenings and a selection of 30 cozy La-Z-Boys. After a few hours in your chair, you can lace up your ice skates and try not to fall on the Olympic-sized ice rink, or nerd out in the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center with 11 themed rooms with names like Grossology and Spaceship Earth. Seem like too much? There's a multipurpose Arena set to open on May 19, 2012, with a capacity of 20,000 people.

14. Zlote Tarasy Mall (Golden Terraces Mall)

Where: Poland
Address: Złota 59, 00-120, Warsaw
Website: zlotetarasy.pl
Year Built: 2007

The transparent roof on one of Poland's biggest malls looks like a wave of windows, composed of a series of interconnected cupolas providing a canopy for the indoor courtyard. The roof is made up of 4,800 triangular glass panes, and opens up to give shoppers an unmatched view of the Warsaw skyline. Stop first for a bite to eat, and "have it your way" at Poland's first Burger King before heading to the shops to burn off your Big Mac. And don't be surprised if you see a bunch of cougars walking around; there's a beauty center for collagen injections located right inside the mall. Rawrr.

13. Cevahir Istanbul

Where: Turkey
Address: Büyükdere Cad. No. 22 Şişli- Istanbul
Website: istanbulcevahir.com
Year Built: 2005

Leave it to a foreign mall to outdo Americans when it comes to fast food. The $250-million, six-storey mall boasts 34 fast food chains in addition to its 14 exclusive, dine-in restaurants. Of course, it wouldn't be a crazy mall if you couldn't see a movie at one of the 12 cinemas to break up a day of shopping, but there's nothing like a roller coaster ride to top off your mid-day meal. The coolest part of this mall, though, is the nearly 27,000-square-foot glass roof that carries the world's second biggest clock, with digits ten feet high. You may lose some money, but you'll never lose track of time.

12. GPO

Where: Australia
Address: 350 Bourke St., Melbourne
Website: melbournesgpo.com
Year Built: Renovated in 2004; building was built in 1859

The post offices of yesterday are the shopping malls of today. GPO, which stands for General Post Office, was one of the first buildings erected when Melbourne was named a city in 1837. A century and a half later, 50 well-selected shops line the interior of the old building, with the original molds and archways kept intact. GPO is home to many of Australia's most celebrated designers and high-end stores, and Australian Fashion Week is hosted there twice a year. And literally "down under" the building, a coffee shop sits under Elizabeth Street colonnade and offers drinks and light meals to fuel your shopping sprees.

11. Wafi Mall

Where: United Arab Emirates
Address: Sheikh Rashid Rd., Oud Metha, Dubai
Website: wafi.com
Year Built: 2001

Can't decide between a historical trip to Egypt or a lavish vacay in Dubai? The Wafi Mall's resemblance to Egyptian pyramids indulges both desires. Sort of. Instead of dead guys wrapped in gauze, you'll find luxury shops like Givenchy and Chanel. The courtyard entrance to the mall features a Ramses statue, a pyramid, and columns carved with heiroglyphics, but step inside, and themed areas like Bourbon Street, Europa Boulevard and Chinatown await you. Of course there's a theme park, of course there are restaurants and an adjoining hotel, but we're all about the petting zoo. Petting zoos in Dubai have got to be some of the wildest.

10. Mall of America

Where: USA
Address: 60 East Broadway, Bloomington, MN
Website: mallofamerica.com
Year Built: 1992

The Mall of America should be amongst one of the top ten reasons you are proud to be an American. Why? Where else can you shop at a supersized LEGO Store, take your little sister to see all the American Girl dolls, ride indoor roller coasters at Nickelodean Universe, the largest indoor theme park in the United States, and then stop in for some wings at Hooters? Sounds like a wholesome, well-rounded All-American day to us. But of course, the MOA can't be our pride and joy if it doesn't expand, right? A $2.1 billion Phase II expansion that includes a dinner theatre, ice rink, three hotels, and a waterpark, was recently put into action, thanks to the Minnesota State Legislature, who passed a bill granting the city of Bloomington the right to raise property and sales taxes to pay for the expansion. Nothing more American than locals making the total domination of a megamall possible

9. New South China Mall

Where: China
Address: Wanjiang District, Dongguan
Website: southchinamall.com.cn
Year Built: 2005

Another Chinese mall turned ghost town, the New South China Mall's seven zones, named and modelled after some of the world's coolest cities and regions including Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, the Caribbean, and California, sit mostly empty. With a 99.5% vacancy rate, the space for 2,350 stores are almost devoid of splurging, mostly because of the massive disconnect between the mall's opulence and the income of the cities surrounding it. The building's bleak vacancy inspired Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Sam Green to make a short film entitled "Utopia Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall," which labeled the mall an empty capitalist hope.

8. Tokyo Midtown Galleria

Where: Japan
Address: Akasaka Minato, Tokyo
Website: tokyo-midtown.com/en
Year Built: 2007

Tokyo Midtown's Galleria is the definition of structural multi-tasking, with the actual 5-floor shopping mall only making up a fraction of the gargantuan Tokyo Midtown development. Do a little drunk shopping at some of fashion's finest stores like Burberry Black Label and Bottega Venetta after a sip or two at Coppola's Vinoteca, a wine bar showcasing the expansive wine collection of famous director Francis Ford Coppola. Want to indulge in something a little more high brow than high fashion? Check into the Ritz Carlton at the top of Midtown Tower, and make your way to Design Sight 21_21, a design gallery of jutting edges and sharp lines from the minds of fashion designer Issay Miyake and renowned architect Tadao Ando. And in the case you forget to breathe or get dehydrated with all the sights to see, have no fear: a John Hopkins medical clinic is just footsteps away.

7. Berjaya Times Square

Where: Malaysia
Address: 1 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur
Website: timessquarekl.com
Year Built: 2003

Malaysia's Times Square is way cooler than our Timesist are located in Asia and its surrounding regions. It’s a classic case of the student surpassing the master. These are the 25 Largest Shopping Malls In The