A real place on screen
Southgate Shopping Center
A giant parabolic arch gives a suburban shopping centre a surprisingly memorable civic gesture. Its mid-century commercial architecture supplies a vivid contrast to the gothic and domestic worlds of Tim Burton’s film.
- Architect / attribution
- Donovan Dean & Associates and Charles N. Agree
- Building chronology
- 1957
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida, United States
The real building
Close-up of the arches in the center of the Southgate Shopping Center on Florida State Road 37 between Pablo Street and West Oak Drive in Lakeland, Florida . This blatant display of Googie architecture leftover from the 1960's is a sight to behold. One arch supported by another in the back with a vertical "grille" and a pair of jet age "wings" in the middle. Some minor stores are behind this decorative feature and off to the sides of it, but the main flagship stores are on the two ends; A Crowder's Hardware store owned by Ace Hardware, and a Publix supermarket.
Films at Southgate Shopping Center
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
On screen: The shopping-centre sequence
Lakeland’s Chamber of Commerce records the centre’s appearance in Edward Scissorhands. Its arch is a real commercial landmark, unlike the film’s gothic hilltop castle.
Filming evidence
Building sources
A screen appearance does not imply public access. Consult the venue for current visiting arrangements.