Construction World November 2015

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS
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SPACIOUS NEW FOOD COURT
in Rosebank
A milestone in the R500-million
revamp of the suburb’s hub for
fashion, food and entertainment,
the new food court, dubbed Food
@ The Zone, enables moviegoers, families
and entertainment-lovers to relax in a stun-
ning open-plan self-serve dining space, with
access to some of South Africa’s favourite
fast-food vendors and sit-down restaurants,
including Panarotti’s, Spur, Simply Asia,
Wakaberry, Sweets From Heaven, Jimmy’s
Killer Prawns and Haagen Dazs.
“The new food court will revitalise the
movie area of The Zone @ Rosebank with
its abundance of natural light, natural and
earthy colours, slick seating and granite
tables, and soft backlit wallpaper and mosaic
tiling,” says Nqaba Mangcu, project architect
of Louis Karol Architects, who were respon-
sible for the refit. “Shoppers will also have
access to a smart-connect area with wifi, TV
and desk plugs.”
“Our intention with the new area, Food @
The Zone, is to enhance the family appeal of
The Zone @ Rosebank, and add more leisure
facilities to the existing cinema complex, so
that families and moviegoers can really enjoy
a full outing,” says Desmond Heunis, regional
general manager for Old Mutual Property.
“The Zone @ Rosebank is now able to cater
for a broad entertainment-loving market.”
Owned by Old Mutual Properties, and
located between Cradock Avenue and Oxford
Road in Rosebank, the mixed-use mall devel-
opment recently announced the addition
of four new tenants to its growing fashion,
food and entertainment offering: KAUAI’s first
concept store, a new branch of French-style
bakery The Patisserie, fashion designer Thula
Sindi’s flagship boutique, and the first outlet
of international Danish jewellery manufac-
turer Pandora. A UK-headquartered chain
of gyms as well as quite a few other ‘firsts’
for Rosebank.
“By refurbishing the ground and first
floors of The Zone @ Rosebank, and placing
the new food court on the first floor, we were
able to achieve 16 new stores in the existing
space – basically, we created a fresh, newly
purposed space within an existing shopping
centre,” explains Mangcu.
Project construction began towards the
end of last year, with the development team
Rosebank’s first food
court, a 2 000 m2 indoor
food emporium on the
first floor of The Zone
@ Rosebank, with
panoramic views over
western Johannesburg,
and a balcony on Oxford
Road, is opening in
summer 2015.
being careful not to disrupt the trading envi-
ronment by fast-tracking the rollout period
and ensuring existing services operated as
normal. Louis Karol’s CEO Eitan Karol says,
“It’s never easy to build within an existing
building that’s not only still trading but is in a
part of a mall that links all the shopping and
offices in Rosebank, but with our 63 years of
experience in large-scale commercial rede-
velopment, we’ve been able to handle this
fairly seamlessly.”
One of the largest and most eminent
architectural firms in the country, Louis
Karol has been responsible for the design
and construction of some of South Africa’s
most-admired buildings and developments,
including the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town
and the Sandton International Convention
Centre in Johannesburg.
Marking a milestone in the progression
of phase one of the redevelopment, shoppers
will soon be able to enjoy a new mixed-use
retail/office space in the former Standard
Bank building on Tyrwhitt Avenue, which
has been renamed as The Zone Boulevard
and forms part of The Zone @ Rosebank. The
ground floor will host a variety of restaurants,
and will also serve as a green space where
outside seating and the piazza-style ambi-
ance will be extended in the already vibrant
Rosebank precinct. The first and second
floors will be remodelled into office space of
approximately 2 200 m2, with a spectacular
atrium letting natural light in to both floors.
The space will be ready for hand over to new
tenants from later this month.