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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2017
14
BILD Architects and Terra Ether
Architects partnered to shape the look of
what has become one of South Africa’s
world-class retail destinations, says Eddie
Pretorius, director of BILD Architects,
that is considerably more than skin deep.
“One of the biggest challenges in the
redevelopment was seamlessly integrating
the old section of the mall with the new, as
the proportions were quite different,”
he explains.
Olive Ndebele, general manager of
Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, says
that delivering an all-inclusive shopping
experience at Menlyn Park was the end goal
of the redevelopment.
For the revamp, a new concept was
developed to create new spaces and
extensions with a fresh, classic look. “The
look and feel needed to be both more
current and timeless, to give the centre
an extended lease of life,” says Pretorius.
One such innovation was the installation
of skylights wherever possible, ensuring
plenty of natural light and neutral tones to
help achieve a natural integration from the
old and the new.
The new design centred on three major
features: the outside piazza Central Park,
the refurbished indoor food court, and the
dining node at the new entrance.
Central Park has become a hub of
activity, with ongoing events designed
to keep the whole family engaged and
entertained throughout the year. Flanked by
popular restaurants and picturesque trees,
the piazza is the perfect place to enjoy
a beautiful evening at Menlyn Park. The
revamped indoor food court is the perfect
place to grab a quick bite to eat before
enjoying some great retail therapy in the
nearby fashion wing. The Hard Rock
Cafe with its famous guitar and legen-
dary burgers takes centre stage at the
new entrance.
The centre remained open and trading
throughout the renovations, allowing for
construction works between 22:00 to 7:00;
to preserve a sense of normality to the
much-loved shopping scene. A rare and
innovative feature, was the retail village,
constructed to temporarily house many
outlets while their new stores were
being built.
To shield the worst of the demolition
chaos from shoppers, a giant origami
artwork was installed as a temporary
hoarding. “We created this intricate wall
inspired by Pretoria’s world-renowned
jacaranda trees to serve as a decoration
during our retail expansion,” says Ndebele.
A major achievement was a 4-star Green
Star Retail Design rating by the Green
Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA)
for the substantial efforts to develop the
first building phase of the redevelopment
along environmentally friendly design and
construction principles.
Pretorius points out that BILD Architects
were also involved in the redevelopment
of the centre that took place in 2000. “This
provided an advantage in anticipating
the opportunities and challenges that lay
ahead,” he says. And that project raised the
bar, achieving a merited industry award for
‘Renovation or Expansion of an existing
Project’, by the International Council of
Shopping Centres (ICSC).
PROPERTY
Developing a
WORLD-CLASS
retail look
Menlyn Park Shopping Centre’s R2,5-billion, two-year phased
refurbishment has positioned the mall as the dominant super-regional
shopping centre in Tshwane.
SACSC hosts networking breakfast
Acclaimed economist Dawie Roodt
shared his insights on the local
and global economic landscape
for retailers at the Gauteng leg
of networking breakfasts hosted
by the South African Council of
Shopping Centres (SACSC) on
20 February 2017.
but also Africa’s and the rest of the
world. He also commented on South
Africa’s increasing unemployment rate
and how high debt will further send our
economy on a downward spiral if no
actions are taken immediately. “There are
approximately nine million unemployed
people in the country. We need to grow
The highly-regarded Roodt, who is currently
Chief Economist at the Efficient Group, is
renowned for his insights streaming from
over two decades of economic and political
analysis experience. Roodt addressed those
in attendance at Sandton’s Balalaika Hotel,
by touching on how Trump’s presidency
will affect not only America’s economy
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