SPECIAL REPORT > PARKVIEW MALL
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PARKVIEW
TWO DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERES Designed by Boogertman & Partners Architects, Parkview Mall is a contemporary shopping centre, ideally located on the prominent corner of Garstfontein Road and Netcare Street in the Eastern Suburbs of Pretoria, opposite the Pretoria East Hospital and the highly acclaimed Woodhill Golf and Residential Estate. This exciting development offers approximately 35 000m2 of lifestyle retail, fashion retail, banking facilities, medical facilities, restaurants and a Virgin Active gym. The ground level retail is anchored by Woolworths and @HomeLivingspace on the southern side, with Boardmans and Mr Price Home on the northern side. In between these anchors one finds a variety of fashion retailers which completes the retail experience at Parkview Mall. The first floor level offers Whetherleys, Corricraft and Loads of Living as anchors, with an abundance of homeware line shops to ensure all the home lover’s needs are taken care off in a singular, multi-choice environment. On this level one also finds medical facilities in one of Gauteng’s fastest growing medical brands, Intercare. This facility includes dentists, medical doctors, biokineticists as well as physiotherapists.
By Stacey Rowan
MALL: ONE CENTRE,
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TOP: Not only shoppers shop until their wallets run dry, but another main attraction to the centre is the vast range of restaurants provided. LEFT: A natural cream palette was selected for the interior.
A single level gym at the lower level of the complex looks out onto the adjacent Kimiad golf course, offering one the opportunity to exercise within a serene visual experience of the outdoors.
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP Sporting three levels of prime quality retail space and a variety of entertainment, fitness and other recreational activities, together with beauty salons, boutiques, home décor, travel and restaurant options, shoppers at the Parkview Mall can shop until they drop. “The centre includes a bridal shop, a pharmacy, optometrist, liquor store, a variety of hair salons, a Top CD, ample takeout food outlets and even a bicycle cycle shop among others” says Frans de Klerk, director and architect at Boogertman & Partners. Not only can shoppers shop until their wallets run dry, but another main attraction to the centre is the vast range of restaurants provided. These restaurants are situated within two main nodes. The more tranquil node is situated directly adjacent to the Kimiad dam and golf course on the western lower and ground floor levels of the Centre. This picturesque setting is enhanced by the natural water spilling over the dam wall as well as the green flowing fairways of the golf course. Whilst dining out on the wooden deck, one is able to enjoy the sunset inside the city, evoking a distant African bush environment. In contrast with this, the ground floor piazza on the eastern side is a buzzing area with a vibe that attracts night life for the younger patrons. “There are 13 restaurants in the centre. These include FTV, Matsuya (Japanese), Karoo Cattle & Land, Maxis, Bread Basket, Ed’s Diner, Cape Town Fish Market, and Vagaar (Indian) to name but a few. In terms of restaurants, we’ve got almost everything. The restaurants cater for all kinds of people, young and old,” says de Klerk.
A WORLD OF CONTRASTS The external façade is one of solid mass, which is anchored in the buttresses that protrude from the facades. Natural colours were selected to lessen the visual impact that the bulk of the complex has on its environment. However, this has been accentuated by the bold red box of Rhapsody’s which frames the space created for the piazza.
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In stark contrast with the external elements, a neutral cream palette was selected for the interior. In addition, the building was designed in such a way as to provide as much natural lighting into the centre as possible. This is achieved by big glass curtain walls and long flowing lines of clerestory windows which line both of the three atria, and this in turn ensures natural light throughout most of the day, which is essential to enhance the ambiance of the Mall. The three Atria are capped with massive steel roofs that float over the large glass walls. One needs to marvel at the outstanding engineering feat that has been achieved. High end finish natural stone tiles, with a very simple banding pattern were used to accentuate the lightness of the interior. A small series of brightly coloured circular patterns in the floor tiles of the lower trading level brings a lively retro feel into the quadruple volume of atria 2.
The external façade is one of solid mass, which is anchored in the buttresses that protrude from the façades.
The different atmospheres created by the exterior and interior aesthetics, create a world of contrasts. Overall, the centre is an architectural building with clean lines and a subtle look. “The centre boasts a modern aesthetic with a spacious flow to allow for a relaxed shopping, browsing, and dining experience. It is an amazing centre with a striking design” says de Klerk.
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Boogertman + Partners (Pty) Ltd Reg No: 2003/020268/07
www.boogertmanandpartners.com Johannesburg
Pretoria
Cape Town
Durban
+27 (0)11 790-1600 mail@boogertmanjhb.co.za +27 (0)21 930-9210 mail@boogertmanct.co.za
+27 (0)12 429-7300 mail@boogertmanpta.co.za +27 (0)31 265-1805 mail@boogertmandbn.co.za
Regional Shopping Centres • Community Centres • Neighbourhood Centres • Convenience Centres • Value Centres
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CREATE A SOLUTION FOR A NEED The architects, before designing the building, had to consider the purpose and the functionality of the mall. “The mall had to address and provide solutions for Pretoria’s eastern suburbs. We had to research the market and ask ourselves what the eastern side of Pretoria is in need of. We concluded that the area, at the time, needed a home-brand type of shopping centre, ample restaurants and a gym with some fashion retail in between to cater for all kinds of shoppers”, explains de Klerk.
The parking provision for the centre is well in excess of 9 bays per 100sqm for the overall retail space created. This was achieved by means of 3 levels of basement parking which spills out directly into the lower and ground floor levels of the complex, and with the fair amount of vertical transport provided, one can move to any chosen level with ease. The architectural layout was influenced by the duality of the location of the site. Situated next to the Kimiad golf course and dam and fronting a major road artery, the architects designed the building as a sliver, simultaneously providing billboard exposure to the road and screening the more serene surroundings and view of the golf course. “With a need to construct the centre within an extremely tight program, we faced the challenge of building the mall according to a strict deadline and keeping to it. It took us approximately 20 months to build the entire centre. The biggest challenge that we as a team, and especially the Developer faced, was the change in the economic climate that hit the globe at approximately 14 months into our construction phase. This mainly affected the way that retailers looked at their future growth over the next few years which in turn affected letting of the Centre. It furthermore decreased shoppers’ spending once the Centre commenced trading in July 2010.”
TOP: With the night light, Parkview’s striking design is illuminated. BOTTOM: Parkview sports three levels of prime quality retail space.
A standalone block which houses easily accessible take away restaurants provide an element of convenience that has been sorely lacking in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria. This building mimics the architecture and style of the main complex on a much smaller scale.
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One of the achievements of the Mall is its inner transport system encompassing 27 escalators, 5 lifts and staircases.
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ACHIEVEMENTS Not only does the mall boast 13 restaurants, more than the average shopping centre of this size, but other architectural achievements make this shopping mall unique. One of the achievements evident in the mall is its inner transport system. Vertical circulation of the mall is provided within the 3 main atria by 17 escalators, 5 lifts and various staircases, allowing shoppers the opportunity to move up and down the centre effortlessly, enabling them to maximise the use of the building. Another achievement which should be noted is the installation of a Building Management System (BMS), a computer-based control system that controls and monitors the mechanical and electrical equipment as well as security aspects of the building. “The BMS allows management to switch off the air conditioning when the electrical loading calls for it, to swop air conditioning between shops or to undergo load shedding in order to reduce the usage of power, therefore keeping consumption low.” There was even a plan for the movement impaired, when it came to planning the gym. In other centres, the gym often spans many levels, which does not permit paraplegics to move around freely. At Parkview Mall, the Virgin Active is only a single level, allowing for paraplegic athletes and wheelchair users to have free movement within the area. Considering the current economic climate, the retailers and restaurants at the Parkview Mall are holding their own. “For a new centre that is less than a year old, the Parkview Mall is doing considerably well. We have received positive feedback and, overall, customers love the centre. I think it will justify the vision of the developers and entrench itself as a successful niche center in the immediate future is a success,” concludes de Klerk. <
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