The All-Inclusive Shopping Centre

BI Architects and Space Planners offers a full architectural service, from the design stage to site handover.

Coupled with its experience in strategic planning and brief development, together with facilities planning and refurbishment, BI Architects is in a position to partner with clients on an ongoing basis to address all of their building and property portfolio needs. Focus areas include office and commercial premises, retail architecture and mixed-use developments. The Practice also provides architectural services to government departments, educational and healthcare facilities and medium to large scale residential developments.

Pan Africa Shopping Centre

BI Architects & Space Planners

The Pan Africa Shopping Centre in Alexandra is quite possibly the country’s first shopping centre designed to combine a taxi rank and informal traders with upmarket shops. Pan Africa Shopping Centre and Taxi Rank was built along a key route linking Sandton and Central Alexandra, on a number of stands previously accommodating Putco bus parking facilities.

The retail component is situated on two levels with a taxi rank situated on the roof level ensuring good foot traffic through the centre as pedestrians are linked with access roads into Alexandra via street entrances on three sides of the centre. The neighbouring stand consists of a taxi parking facility which also accommodates a number of informal traders.

Anchor tenants in the centre include Pick and Pay, McDonalds, KFC, Truworths and Mr Price. The centre was opened in 2008, with a further extension being completed in 2010. The development showcased a partnership between the City and private developers as it was supported by the Alexandra Renewal Project and included extensive engagement with local informal traders and taxi associations and operators.

Ketan Patel from BI Architects and Space Planners was engaged on the initial development as Project Architect, while GAPP Architects, BI Architects and Space Planners were subsequently appointed for the extension to the centre in 2009.