Woods Hardwick submits Stage 1 Design Concept
for new gourmet food court in Accra, Ghana
Bedford-based Architects, Engineers and Development Consultants Woods Hardwick have submitted a
Stage 1 Design Concept and produced the tender drawings for the Gold Coast Galleria, luxury food retail
and eatery in Accra, Ghana. The new facility is a dedicated element of the three-level retail mall under
construction in the new Gold Coast City district; the construction work is set to start imminently.
Set to offer a luxury brand destination, retail and dining experience, the gourmet food outlet will combine
a traditional market feel with the latest modern interventions. Retail food outlets, fine dining areas, coffee
bars and an outside terrace bar all combine to create an exciting ambience on the one floor, accessed via
an escalator and customer lifts which puncture the central floor plate of the two floors below.
Two design options were prepared: option 1, ‘Marketplace’, designed to provide the feel of bars and cafes
clustered around a central, main plaza teeming with the sounds, smell and colour of a fresh food market.
Meanwhile option 2, ‘Destination’, creates a series of specialist gastronomic boutiques, encouraging
potential customers to navigate their own unique journey through the sights and sounds of the space. The
total floor space for this project is approximately 1 350m2.
Careful attention during the initial design period has been given to the sensitive incorporation of building
services and also clean air circulation around the space to make sure that visitors are kept comfortable,
whilst ensuring the intensive food preparation spaces receive appropriate ventilation.
Consideration in the Design Concept has also been given to materials used, and ancillary features such as
the choice of oversized ‘bucket baskets’ to replace shopping trolleys so that aisle density can be increased
to provide for more choice of stock.
Woods Hardwick has worked alongside GWP Catering Consultants on the Design Concept for Zakhem
Construction. Leading the project at Woods Hardwick is Director, Calum Wilson who revealed that the
inspiration for this concept has been drawn from fusing favourite elements of existing specialist gourmet
food courts with the sensual quality that can be experienced when browsing through a European open air
market.
The Galleria is planned as part of Gold Coast City, the proposed new ‘downtown’ area of Ghana’s capital
Accra. The project will stretch from the Osu Castle along the sea front to Accra’s Arts Centre.
Gold Coast City is conceived as a model for sustainable design and economic development, attracting
residents and tourists from all over the world. The first phase of this mixed-use scheme will include 3.2
million sq ft of green space, retail, office, and residential developments. AD
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