African project
Kumasi Mall – Ghana
African Design Magazine spoke to Astrid van der Loan, Cliff Gouws and
Anton Koekemoer from Boogertman + Partners to find out more about the
design of the mall:
What was the brief?
The project is to form part of Atterbury Property Group’s retail portfolio
in Ghana, it is Atterbury’s fourth retail development in Ghana, following
the refurbishment of Accra Mall, and the development of West Hills Ma I
and Achimota Retail. It is the first formal retail space in Kumasi, situated in
the Asokwa region. The intention of the project is to provide Kumasi with
well-established South African and Ghanaian brands in food, fashion and
services.
What was the site formerly?
The site is an amalgamation of smaller properties. Many of these were
unused lots, with collections of scrap metal, informal car repairs and
trading
What is the total size of the mall?
The first phase of Kumasi City Mall is a 18 000m 2 shopping centre with
a mix of local and international retailers. It is anchored by Shoprite and
Game and incorporate 78 shops and restaurants. A four-screen cinema
complex is envisioned for the future
What would you say is the most noticeable feature of the mall?
The most noticeable feature is the definitely the central foyer space, which
is conceptually based on the African notion of gathering Informal meeting
spaces in the African context usually occurs under large trees, which is
symbolically referenced in the project
How did the environment influence your design?
The topical climate in Ghana is hot and humid, and had to be
accommodated in the design though means of passive building systems
By using the natural slope on the site, central shaded public areas provide
an elevated view of the city, while also allowing for passive cooling Open
roof canopies, deep facade recesses and cool building materials further
accommodates the environmental aspects.
When considering context as environment A study of the regional context
guided the architecture towards the use of local designs to add the
finishing touch to the outward facade of the development Breezeblocks,
concrete blocks with patterned openings, are stacked around the parapet
of the facade walls. These provide both a screen and ventilation to the
necessary systems, while preserving the local architectural language.
How would you describe the style of the project?
The architectural concept is based on a Ghanaian forest analogy. The
building’s roofs and ceiling finishes conceptually reference tree tops, under
which public gathering can occur in a cool, shaded fashion.
Click here to read more
78
africandesignmagazine.com