PROJECT FEATURE
PARK SQUARE
PARK SQUARE
Ridgeside, Umhlanga
DEVELOPER
Nedport Developments
PROJECT MANAGERS
Focus Project Management
ARCHITECT
MAP Architects
QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Mbatha Walters & Simpson
MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERS
Arup
SAFETY CONSULTANTS
Comprac Holdings
LIFT CONSULTANT
KZN Elevator Consultants
SECTIONAL TITLE SURVEYORS
MHP Geomatics
Geoafrika
MAIN CONTRACTOR
Stefanutti Stocks
PHOTOGRAPHY
Peter Oravecz
Alexis Diack
38
P
ark Square, uMhlanga’s newest business and lifestyle development, opened
its doors in November 2018 and offers a future-forward, people-centred
destination where the surrounding communities and professionals can shop,
work and connect.
Brief
When the team at Map Architects were approached in 2015 by Nedport Developments,
a subsidiary of Nedbank, to design a space that would accommodate their KwaZulu-
Natal team, the brief was to create a structure that would allow the easy flow of people
through the development but also accommodate a 17,500m² space to house their staff
in addition to general commercial and retail space.
Concept
After spending some time pinning down the vision, the Architects set about
conceptualising an off-the-ground design that would see the commercial elements
‘hovering’ above a perfectly activated retail arcade and square which people could
use for shopping and simply enjoying the city’s unique, outdoor lifestyle. The idea to
create a connected community that would simultaneously be an business destination
for professionals to work and socialise and a dynamic urban space to activate the local
community, was born.
The emphasis at Park Square is undoubtedly on transparency. The simple and modular
design features raw concrete slabs, steel beams, generous concrete overhangs and
Park Square