Architect and Builder February/March 2019 | Page 21

Accessible Urban Space
The architects placed a great premium on
harnessing the opportunity the development
offered to create accessibility and open up the
public realm. Van Bebber says they went to
considerable lengths to design “accessible urban
space with no barriers” around the precinct while
ensuring safety and functionality.
On street level, between the 6.5 -storey
basements and the commercial space in the
towers above, is a two-story retail level. Apart
from providing a shopping destination, this retail
podium level activates the precinct on street
level, integrates the complex with coherent
pedestrian movement routes through Sandton’s
commercial node and maintains connections to
the adjoining hotels.
Van Bebber argues that it was “very important
that we achieve on-grade pedestrian access off
both Maude and Rivonia” to create easy pedestrian
access. The natural fall of the site required an
urban staircase from the Rivonia and Maude
Street intersection, but for the rest, access is
completely unimpeded. This was another reason
The Marc
for the arrangement of the towers. While the Jewel
has presence, the tower connects at street level
opening up considerable public space.
The generous pavements, public benches,
public sculpture and soft landscaping bring human
scale and appeal to the streetscape around the
precinct, and the visible street frontage of the
shops and restaurants and pedestrian accessibility
draw office-dwellers out from the surrounding
commercial buildings and onto the street.
Retail Component
The retail level, while fairly small and bespoke
in its offering, is characterised by transparency
and visibility. Overhead skylights help to flood
the interiors with natural light and blur the
distinction between interior space and exterior
urban environment, conceptually linking the
retail space with the landscaped podium outside.
The movement routes through the interior are
articulated with friendly curves and organic shapes.
Moreover, the subtle erosion of the boundaries
between individual shops and mall space,
achieved through the transparency of the glazing
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