THIS PAGE : Sandton City as it looked in the 1970 / 80s
City . Working closely with the developers , Tia and her MDS colleagues , as well as large number of professional firms , have been integral in driving the Master Plan for Sandton City that became essential after the first initial stages of development that saw the centre evolve into far more than purely a shopping centre , with the addition of mixed use elements such as the hotel in 1982 .
The aim of the Master Plan was to ensure a holistic approach to the shopping centre design as it evolved , considering flow and retail design trends and also ensuring that planned additions to the precinct outside of retail were designed in such a way as to ensure cohesiveness . The intent of the developers has primarily been to ensure Sandton City retains its position as the leading retail centre in South Africa . From a design perspective this has at times required some substantial demolition and re-design of existing elements of the centre to ensure the vision for the long term development is achieved . As retail design has evolved from the historical internalised nature of shopping centres surrounded by parking , by the late 2000 ’ s Sandton City saw a number of design changes to bring about the externalisation of the centre , opening it up where possible to the streetscape . The addition of the very open and visible street facing Protea Court in 2011 saw the centre design start to bring in externalising elements whilst also adding an additional 23,000m 2 of retail space . The tenancy philosophy also saw new standalone brands such as Zara introduced .
2015 also saw the introduction of top international luxury brands to Sandton City with the development of Diamond Walk . For the first time in South Africa , Diamond Walk saw a large number of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton , Prada and Dolce & Gabbana opening their exclusive stores within one beautiful , custom designed space . The development of Diamond Walk was challenging from a tenancy perspective due to the exacting requirements of these high end brands with regards to store design .
Interior Evolution The original retail interior of Sandton City was very much a testament to the design elements of the 1970 ’ s . The palette of browns and earth
56 Sandton City 50th