Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa May/June 2015 | Page 61

Understanding the Building
The key to understanding the building is the section. The Point has eleven levels of
varying heights; four levels of underground parking, triple-volume retail, and four levels of
offices. It was the enlightened mind-set of the clients, Hoskens Consolidated Investments
and Berman Brothers, who enabled this exceptional density to occur, realising that even
though The Point is situated on the Main Road, the secret to success of any retail or office
development in South Africa at the moment, is the availability of parking. The parking
is easy to use, with no dead-ends and a gentle and easy ramp at the western extremity
of the site. It is thus these four levels of parking, providing 480 bays, that have ensured
the developments’ success, together with the vision to build three levels of retail and
wellness suites, all accessible by escalators and trolley lifts, all of which are easily to be
found. Whereas the original Galleria was only 9,000m2, the new scheme is 23,000m2.
This increased size of the scheme, and the variety of retail, still anchored by Checkers
but now including such well-known retailers as Sportsman’s Warehouse, PnP Clothing and
Dis-Chem, offices, and almost thirty other retailers, health & wellness tenants, including
an artisanal bakery and specialist restaurant, has created a new suburban hub.
Q