Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa November/December 2013 | Page 40
What has been achieved is
a community building that
provides a new central focus
for the people of Cape
Town’s southern peninsula
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identity, the interior incorporates fittings and
furniture custom-designed for the project, as
well as utilising new technologies such as digital
printed glass.
Externally, the inevitable challenge of
incorporating tenant signage into the architecture was met by the creation of a blue band as
a design element, which simultaneously defined
the zones in which the different brand identities
could be harmonised successfully.
The design is generous, in that malls are wide,
space is in abundance, and the building offers
itself up to broader community use. The malls
form the function of modern-day streets, with
space for kiosks, informal activities, promotions
and community events.
A New Community Focus
Some of the funnier community comments on
the Blue Route Mall Facebook fan page are also
sometimes the most revealing: “I love all the
space!”... “Finally we don’t have to drive out to
Canal Walk”... “Finally we don’t have to schlep
to Cavendish”... not to mention, “No longer can
I get away with schlumfing into Blue Route in my
tracksuit: now I have to get dressed up in style!”
What has been achieved is a community
building that provides a new central focus for
Blue Route Mall