Site The presence of pockets of dolomite on the site created engineering and construction challenges which required the addition of specialist consultants to the project team .
“ Double level malls are generally expensive to develop but this site had a significant fall and the difficult ground conditions required piling and subterranean elements to rectify this . However , this played into our hands , allowing on-grade parking on both levels whilst reducing the building ’ s footprint and the amount of piling required ,” explains McCormick .
The design takes the slope of the site into consideration , as well as the building ’ s central
location . Shoppers enter the building on lower ground level along the east façade ; and upper ground level along the west façade , essentially giving the building two prominent front façades .
Says Pretorius , “ This positioning required strategic design thinking in terms of the placement of services and delivery areas , which are extensive components of any retail development , especially one of this size .” In response , a services passage ensures easy access to multiple service areas , while design elements along the façade enhance the aesthetic and mask potentially unattractive aspects of service areas .
The area experienced 150ml of rainfall between March and April 2020 which caused massive
64 Mall of Thembisa