Flagstaff Square
RURAL & SMALL TOWN DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Flagstaff , located in the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape , began its existence as a trading post and essentially still serves as a regional node for shopping . The opening of the double-level Flagstaff Square has provided a convenient , stylish experience to its community as well as shoppers from nearby districts who visit the area to buy bulk supplies .
The building includes both a covered open element and a closed mall design . A formal taxi rank in the parking is key to the mall ’ s function as a meeting place and transport node in the area .
Rural retail development specialists , McCormick Property Development , entered into a joint venture with locally-based Eyamampondo Properties . The design brief to the architects , MDS Architecture , was the creation of a unique , one-of-a-kind shopping experience that the local community could connect with .
Extensive infrastructure was needed to ensure the development ’ s success . The roads around the site have been upgraded and a 440 kVA grid tied PV rooftop system was installed to cater for power consumption . Given the lack of municipal water and sewerage to the site , self-sustaining solutions were required to support the development . Water is now provided to the site from two boreholes and an on-site plant deals with the building ’ s sewage .
Flagstaff Square is an 11,000m 2 double-level L-shaped building anchored by Shoprite and Clicks . The shopping centre boasts 43 stores and four ATMs with a strong focus on fashion . Banks and ATMs are an extremely important service in rural communities and people often have to travel great distances for banking .
An important design consideration for Flagstaff Square was to provide easy access to pedestrians for both the lower and upper levels of the centre . “ The site ’ s dimensional constraints and the natural fall provided a challenge to seamlessly tie the building to its context . The main level of the building faces the main street and is thus easily visible and accessible . We saw potential for an upper-level secondary entrance and created convenient access from the residential neighborhood located behind the shopping centre ,” said MDS Architecture ’ s Aki Savva .
The main-street entrance welcomes pedestrians via a bold entrance portal in the shape of a giant red flag . A similar , but understated solution was applied to the upper-level access .
The design intention for the aesthetic of the shopping centre was to ensure clean horizontal and vertical lines with emphasis placed on the entrances . This concept was also carried through to the colour palette ; the field elevation provides a neutral backdrop in white , grey and earthy brown tones which contrast with pops of colour at the entrances .
Natural light was an important design aspect at Flagstaff Square . The clerestory glass windows along the mall provide soft southern light , which helps to illuminate the space , and large voids in the first-floor mall slab allow for this natural light to penetrate to the mall level below . The mall on the upper level is visually linked by doublevolume spaces to the lower level . On the lower level , several shops facing the public realm are softened with covered walkways , creating a comfortable and inviting interface with pedestrians .
One of the most memorable aspects of Flagstaff Square is the eye-catching graffiti work throughout the centre . Three feature walls , designed and painted by local graffiti artists Sphesihle Langa and Mduduzi Dzabine , create attractive and inspiring spaces which are often used as selfie backdrops .
Developer : McCormick Property Development Project Manager : McCormick Property Development Architect : MDS Architecture Quantity Surveyor : Quanticost Quantity Surveyors Civil & Structural Engineer : Hannes Hatting Consulting Engineers Electrical Engineer : Ingplan Consulting Engineers Mechanical Engineer : Pretocon Fire Consultant : Pretocon Health & Safety Consultant : SafeTworx Main Contractor : Mike Buyskes Construction
SAPOA Awards 89