and is covered by an overhanging fretted glass canopy, providing filtered light and protection from the elements.
Pedestrian Square The existing cobbled paving was uneven and was difficult to walk on. The brief was to come up with a new, more practical paving option that still had an aged appearance, to blend in with the neo-classical design of the Square itself. A custom concrete paver was developed that looked weathered but yet met the requirements for a smooth, pedestrianfriendly finish. The paving laying directions differ to add interest and also incorporate the existing water feature, which was refurbished. The jets and lights are linked to a computer, allowing for a variety of water and colour displays.
CONTRACTOR’ S PERSPECTIVE The construction works were executed by the NMC Construction Group’ s building division, NMC. The NMC team’ s primary emphasis was to ensure that its operations in( and outside) of the public eye blended seamlessly into the luxurious surroundings of Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City.
In terms of the project programme, the most challenging aspect was not so much the workload, but rather the logistics of executing the project within a live retail environment. With the bulk of the works taking place in the heart of the malls boasting luxury international brands, the entire programme was structured around this consideration. Work in isolated areas took place in trading hours, with construction activities within a live mall environment executed after hours. This was achieved with advance planning between the NMC management team and client’ s project managers.
The role of‘ invisible contractor’ extended to careful thought being given to the placement of temporary hoarding, lighting and public safety communications and the maintenance of these elements.
With work taking place in and around a fully operational retail space, safety was a crucial facet to every aspect of the project. Each and every element of the project( from installing a light bulb to planting a tree in a planter) happened hand in hand with a method statement; analysed in detail by the project team before pushing the go-button.
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