create seamless vertical connections between the basement parking and retail levels, linking parking areas directly to the doors of anchor tenants Woolworths, Pick‘ n Pay, Checkers and Shoprite. In many regional centres, the journey from car park to shop remains an afterthought, often involving dimly lit stairwells or slow lifts. Here, the design team has elevated this transition into part of the shopping experience itself.
The escalators don’ t simply move people between levels; they signal a more sophisticated approach to retail design that acknowledges the entire customer journey from arrival to departure. The new mezzanine level, now home to service-based tenants, works in tandem with these escalators, creating a series of connected spaces that encourage circulation and discovery.
Creating an Urban Square from Automotive Space Perhaps the most dramatic transformation involves a former car showroom that has been converted into what the architects describe as a lifestyle area. Lahaye says:“ This intervention speaks to a broader shift in retail architecture, where dining and entertainment increasingly anchor shopping destinations.”
The new space features contemporary restaurants with external covered seating areas, wrapped in carefully considered landscaping. These additions strengthen the mall’ s relationship with the adjacent casino and hotel. What were once separate buildings operating in isolation are being woven into a cohesive precinct.
“ This area has been designed as an urban square environment, offering a variety of entertainment options and seamless connections to the hotel and casino, all supported by safe and secure parking. This investment is not only about what shoppers can enjoy today, but what they can expect from their mall in the future. Mall of Mthatha is here to stay and to grow with Mthatha,” says Paul Gerard, Managing Director of Flanagan & Gerard.
“ The urban square concept was ambitious for Mthatha, yet the design demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can create gathering places that extend beyond pure retail function,” explains Lahaye.
Owner-operated restaurants bring an independent character to complement national chains like Spur, Newscafé and Mugg & Bean, while the
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