DEVELOPERS The evolution of Canal Walk into a social destination was central to the vision of Martin Wragge , who said that the challenge in designing environments like this centre lay in the fact that other than for basics , people don ’ t need to shop . The shopping experience has to deliver something more ; a leisure experience that has to become theatre ! The long canal , with the theme park at one end and the wetland at the other , bordered by the shopping centre with more than 450 shops , will offer the visitor a great deal more variety than has been on offer prior to this development .
The Entertainment Centre with its massive multimedia entertainment and promotions court , houses 20 cinemas , fast food outlets and restaurants and features a stage and food court leading to the piazza outside . Dennis Maas of Monex Design described the design challenge of creating the centre as “ punishing ,” yet both he and Jan Loubser of Bentel Abramson and Partners , felt it was a privilege to work on a project of this magnitude .
Emphasis has been placed on the accessibility and convenience for shoppers . Century Boulevard , the internal ring road , distributes vehicular traffic to three levels of parking , with direct access off the N1 freeway . Motorists travelling north will be able to drive off the freeway into the parking lot without stopping at a single traffic light or stop street .
As previously stated , the ethic of the entire Century City development is to offer the visitor , office worker and other inhabitants and tenants a total experience . The prime objective of a working , leisure and shopping environment with no need to leave Century City other than to head off home .
Examples of one of the many escalators installed in Canal Walk
30 Canal Walk