RETAIL LEVEL 2 RETAIL LEVEL 3
Cradock Atrium : Drama at Rosebank ’ s Point of Confluence The new Cradock Atrium is a dramatic departure from the unremarkable entrance and darkness of the previous Cradock Court , which had seemingly gotten lost as the busy junction that it is . “ Cradock Atrium is now the point of confluence of access into the Rosebank precinct via pedestrian and other shopping routes . We therefore designed a multilevel open space with vertical transparency from both inside and outside the building ,” says Pat .
The massive glass and steel façade is broken up by bright yellow-coloured accent glazing to emphasise the morning sunlight that now streams into the area .
Cradock Avenue has been re-emphasised as a pedestrian thoroughfare and permeability improved by adding access off Cradock Avenue into Woolworths , Europa and a newly relocated African Craft Market . “ We demolished the old African craft market as well as the old rotunda entrance as these blocked the vistas up and down Cradock Avenue from the new Standard Bank building towards Tyrwhitt Avenue ,” explains Brett Chrystal , the project architect from MDS Architecture .
The original visibility down Cradock Avenue has been reinstated and the axes have been reinforced by planting and other visual cues such as new paving and a covered walkway linking into the new atrium and the new Woolworths store .
Pat says that permeability will be taken even further in future phases , currently under discussion . “ We are designing future phases for additional retail and other accommodation as well as attending
parking . A key tenet of the design for these future phases is improved relationships between the shops and the street , in line with the urban fabric of the Rosebank area ,” he explains .
Interior The interior finishes are clean , understated and fresh . The end result belies the planning and logistical requirements of achieving a contemporary , light and airy mall .
Natural light was introduced through the addition of nine light wells throughout the mall – these were a feat on their own . “ We couldn ’ t use skylights in a building covered with multi-level parking , so we designed towers of light which extend all the way up through the parking to allow natural light to enter the mall ,” explains Brett . “ This required cutting through the existing structure and disrupting the parking flow , but it was worthwhile to ensure that the previously dark mall would be awash with natural light .”
The light colour palette reflected in porcelain tiles with inlays form a neutral backdrop for raised ceilings in the mall , including raised shop front heights . The ceiling design was developed to tier upwards and includes elegant curves to emphasise the arc of the mall and maintain flow around the bends .
“ There are no dead ends , which gives great exposure to all the tenants in Rosebank Mall , as shoppers are enticed to explore further along the mall to take advantage of the full retail offering . After all , this is why people enter a shopping centre in the first place ,” comments Pat .
Rosebank Mall 447