Expansion & Development The available area for expansion was restricted by both the parking requirements and the placement of the existing building on the site . Expansion possibilities were limited to :
• the redevelopment of the existing lower ground floor delivery and storage areas
• the extension of the first floor ( lower first floor )
• the creation of a new first floor ( upper first floor ) over the existing ground floor retail areas along the eastern quadrant of the existing development . This resulted in the demolition of a large portion of the ground floor ( particularly in the area of the old Fountain court ) to create the new Cavendish Court . It also meant the introduction of concrete columns on a 10 x 10m grid , supporting lightweight steel roofs for the creation of a new concrete floor above the lightweight roofs . This proved to be quite an engineering feat as all these structural upgrades had to occur while the anchor tenants remained fully operational .
With some re-construction , additional retail areas were created on the ground floor by expanding Woolworths and Edgars as well as adding some retail space on the southern side . At the inception of the scheme , the Hyperama , Hyperama line shops and the western link mall were to remain unchanged . During the last 10 months of construction this changed and the Hyperama was refurbished by the tenant . The Old Mutual Development Team reorganised the western link mall and refurbished the external façades to the Hyperama box , in keeping with the rest of the scheme .
Facilities Provided The existing complex was thus changed from a two-level retail centre into a four-level centre , namely :
• lower ground
• ground
• lower first
• upper first floor levels
The completed project has 3 primary spaces running in an east / west direction , namely :
• the Celestial Hall
• the Aviary Hall
• the Cavendish Court
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