Public Transport and Infrastructure Over and above the investment in the road infrastructure around the mall , a further innovation in the design is the inclusion within the mall parking of a dedicated taxi rank for 80 taxis . With car wash facilities and bathrooms designed after consulting with the relevant taxi associations it brings consumers and commuters right into the mall with easy access up one escalator .
Lights and Colour The old Fourways Mall connects to Fourways View , combining these previously two separate offerings into one accessible shopping experience . A new feature link bridge between the Mall and the new multi-storey parkade is enclosed on the north side with coloured glass panels that create a playful and memorable experience and an easily recognisable ‘ landmark ’ wayfinding structure .
The use of natural light to increase user comfort within such a large interior space is managed by the use of skylights - the largest being the 22m x 18m skylight over the Promotions Court . The skylight was a worthy SAISC Steel Awards 2019 winner in the tubular steel category . The large exo-skeleton for this skylight was produced on the ground and then lifted into place .
Seating The care to bring the outside in was extended to the use of large pieces of shaped timber for the public seating throughout the mall . Offset by planting , these features are deliberate soft touches brought in to bring human scale to the expanse of the mall . “ Often shoppers have long distances to walk and providing natural pause areas allows people to regroup , refresh and then continue with their experience . This is often an overlooked component of improving the experience for the end user and something we believe quite strongly in when reviewing retail design ” says Malcolm Coulson .
Consistent Detail To retain the emphasis of light , transparency and volumetric design , the shop fronts in the main area of the 5-storey mall are designed as frameless glazing that start from 4.8m high and in some areas go up to 7,3m high . In lower parts of the retail outlets a smaller framed shop front was introduced to provide flexibility for smaller tenants and to create some variety .
Due to the size of the floor surface the architecture and interior architecture team , working to the client brief , were able to source a producer of tiles in Italy who could produce the high volume needed in the time and price range required .
CONCLUSION The new Fourways Mall has taken the South African retail experience to the next level , meeting the demand for destination shopping that offers more for the customer than the traditional shopping mall environment .
Fourways Mall 629