The design of Gateway is unique in the world in that essentially it takes a major shopping and entertainment centre and becomes the heart of an entire new town .
This “ eversion ” or turning the inside out , is all about making people-spaces that recreate the urban qualities of traditional town centres that we most admire ; the European market square , tree lined boulevards , pavement cafes , the sound of water and magnificent fountains with people interacting and socialising on a 24hr basis .
Dealing with the Motor Car Research has proven that foremost in shoppers minds , in selecting a destination for shopping , is the ease and comfort of parking on arrival . At Gateway , access to the site is dispersed over five major entrances feeding different sections . The bulk of the over 7,000 car spaces is stacked into four-storey parking structures that are freestanding and which have been designed to be more than just layered structures but are buildings of quality in their own right . Avoiding the traditional approach of parking directly over the building on roof tops has the advantage of , firstly , feeding customers into upper levels directly , as well as enabling the main body of the building to enjoy a richly designed roofscape , comprising feature conical roof lights defining the knuckles or junctions of the mall , barrel vaults and sweeping curved major roof forms .
The garage structures add to the sense of safety by being open , well-lit and with open view elevators and staircases providing visibility inside and out .
Shopping is Entertainment People visit shopping centres primarily to enjoy the experience and develop a habit or pattern of behaviour of repeat visits . This pattern resulting , in due course , in purchases being made by what has become effectively a captive market , ensuring that the centre becomes the first choice to satisfy all consumer requirements .
Whilst shopping is a major form of entertainment and recognising that the centre is primarily for shopping , entertainment has been woven into the layout of Gateway in a comprehensive manner blurring the boundaries between pure shopping and entertainment .
During the 70 ’ s major American mall developments sought to integrate theme parks into the shopping environment in order to bring additional attractions to attract shoppers as well as to extend the period of the shopping visit . The global trend in what is now known as “ shoppertainment ” has become more focused on integrating entertainment at various points throughout the centre within specifically themed zones that cluster similar categories of retail together . This approach creates additional anchors to the traditional department store or major discount store anchors .
72 Gateway