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Cedar Square
A different type of shopping experience
The Fourways node has become one of Gauteng’s most popular and high profile areas. In recent years, it has experienced significant residential and retail growth.
In a clear move away from the traditional, enclosed mall format, Cedar Square, at the corner of Witkoppen and Cedar Roads in Fourways, is ideally situated as a mixed-use centre with an emphasis on convenience and lifestyle.
It is necessary for successful retail design to connect with the community, its specific place and its specific needs. The Cedar Square development complement rather than compete with the existing retail and mixed-use facilities in the area. A non-traditional approach to the Square’s design and tenant mix effectively caters to the convenience and lifestyle needs of the local upmarket consumer.
Bentel Associates International (BAI), internationally recognised innovative retail design experts, was retained by the developers, Fourways Precinct (Pty) Ltd, to design this concept.
Work commenced on the project in March 2006 and the project has just been finalised.
The concept
The development complements the existing retail and mixed-use facilities in the area and it has been strategically positioned to specifically service a diverse but upmarket customer base.
With a strong focus on convenience and lifestyle elements, the Square’s anchor tenants are a 3 000m2 Pick ‘n Pay supermarket, a 1 000m2 Woolworth’s food store and a 6 500m2 new concept Mica hardware and gardening store. The carefully considered tenant mix satisfies shoppers on the move as well the shopper with time to relax and enjoy the shopping experience and lifestyle components. The leisure and entertainment component includes a Ster Kinekor Cinema Nouveau, restaurants, coffee shops and takeaway outlets.
The site
“The site provides excellent visibility, good access, and it’s very conveniently situated,” says Rob Bray, BAI architect and project director. The main design consideration was to create a complex that is sensitive towards the surrounding built environment, both in terms of its scale and the handling of its exterior façade.
The development took place on virgin land, which presented some challenges in terms of the design. The site is longitudinal and very steep with a strong fall from east to west. The combination of landscaping, predominantly inward facing shops and other building elements unify the development with its site and context.
The parking levels were cut into the existing contours and the heights were limited to form a non-imposing transition from Cedar Road / Fourways Mall and the residential node to the West.
Upgrade of access road infrastructure
In conjunction with the developers and road engineers, solutions that were responsive to the site limitations included significant upgrades of the access roads and intersections. To increase capacity and minimise disruption to existing traffic patterns, the surrounding intersections were enlarged and the peak hour carrying capacity doubled. A flyover into the Fourways Mall across the road and a flyover into Cedar Square facilitates an uninterrupted traffic flow from the west.
A ring road has been split at the traffic circle, providing two entrances to the Square. Access to outside convenience parking or covered parking from the east or west entrances respectively.
The design
The architect's challenge was to design a centre that strategically offer a different type of shopping experience while ensuring that convenience and accessibility could be transitioned into a social and relaxed atmosphere.
The spacious 33 234m2 centre was designed around a protected courtyard that has been extensively landscaped and includes several water features providing a general garden atmosphere.
Good articulation and the open garden creates a welcoming, informal and relaxed ambience. Shoppers are able to stroll through the well-planned landscaping which offer a relaxed and stress-free experience.
Earthy colours, naturally exposed concrete, tinted glass elements, and the substantial use of crosscut travertine, sandstone and other natural materials contribute to an informal shopping experience.
Shop fronts are external and are situated on landscaped protected walkways facing into the central courtyard thereby maximising the use of natural lighting. Outdoor sections of the coffee bars and restaurants have been designed to resemble patios. Protection provided by glass over timber lattice elements will create shade, rain protection as well as dappled sunlight effects.
Although Cedar Square is a three-storey outdoor mall, it is a ‘soft’ human-scale building with articulation of surfaces. The two retail levels and a third, incorporating service shops and offices, all face inwards with the exception of the takeaway component. “It is a building that is fragmented into a number of different elevational treatments, it avoids homogeneity and the design has incorporated smaller elements to create interest and it integrates well with the residential buildings to the west,” comments Bray. “Although it has a relaxed atmosphere the building is sophisticated and contemporary with state-of-the-art finishes.”
An excellent and functional building
“Our design philosophy has been to carefully control the environment in order to try and reduce the impact of the architecture and enhance the impact of the tenants merchandise and signage,” says Bray. “The structural elements, the materials and the colours are understated. We have made a consistent and focused attempt to prevent the architecture from becoming dominant and the shops have been carefully designed to enhance their frontages and merchandise.”
The architects have placed great emphasis on a strong working knowledge of the needs of each tenant to ensure that the combination of retail outlets creates a good tenant mix that can successfully operate together to fulfil the needs of local consumers.
With their customary expertise as regards the intricate combination of the developers’ vision and goals, tenants needs, the correct tenant mix, a diverse and sophisticated customer base, the lifestyle and aspirations of the community, a constant focus on short, medium and long-term value engineering and a commitment to excellent functional design, BAI has once again created an excellent functional building that successfully combines all these elements. Cedar Square is set to become an integral part of the Fourways community and provides a convenient and preferred retail and leisure environment.
For more information, please contact:
Rob Bray - Bentel Associates International
Tel: (011) 884 7111
Fax: (011) 884 7110
Web-site address: http://www.bentel.net |
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