Tshwane Regional Mall sits on a long, narrow site, between a railway line and an electrical servitude. City of Tshwane required that the estimated 1400 taxis and over 600 informal traders operating on the land needed to be accommodated within the new development. That, and its location at Denneboom train station, makes the development more than just a 53 000m² GLA shopping mall, it is a transport node for an estimated 200 000 daily commuters.
Lightweight expanded metal and ETICS feature walls highlight the four entrances externally. The bronze, curved metal walls appear to hover over the entrance canopies, changing with the sun throughout the day. Internal courts bring in natural light and emphasize space and volume as a counterpoint to the long malls. A very thin, roof structure ‘floats’ above clerestory strip windows, achieved by using diagonal steel spars and ‘tree branches’ on concrete columns. The client’s mall logo colours were symbolic of the area, the people, and the transport modes, and this vibrant palette was used to define the different courts. The logo itself was used as a repeated motif throughout the building.
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