In May 2015, Baywest Mall, the largest shopping centre to exist in the Eastern Cape, was opened. The 90 000 square metre mall was cleverly designed with both customer convenience and environmental responsibility in mind. Allsorted was lucky enough to provide some of the elements that make up this fantastic mall. We take a closer look at this innovative project.
The shopping centre is located in the Baywest City precinct in Port Elizabeth. It houses 250 restaurants and stores- including international brands such as Tom Tailor and Timberland and has already proved to be popular among local residents and tourists. We believe the innovative design might have a lot to do with this, too. The square-shaped layout of the mall was designed to minimise walking distance for visitors moving between the shops.
DHK Architects were the masterminds behind the free-flowing design. Larger stores such as Woolworths, Edgars, Mr Price, Cotton On, Truworths, Foschini, Jet, and Ackerman’s encase the smaller stores in the middle on the top floor and Game, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, and Checkers corner off the mall on the ground floor creating a good flow of customer traffic. The architects have also carefully considered the ease of access for disabled customers. Beside the ramps and toilet considerations, they also made sure that all areas including the food courts were accessible and useable for wheelchair customers.
Green design was another factor included in the design of this mall. The building has been designed to harvest and utilise rainwater. Solar panels have been installed to reduce electricity costs. The actual design of the mall ensures that natural lighting reaches most areas reducing the need for artificial lighting. Prismatic diffusers are used to ensure even distribution of light. The building is also designed to ensure maximum airflow throughout, which reduces the need for air conditioning and, therefore, cuts electricity usage.
The mall’s outdoor areas are just as well designed. The parking is easily accessed and within close walking distance of the building itself. Allsorted Gabion lighting towers have been used in both the parking as well as the mall entrances. They are attractive features that serve the purpose of decoration and functional lighting at night. The rock-filled towers make use of rustic looking rock and have plants planted inside them. Allsorted Gabion bins have also been used around the exterior to match the Gabion benches.
Overall, this is a modern and innovative South African shopping mall and we are excited to have our products showcased within.
