Best of the Best in SA Shopping Centres revealed
At the recent South African Council of Shopping Centre’s (SACSC) Retail Development and Design Awards (RDDA), Newcastle Mall won the Spectrum Award for the best overall development in 2013.
SA's status in the rapidly evolving shopping mall design and development environment has been further underlined by a set of retail awards announced at the 17th Congress of the SACSC held in Sandton last month.
Sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, the RDDA recognise exceptional shopping centre design and economic successes of projects within the South African property industry.
They consider new shopping centres and the upgrade of existing centres, as well as the design of retail stores and restaurants.
At the recent South African Council of Shopping Centre’s (SACSC) Retail Development and Design Awards (RDDA), Newcastle Mall won the sought-after Spectrum Award for the best overall development in 2013.
Amanda Stops, CEO of SACSC, says: “Retail design is a science and an art. It is about more than shops, inviting stores and vast shopping centres. It’s a creative and commercial discipline that brings architecture, interior design, graphic design, ergonomics and advertising together in the design and construction of retail space.”
Besides taking top honours overall, Newcastle Mall also beat out finalists Nicolway Bryanston Shopping Centre and Platinum Square Shopping Centre in the shopping centres over 20,000sqm category. Zenprop Property Holdings developed Newcastle Mall and it is designed by Vivid Architects.
Blue Route Mall was victorious in the renovation and expansion category. Blue Route Mall is owned by Redefine Properties and designed by Louis Karol Architects. Finalists in this category also included Tygervalley Centre and Randburg Square.
Leading retail store aesthetics in South Africa, Superga Footwear in Sandton won the store design category. It is designed by Robyn Self of Plan-It Design for Michael Joseph. Other finalists considered in this class included the Polo Flagship Store in Sandton City and Factorie in Woodlands.
Doppio Zero (Pineslopes Shopping Centre) topped the category for best restaurant design. Finalists in the category included Piza e Vino Midrand (Carldsworld Décor Centre) and Koi Restaurant in (Lynnwood Bridge Shopping Centre). The restaurant was designed by Emma Spengler of Design Partnership for Miki Milovanovic and Paul Christie of Doppio Zero.
A panel of recognised and respected retail and property professionals judge the RDDA Awards. They are challenged to select the best-of-the-best from developments of the highest calibre in the South African retail property industry. In doing so, they consider the complete package: excellent design resolution, overall development objective, response to environment and market, innovative solutions and sustainability.
