Shopping Centre at Century City

Canal WalkShopping Centreat Century City

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

M

Client and LeasingMonex Development Company (Pty) Ltd

FinanciersStandard Bank Properties

Project ManagersSIP Project Managers (Pty) Ltd

ArchitectsBentel Abramson & Partners (Pty) Ltd(shopping centre, offices & malls)

Monex Design (entertainment centre)

Quantity SurveyorsMcIntosh Latilla Carrier & Laing

Consulting EngineersStructural & CivilPartnership de Villiers

MechanicalPearce & Nair

ElectricalPMR Engineering Services

Rational Fire DesignPMR Engineering Services

RoadsVKE Engineers

Lead Transport ConsultantsArup (Pty) Ltd

Transport ConsultantsJeffares & GreenArcus

TrafficBKS (preliminary work)

Town PlannersPlanning Partners

Landscape ArchitectsOVP

Land SurveyorsDavid Hellig Abrahamse Le Brun

EarthworksPower Construction

Main ContractorMurray & Roberts Cape (Pty) Ltd

Photography

Geoff Grundlingh

Brian Chitty (aerial)

Louise Farrow

PROJECTS

Canal Walk ShoppingCentre, Century CityThe largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere recentlyopened to enormous crowds. This regional shopping centre conceptaims to make a trip to a mall an all day experience.

38 ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000 CANAL WALK

Century City, as a suitable site fordevelopment. The land had been set asidefor low cost housing, but he visualised itas a premier node for offices. This areawas envisaged as the first true office parkenvironment to be created in the WesternCape, which would incorporate a workenvironment encompassing al l therequirements a safe and pleasant officecould achieve - security, easy access froma major freeway, access to shops andplenty of parking space. As a result of thisvision, many corporate head offices havenow located their headquarters in theCentury City precinct.

Historically, shopping centres havebeen the catalyst for huge buildingprojects; they have spawned off icedevelopments such as the Tygervalley

Shopping Centre, which led to Tygerpark,the Velodrome and the surroundingbusiness areas. Sandton ShoppingCentre, in the northern suburbs of greaterJohannesburg, and many others, havehad a similar effect on the proliferation ofdevelopment in the surrounding areas andon the environment.

Located off the N1 Freeway, centrallysituated between Durbanville and the CBDof Cape Town, approximately sevenminutes from either side, with directaccess off the freeway, the site has themost accessible location in South Africa.

The fact that this is a regional storeenvironment, rather than a neighbourhoodshopping centre, has resulted in theconcentration of a whole shoppingexperience, instead of the rapid arrival,shopping and departure, that is the usualtarget experience of the shopping centredevotee.

a r t i n Wr a g g e , o f M o n e xDevelopment Company, identifiedthe swampland, now known as


EXTERNAL ARCHITECTUREShopping centres in the present dayenvironment are usually vast boxes - inwardlooking and unwieldy - which require a greatdeal of manipulation to maintain interest inthe mammoth space used. The architectshave had to attribute a human scale toeverything they plan, in order to reduce theenormous expanse to manageableproportions, both visually and practically.

Cana l Wa lk has been des ignedsymmetrically, balancing the line shops andthe anchor or ‘magnet’ tenants. Two 8 storeyoffice towers fix the axis of the centre whichhas been designed in the form of a figure ofeight to reduce the scale of the complex.

The neo-classical entrance arches canassist in the understanding of the ‘insidefrom the outside’ as well as aiding orientation.

INTERNAL PLANNINGAs previously stated, the mall has beendesigned in a race track configuration ofa figure of eight, with a double levelthroughout and large openings betweenthe upper and lower leve ls . Th isconfiguration gives an extremely compactfootprint to the complex, despite the sizeof the building, and the large openingsemphasise the allowances made for

responsible architects, they had done agreat deal of research, both nationally andinternationally, into shopping centres. BentelAbramson & Partners found that centresdesigned in the ‘architecture of the day’may date, whereas complexes designed ina style based on a major architecturalperiod, in the neo-classical style in thisinstance, may weather and requirerefurbishment and repainting but notredesigning, restoration and redecorating.The major magnets in the country are usedas the basic cornerstones and anchorstores for the centre, taking into accountthe size and location of the stores.

CONSTRUCTIONThe client’s brief with regard to the designand construction of the complex requireda neo-classical approach, in keeping withthe style already associated with otherdeve lopments in Century Ci ty. As

Top Left: Typical entrance from car parkinto the shopping mall

Centre: Lower level entrance with officegazebo above

Top Right: Bridge detail - precastbalustrading and piers consistentlyappear throughout the scheme.

ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000 41CANAL WALK

abundant natural light. On section it ispossible to see the shops on the differentlevels and the signage enables one toachieve this aim without being cut off fromthe level on which one is walking.

By using the anchor stores as magnets,the line shops are able to attract passingpedestrian traffic, as the distances betweenthe magnets saw to it that all the line shopswere relatively close to one of the keyanchor stores. The flow generated by thislayout ensures that all the tenants will beable to attract pedestrian trade. Magnetstores naturally demand key positions,

Centre: Facade looking out onto HalfMoon Bay

Top: Two office nodes taken from theupper level parking deck


sight lines and access to parking areas,which demand was met by the architects.Due to the size of the project it was decidedto opt for two themes for the malls, namely,The Victorian Mall and The Classical Mall.The decision to opt for these two stylesonce again assists in breaking down thesize of the complex.

The Classical Mall contains cofferceilings, brass and stainless steel handrails,marble floors with mosaics and water jetcut patterns and murals in raised andfielded panels. The theme of the murals is‘Art of the World’ and incorporates artscenes of the Renaissance, picturesqueand local works by artist Keith Alexander.

The Victorian theme results in a muchmore colourful mall, utilising turn of thecentury rai lway structural steelwork,porcelain tiles with borders and cast steelbenches. Several African artists’ workshave been used in the panels in thebulkheads and banners above the malls.The directory boards are made of caststeel with rivets and distinctive roof shapes.

To ensure equal strength for the twomain malls, there are link malls, which havetheir own themes. At the east end of themall is the children's mall, called the PuzzlePad, which uses the Ratanga Junctioncharacters, such as the snake, to continuethe theme started there. Lego, lollipops andbright colours form the focal point of thelink between the two malls. At the westernend, ‘a high fashion’ link employing an artdeco theme, utilises stainless steel, darktimber and an abstract design employingartists such as Tamara Delempicke.

At various node points the customercan walk through large shops, withshopping on either side. This occurs on

the other levels of the mall as well. Thelinks on the lower level are heavily themed.One link is the African themed ‘Afri Bizarre’,where Ndebele paintings, wire art, rockand sandstone sculptures and artefactsare available. This section was developedto encourage smaller tenants, who couldstart with a kiosk and grow into somethinglarger.

The eastern end has the Skywalk Mall,where the Star Wars concept has beengiven free rein, and high tech elementscomb ine w i th Moroccan ‘ souk ’architecture. Floors in concrete combinestar astrological patterns, space maps andfossils with the Moroccan theme.

Above: Various mall details. Decorativeentrance to the Afri Bizarre link, PuzzlePad and Ratanga Snake balustradedetail.

Right: Art Deco balustrade in theFashion node.

Far Right: Highly articulated friezes andcolumns. Brass, glass and stainlesssteel balustrading in the classical mall.

CANAL WALK ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000 45

THE ENTERTAINMENT ZONE ANDPROMOTIONS COURTThe Entertainment Zone falls in the centreof a large atrium, flanked on either side byNu-Metro cinema complexes and fast foodoutlets. It spills out onto the Half Moon Bayarea of the canal. There are large videoscreens and booms where cameras canreflect what is happening in and around thecentre. A company, Near Entertainment,has been developed in order to furnish thecentre with an ongoing theatre concept. Achoreographed ser ies of shots ofhappenings around the centre will appearto the viewer as spontaneous occurrences.The decor consists of an eclectic mix ofspace ships in the West Piazza.

A striking feature in the EntertainentZone is the Marmoleum floor, which hasbeen laid in and around the food hall. Theamount of traffic in the area required adurable and hard wearing surface, whichmade the choice of Marmoleum ideal.Made up of various intricate designs, thisfloor is the largest Marmoleum aqua jetinstallation in the world.

The Promotions Court has a VenetianSmalto Murano glass mosaic, which is thelargest in the southern hemisphere (thearea can also be flooded). The 600m2 courthad to meet extremely high technicalrequirements as it wil l be used as asubmersed water feature and a high trafficfloor for promotional purposes.

Produced in Italy under exclusivelicence, the product is manufactured with24 carat gold powder which gives thespecial highlight iridium mosaic a beautifuliridescent effect under light. The artworkand design was developed by DennisMaas, of Monex Design, and the artisticrealisation including design layout, was

Left: The entertainment zone featuresthe largest Marmoleum aqua jetinstallation in the world.


carried out by Carmen West. The geckos,star and eye panels were hand cut, chipby chip in the Italian factory, according tothe design and then delivered to SouthAfrica, where the panels were put togetheron site. The sun rays were also created onsite and grouted with a special goldglimmer grout, which was developed forthe installation.

The Classical Mall has unique marblemosaic panels as a feature decoration anda special highlight on all 24 bridges whichare elegantly framed with columns andarches. The mosaic has a special glimmereffect due to the handmade uneven

surfaces which give a striking contrasteffect between the marble tiles.

The Victorian Mall has highly decorativemosaic centre panels on the bridges,created using a combination of waterjetcutting and marble mosaic inlays below.

For those visitors to the complex whorequire a peaceful, sophisticated andcalming area for fine dining, a portion ofthe mall, the West Piazza, has been setaside as a crescent shaped area called ThePavilion. It is grassed and has a waterfrontage, which enables the creation of anoutside dining experience as well as spacefor small chamber groups or intimate bands.

Top Right: Graphic representation ofthe Venetian hand cut Murano glassmosaics in the Promotions Court.

Below: Exterior facade features in theHalf Moon Bay area.


CANALSThe Grand Canal links Ratanga Junction, tothe west, to the Island and its wetlands tothe east. Bridge elements link up and allowfor future co-existence between the officepopulation and the shopping centre. A smallExpress Holiday Inn is taking shape to thewest and will add to the users of the canaland the centre, as small restaurant andoffice nodes develop along the embankmentin planned future development. All users willbe able to traverse the canal by means ofelectric boats that will ply the waters.

MTN SCIENCENTREOn the west upper level of the mall lies theMTN ScienCentre, the first interactivescience centre in the country.

The ScienCentre adds an educationaldimension to the entertainment mix offeredby the Canal Walk. School groups and otherstudents will be able to make use of thefacilities. In order to assist and stimulateuse of the centre, facilities for buses havebeen made available.

FACILITIESThe building is a highly sophisticatedcomplex, contro l led by a bui ld ingmanagement system where all facilities are

controlled by computer. The fire systems,temperature and security are all computercontro l led, wi th mul t ip le camerasmonitoring the whole centre.

Shopping centres such as Canal Walkhave supported industries, providing art innew materials. In this instance, for example,the cupolas are actually manufactured anddesigned out of polystyrene coated

The mountain horseman stands guardalongside the canal and one of severalbridge links.


material. The artists were supported in thedevelopment of various sculptures, themepaintings, wrought iron steel works, plastermouldings and many other related items.

Another example is the demisingcolumns. These decorative columnsseparate the various shops and have amoulded Corinthian capitol which lookslike stone but is cast in Jesmonite.

Shopfronts were designed to allow fordifferent styles and effects. A range ofmaterials allows for and encourages variety.3.6m high shopfronts (higher than thestandard) were designed to enhancevisibility.

The complex was built of post-tensionedconcrete in order to be cost-effective, butthis resulted in the necessity for co-ordinated ‘guesswork’ about the futureneeds of tenants, almost all of which,fortunately, proved correct.

This page: Bench in Classical Mall.

Opposite page

Right: Detail of balustrading in theVictorian Mall

Centre: Classical Mall balustrading withplanter in the foreground.

Far right: Decorative panel detailing inthe Victorian Mall


CANAL WALK52 ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000

PARKING DECKThe entrance into Century City from theN1 Freeway gives direct access, via a ringroad system inside the site, which is usedas a distributor to the parking decks. Theparking decks are constructed of post-tensioned concrete, with cores allowingfor ramping and servicing of the entirecomplex. Parking (on both the upper andlower levels, with a mezzanine level as well)has been designed to make access to themalls an easy task for the visitor. The ringroad is ramped in order to allow visitors toenter the parking deck at different levelswithout having to change levels internally.

The parking has been situated on theone side of the shopping centre in orderto permit access into the shoppingcomplex from the canal without thedisturbance of a parking garage breakingaccess. The whole area has been providedwith lifts, trolley ramps, and staircases.Signage in the area has been broken intozones, which vary in colour. Animal icons,such as crabs, have also been used to aidin the identification of visitor whereabouts.

QUANTITY SURVEYORS’ VIEWA long association with Monex and a wealthof experience in the financial managementof ‘Super Projects’ were the maincontributing factors to the appointment ofMcIntosh Latilla Carrier & Laing (MLC) asthe quantity surveyors for the R1.6 billionShopping Centre.

The success of a project of themagnitude of Canal Walk depends almostentirely on the abi l i ty of the cl ient,consultants and contractors to worktogether as a team, communicate efficientlyand create the synergy required ‘to go theextra mile’. MLC have been involved with

Top Left: Dome at node over VictorianMall, with moveable gantries

Top right: Precast moulded detailing onparking deck

Below: Dome at Classical Mall nodewith feature flying buttresses takingmass to the deck.

CANAL WALK ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000 53

Canal Walk since 1995 and, as one of thef i rst appointed professionals, wereinstrumental in assist ing Monex toassemble the right team of consultants.

Once the team was in place, theplanning and design stage started in early1997, and over the following two yearsno less than 11 schemes, each withnumerous options, were developed,costed and tested for their financial viabilityuntil the optimum development solutionwas reached.

With the finance secured in March 1998,MLC’s next challenge was to select theright contractors and subcontractors forthe job. This was achieved through aprocess of tendering or negotiating,depending on the nature of the works, andeventually some 220 contracts wereplaced, totalling R900 million.

The financial management of such alarge number of contracts requiredsubstantial manpower, and to this end,two MLC directors together with a teamof 11 quantity surveyors and support staffwere dedicated to the task. A satellite officewas also established on site, from whichday to day site activities were monitored.

Over and above the monthly detailedcost report / viability update tabled to theclient and financiers, the fast track natureof the job, together with the continuingdesign development, also necessitated aweekly budget update report, whichprovided the client with the informationneeded in order to make informed decisions.

MLC’s other major task was the financialmanagement of some 520 tenants andtheir associated fit-out requirements. Thisinvolved setting up the tenant manuals,preparing budgets for specific tenantrequ i rements , adv i s i ng on l easeagreements, calculating leasing fees,costing all tenant variations and finallycalculating each individual tenant rentablearea, together with agreeing the tenantaccounts. The monthly cost report alsocontained a leasing schedule, whichprovided up to date information on thegross rentable area, leasing status,projected income, operating expenses andfirst year’s return.

Canal Walk was an exhilarating project,a major challenge and a monumental teameffort for MLC. They felt privileged to havecontributed to this challenging project.

Above: Dome at outer node, adjacent toone of the office suites with 8 storeyoffice blocks in the background


DEVELOPERSThe evolution of Canal Walk into a socialdestination was central to the vision ofMartin Wragge, who said that the challengein designing environments like this centrelay in the fact that other than for basics,people don’t need to shop. The shoppingexperience has to deliver something more;a leisure experience that has to becometheatre! The long canal, with the themepark at one end and the wetland at theother, bordered by the shopping centrewith more than 450 shops, will offer thevisitor a great deal more variety than hasbeen on offer prior to this development.

The Entertainment Centre with itsmassive multimedia entertainment andpromotions court, houses 20 cinemas, fastfood outlets and restaurants and featuresa stage and food court leading to thepiazza outside. Dennis Maas of Monex

Design described the design challenge ofcreating the centre as “punishing,” yet bothhe and Jan Loubser of Bentel Abramsonand Partners, felt it was a privilege to workon a project of this magnitude.

Emphasis has been placed on theaccessibility and convenience for shoppers.Century Boulevard, the internal ring road,distributes vehicular traffic to three levelsof parking, with direct access off the N1freeway. Motorists travelling north will beable to drive off the freeway into the parkinglot without stopping at a single traffic lightor stop street.

As previously stated, the ethic of theentire Century City development is to offerthe visitor, office worker and other inhabitantsand tenants a total experience. The primeobjective of a working, leisure and shoppingenvironment with no need to leave CenturyCity other than to head off home.

Liz Muller Design was responsible formany of the retail interiors at CanalWalk, such as Treehouse featuredabove. The company is the onlyspecialist retail design company in thecountry offering a complete turnkeyservice. Headed up by Liz Muller, whohas many years of retail designexperience, the company has won anumber of international retail designawards. Up to date on all the currentfashion and design trends, Liz Muller iscontinuously exploring new ideas andvisual concepts.

Examples of one of the many escalatorsinstalled in Canal Walk.


BACKGROUNDThe Canal Walk Shopping Centre is themain feature of Century City, which is alarge mixed use project currently beingdeveloped on a 200 hectare site within theCape metropolitan area. While muchattention has focused on the shoppingcentre, the project as a whole is interestingfrom a town planning and developmentalperspective. Century City was conceivedby Monex in 1995 and is notable, not onlyin terms of its scale, but also for its strategiclocation, as well as the varied andintegrated range of activities and innovativeapproach to development planning control.

The site is particularly well located,adjacent to the N1 freeway, which is themain approach road into Cape Town fromthe north. It enjoys direct access from the

freeway at several points and has thepotential for railway services to its boundary.The boldness of vision has surprised many,but what is remarkable is the rapid progresswhich has been achieved since the propertywas rezoned, and the environmentalengineering which has transformed thewetland. Initial controversy and probablemisunderstanding about the project, onwhat was originally a seriously handicappedsite, has now resulted in a successfulwet land us ing recycled water andsupporting a wide range of plant and birdlife. Not only is the wetland environmentallyattractive but it also forms an integral partof the storm water management system. Itenhances the real estate value of the siteand increases the amenities for residentsand visitors alike.

While credit for the rapid pace ofdevelopment is due to the developer, ithas been assisted, in no small measure,by the supportive and pro-active role ofBlaauwberg Municipality, the local authorityresponsible for the area. Their supportincluded acceptance of a flexible develop-ment management system, based in parton the “package of plans” approach usedat the Waterfront, but refined by PlanningPartners to suit the particular needs ofCentury City. This system provides thedeveloper with the scope and flexibility torespond to market forces and emergingreal estate possibilities, including a floatingbulk which is assigned to individual landunits as they become avai lable fordevelopment. At the same time, the systemprovides the local authority with sufficientchecks and balances to manage thedevelopment process in the public interest.

TOWN PLANNING BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF CENTURY CITYby Geoff Underwood, Planning Partners

Aerial view looking towards the westover the parking decks, with Table Bayin the background.


PLANNING PRINCIPLESA central feature of the site is the urbanwater body or grand canal, around whichis located the regional shopping centre(Canal Walk). The shopping centre isextensively covered elsewhere in thisarticle, but it is worth noting the size, designdetai l and mix between reta i l andentertainment, which contribute to thesuccess of the project. From this centrethere are linkages over the canal to thenorth bank, for which a combination ofoffice, retail and residential developmentis planned. A secondary canal system willextend into the north bank precinct,accessing streets in the form of a modifiedgrid which will help to structure the site.The vision here is for an urban precinct ofreasonably high bulk but containingbuildings that respond to the principles of“new urbanism”, with emphasis on thepedestrian and public realm.

The canal provides an attractive settingand focus for this development; bringingwater and human interest into the precinct.An integral part of the system is a wetlandwhich comprises two elements. This is apermanent water body containing islandsand surrounded by a buffer of terrestrialvegetation. This is specifically designed toencourage birds and reduce humaninterference, although controlled groupsmay enter this area for environmentaleducation purposes. This part of thewetland system has been established toassist with water purif ication and to

increase the range of natural habitatsavailable. Separated from the permanentwater body by a r idge of relat ivelyimpermeable stiff sand and clay, is aseasonal or ephemeral pan, where everyeffort is made to protect the naturalecosystem. This requires that urban stormwater must be diverted away from the panand human activity must be minimised.

Offices and studio apartments arelocated around the edge of the wetland,with access from an internal ring road andorientation over the wetland, thus providingan attractive natural outlook. At the groundfloor level are planned restaurants andspeciality shops to serve the needs of theoffices and residents in this precinct.Pedestrian access is encouraged along awalkway next to the canal.

On the western side of the site is anentertainment complex and theme parkknown as Ratanga Junction. The conceptis to provide a new form of familyentertainment that is big and exciting,providing emphasis on rides and familythrills. The park includes musical revues,tubular steel rol ler coasters, wateradventures and special attractions foryoung children.

An office park is at an advanced stageof construction alongside the N1. Officebuildings are grouped in landscapedsurroundings with a local canal windingthrough the precinct. The character ofarchi tecture contains neo-classicalfeatures, and the urban design intends to

Above: Preliminary details produced bythe architects of mall floor mosaics.


CONCLUSIONFuture challenges remain at Century City,which are being addressed, but requireongoing work. These include the provisionand management of public transport andbalancing urbanism with sustainableenvironmental management. In the field oftransportation, a sophisticated impactassessment and modelling exercise hasbeen comple ted, w i th innovat i vearrangements for joint public private sectorfunding to install transport infrastructure.It will be a fine day when the rail authoritiesconstruct a rai lway stat ion on the

Graphic Laminates were commissionedto produce a stained glass effect on thesteel and glass smoke screens in theCanal Walk shopping centre. They werechosen for their ability to deliver aproduct with solid blacks and moreintense, vibrant colours.Four basic designs were required, eachin two colour variations. Each designprinted to actual size in 1.35 metresections to create the final display - 8metres high by 10 metres wide. Thefinished graphics were supplied on-site.The project was printed on GraphicLaminates' Arizona Digital Press using3M Graphic Marking Film, with solventbased inks to achieve the desiredstained glass effect.

This Page: Examples of standing andhanging mall signage

Far Right: Impressive entrance to theSkywalk link

Derek Saul: Unique sculpture, paintingand creative design for the buildingindustry as well as theming of theSkywalk link entrance. Specialist indirect carving, sculptural and structuralmetal work.

combine built form, human activity andcanal system to produce an interestingand attractive environment. The challengeis to mesh these principles with theambitions of individual developers who aremore interested in making a statement ontheir own site than in responding to thepublic realm. This is a real problem oftenfaced by urban designers and requires abalance between commercial pragmatismand enforcement of design principle.

The planning vision anticipates thatresidential units wil l be interspersedthroughout the site in the form of studioand loft apartments, flats and grouphouses. In this way, Century City will remaina vibrant place after business hours. Theinitial market response to this residentialcomponent has taken t ime to gainmomentum, although several developmentprojects in the pipeline include an upperlevel of residential apartments. Hopefully,over time the attractions of the site andthe convenience of living close to all theamenities of Century City, will promptdevelopers and buyers to invest in theresidential sector as well as in the businesssector.

designated site, but in the meantime publictransport will rely on buses and taxis. Aninternal shuttle bus system is alreadyoperational and a central terminal has beenconstructed for buses and taxi services.Combining urban places and naturalsystems will remain a challenge, but isimportant for true sustainability. Higherdensity mixed use development is soughtin Century City; around the multi-purposewetland, alongside the more intimate localcanals, and overlooking urban squares andlandscaped spaces. It is in these spaceswhere urban greening will help to achievethe balance that is needed.

The aim is to develop Century City intoa place that is lively, safe, rich to thesenses, ful l of choices, ecological lysustainable and economically viable. It willbe a vibrant place to live, shop, do businessand have fun. While the achievements todate have been impressive, there is muchstill to be done to complete the vision.Hopefully the positive co-operation andpartnership that has emerged betweenMonex and Blaauwberg Municipality willcontinue with the new unicity local authority.Certainly Century City should not beregarded as unwelcome competition tothe CBD or Waterfront, but rather ascomplementary, helping to increase theeconomic base of the region withconcomitant increases in jobs, salaries andtourists, and providing the citizens of CapeTown with a greater range of choice andopportunity.

Geoff Underwood is a director with thecompany, Planning Partners, which offersa professional service in the field of townplanning and landscape architecture. Geoffhas been involved with the Century Cityproject since its inception in 1995, andcontinues to give planning advice to Monexand Blaauwberg Municipality in order tobalance the interests of both the developerand the general public.

CANAL WALK60 ARCHITECT & BUILDER November/December 2000

TRAFFIC STUDYArup was the lead consultant on thepreparation of a traffic impact study forCentury City, completed in September1999, which laid the groundwork for CanalWalk transportation planning. Because ofthe unprecedented scale of Canal Walkand Century City as a whole, originalresearch had to be undertaken todetermine how many trips would begenerated by the development, where theywould come from and how they would bemade. Through comparison with otherdevelopments in South Afr ica andoverseas, extensive simulation modelling

and workshops with local planningauthorities, the team was able to establishan understanding of the transportationrequirements of Canal Walk, and itsinteraction with the rest of Century Cityand the broader metropolitan area.

The ove rv i ew o f t he reg iona ltransportation planning exercise providedinsight and planning tools that could beapplied to detailed arrangements for CanalWalk, such as ramp and intersectionconfigurations and the high-capacityfacilities. This led to improvements thathave been planned for the internal andexternal transportation systems, includingthe steel bridge that now provides directaccess from the N1 into the Canal Walkparking areas. This bridge was designedby Arup to meet Monex’s requirements fora structure that would be in keeping withthe development’s high standards ofarchitectural detail.

The planning process also revealed thatit would be necessary to provide atransportation system that would providea high level of integration between variousmodes of travel. Planning for access,circulation and parking had to balance theaccommodation of cars with the needs ofcommuters and visitors that will travel toCanal Walk by train, bus and taxi.Consequently, even those who do travelby car will discover an internal movementsystem that allows them to make the mostof what Century City has to offer bytravel l ing by canal, boat, train andpedestrian systems that link Canal Walkwith other attractions of the development.

Above: Precast decorative architecturalmouldings carrying the Century Citylogo appear consistently throughout theproject.

Opposite: Canal Walk viewed from thebridge viaducts. Filigree element ofbridge obelisk also visible.


HVAC REPORTThe air conditioning system comprises oneof the largest central chilled water plants.Four large centrifugal chillers 3,500 kw(R)each and three smal l screw chi l lers1,250 kW(R) each, make up to 17,750 kW(R)installed cooling capacity. 140 air handlingunits mounted in plantrooms serve thevarious areas. The major tenants, nationalsand restaurants have constant volume airhandling systems. The lineshops havevariable air volume systems. The malls,with their extensive rooflights, are fully airconditioned off the lineshops plants. Theroo f l i gh t g laz ing was tho rough lyinvestigated with a professional team toarrive at the most suitable and costeffective selection. The air conditioningsystem is computer controlled by one ofthe largest systems installed to date in thein the country.

ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC,RATIONAL FIRE DESIGNENGINEERING SERVICES DESIGNRESPONSIBILITIES AT CANAL WALKPMR Engineering services were responsiblefor the design and supervision of theelectrical, electronic, fire-safety systemsand vertical transportation in the CanalWalk shopping centre.

The total electricity consumed by thecentre is equivalent to that of a small townof 2000 households. The system uses 26main transformers, and innovative designhas ensured a very economical electricalinfrastructure. The external lighting andmall lighting are seamlessly integrated withthe architecture, adding drama to the grandscale and rich detailing of the building. Theentertainment area is an important node

in the centre and boasts one of the mostsophisticated lighting control systems inthe country. It employs intelligent lightingand stage effects usually found only inmajor entertainment venues. A centralisedcomputer controlled metering system witha secure web page enables users toinspect their current and past electricity,gas and water consumption at the click ofa mouse. Stand-by power ensures that thelife-safety systems and major tenantsfunction flawlessly during a power failure.

The fire safety system designed by PMRensures the safety of the centre in theevent of a fire and includes the followingfeatures:• pressurisation of escape routes;• smoke ventilation from the mall areas

using smoke detector controlled panelswhich open in the roof lights;

• powered ventilation of smoke from thelarger shops;

• automatic closing of fire doors to escaperoutes which are protected against theeffects of fire for two hours;

• automatic shut-off of the gas pipe workwithin the building in the event of a fire;

• the automatic shutting down of airconditioning in the event of a fire toprevent the spread of smoke and fire;

• automated evacuation messages;• the homing of lifts to the ground floor in

the event of a fire;• automatic selection of CCTV cameras

in the main control room for the easyviewing of a potential fire situation;

• the automatic summoning of the firebrigade

• an automatic sprinkler system andgenerous provision of fire hose reels,extinguishers and fire hydrants.

Above Left: Airconditioning spiralducting forms a feature in theentertainment zone.

Above Right: Unique fire hydrantsignage using animal character.


CONCLUSIONThe intense pressure of working on a fasttrack project of this magnitude has causedmany problems and sleepless nights forthe professionals, contractors and myriadof sub-contractors, artists and othersemployed on the project.

However, the first impressions of thegiant complex are favourable. Wide malls,ample parking and a seemingly neverending variety of shops and restaurantsavailable to the visitor, should add to theopening success as other offices andnodes develop in the area.

The fire safety system is controlled bysophisticated fire control computers whichadhere to rigorous safety standards andallow the fire safety officer to view detailedmaps of the centre showing all of thesystems and devices described above.

The parking control system designedby PMR comprises 42 entry and exitbooms, and 23 pay-on-foot stations whichare continually monitored from a centralcontrol room by means of video cameras.Each device has an intercom connectionto the parking control room for theconvenience of the public.

The closed circuit television systemdesigned by PMR includes more than 140cameras, state of the art continuous digitalrecording, and a sophisticated controlroom with several ergonomically designedmonitoring systems that are manned 24hours per day.

The vertical transportation systemcomprises 50 lifts and 34 escalators,ensuring easy vertical movement for thepublic as well as for goods arriving and forrefuse leaving the centre.

Left and Above: Classical Mall andaccompanying detail of elegant lightfittings.

Right: Demising column that separatesthe shop fronts, with its decorativeJesmonite corinthian capitol andaccompanying light fitting.


Leasable area of Retail122,000m2

Leasable area of Offices91,000m2

Parking bays provided(direct parking)7,530

Parking bays(additional access)4,000

Length of shopfronts provided 4,6 km

Area of malls18,000m2

Number of shops460

Number of Lifts41

Number of Escalators26

Number of staircases74

Plantrooms120

Waterproofed and paved areason the roof61,000m2

Damp proof coursing installed28 kilometres

Waterproofing membranes125,000m2

Reinforced concrete utilised120,000m2

Bricks used12 million

Pavers used3,5 million

Suspended post-tensioneddecks220,000m2

Grand Canal water surface area37,000m2

Tower cranes used to pourconcrete decks10

Project Information

Selected sub-contractors150

Direct sub-contractors40

Contract period30 months

Project valueR1,6 billion

Should you misplace the insertplans of Canal Walk in this issue,contact us to order a back copy.

Subject to availability we keepstock for 10 years.

Art of Plaster at Canal WalkPlaster Art is run by Eddie Quayle, the fourth member of his family to pursue the

craft. He assists clients with design and development, and they are encouraged to

visit the workshop to view samples of enrichments. Many of these are based on age-

old traditional mouldings from old European buildings.

Plaster Art employs its own labour force, which is essential in any industry which

is labour intensive. The staff emanate from previously disadvantaged communities

and are trained and developed in-house. Through this training totally unskilled

initiates have developed and acquired remarkable skill and ability to use their own

initiative, and in some instances exhibiting evidence of great artistic talent.

Plaster Art is also moving into the rainwater disposal field, as they now use polignite

(Jesmanite) material for manufacture. The material is entirely malleable and waterproof,

making it ideally suited to a wide variety of applications.

These distinctive moulded planters were custom-made to add tothe ambience of the Classical Mall at Canal Walk

Specialists in manufacturing of:• Wide variety of custom designed mouldings• themed articles (such as the

Ratanga Junction snakes)

• planters• architectural mouldings• 3D signs

Colourful snakes are a fun addition to theKiddies Mall, Canal Walk

7 Jellicoe Avenue, Epping 1 • Tel: 531 3609

E-mail: [email protected]

3D signage and masks form an impressive entrance to theAfri Bizarre at Canal Walk, Century City


abe Construction ChemicalsSuppliers of a complete range of

construction products, including

Index Waterproofing systems;

Fosroc products and Dow Corning

silicone sealants

Albert CarpetsFloor covering specialists,

supplying a wide range of local

and imported carpeting and floor

tiles

Arup (Pty) LtdConsulting Engineers

Bentel Abramson & PartnersArchitecture, interior & graphic

design

BobcreteSpecialist precast concrete slab

and stair manufacturers.

BPB GypsumManufacturer and marketer of

gypsum based plasters, ceiling

and interior partitioning systems

Advertisers On This Project

Cobra WatertechManufacturers of the largestrange of water control fittings inthe country

CP MetalsManufacturers of metal parts,custom designed balustrading,metal spinning and polishing.Epoxy powder coating

CPCSpecialist installers of ceilings,bulkheads and partitions

Coroma DoorsManufacturers of industrial,commercial and domestic garageand automated doors.

Crammix BricksManufacturers of a range of claybricks and pavers

Daikin AirconditionersSpecialist airconditioningmanufacturers and suppliers

ElectrosonicArchitectural lighting specialists.Suppliers of award winning MartinProfessional-Living Light

Electrical Reticulation Co. (ERC)Electrical engineering contractors

Frost InternationalContractors supplying manual andautomatic revolving doors, slidingdoor operators, acoustic operablewalls and fire doors

Geoff GrundlinghPhotography

GP KoningWaterproofing, roofing and lightweight screed specialists

Grandi ManufacturingEngineering services andmanufacturers of metal parts,custom designed balustrading,metal spinning and polishing.Epoxy powder coating.

Graphic LaminatesPrint and laminate digital graphicsonto various substrates. Windows,walls (murals), ceilings floorgraphics to fit any specified size

ImprovairAir-conditioning and refrigerationmanufacturers

K T WSpecialists in architectural andstructural precast concrete

L B H PrecastArchitectural precast specialists

Marley South AfricaManufacturer and distributor ofboth semi and fully flexible vinylfloor tiles, sheeting, cushionflooring carpeting, marmoleumand specialised flooring products.

MasoniteManufacturers of Soundstopacoustic ceiling products

McIntosh Latilla Carrier & LaingQuantity surveyors andconstruction consultants

Murray & Roberts (Cape) LtdMain contractor

Partnership de VilliersConsulting structural and civilengineers

PPCLargest manufacturer of Portlandcement in the country.

Pas Classic Steel SASuppliers of wrought ironcomponents, ranging fromfencing, balustrading and grillesto furniture, chandeliers andcandlesticks

Pearce & NairConsulting mechanical engineers

Planning PartnersTown planners, landscape andenvironmental consultants

Plaster ArtSpecialist manufacturers ofcustom designed architecturalmouldings, planters and 3D signs

RadflexManufacturers of expansion joints

Shower ConceptsManufacturers and suppliers ofwide range of shower doors

Snapper Display CompanySuppliers of counter-top,freestanding, collapsible,exhibition and suspended displayunits and light boxes

Southern AirconditioningSpecialist airconditioning andrefrigeration contractors

Standard Bank PropertiesProperty Finance, AdvisoryServices, Joint Ventures

StonCor AfricaSuppliers of Bituthenewaterproofing products

World of WindowsManufacture, supply, installationand glazing of custom designedaluminium and timber shopfrontsincluding roller shutters

Documents

Shopping Centre at Century City