The Workshop Revamp – Durban
05/03/2021 | Bentel Associates International
Retail architecture has changed drastically in the last decade due to the rise of online shopping, the digital age, and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic. For the retailers that still remain, we’ve seen that tenants have needed to change displays and interaction in their physical spaces to make it more of an attraction where shopping now needs to be an unforgettable experience for the consumer.
There has been a need from property developers to change the face of traditional malls by adding amenities, services and new users. This is so to broaden consumer needs, and many of these retail spaces have been developed into mixed-use developments so to meet the shift in consumer demands.
Retail Architecture has been a core offering of the practice for over 60 years, and even in these challenging times for the retail sector Bentel continues to have a variety of projects that it delivers. In the last year we have completed significant upgrades to the La Lucia Mall in Durban as well as the Lakeside Mall in Benoni. We have also embarked on an extensive redevelopment of the Bushbuckridge Shopping Centre in Mpumalanga and have work commencing at Kyalami Corner Shopping Centre. This is alongside ongoing developments at a number of our existing mall projects, from Nelson Mandela Square and Greenstone Mall, to Clearwater and Cradlestone Malls on the West Rand and projects as far afield as Liberty Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg.
La Lucia, Durban Lakeside Mall, Benoni
Our retail works have been strong candidates for redevelopment and repositioning where opportunities have been presented to serve the needs of surrounding communities and introduce new uses to the property. This would be so with The Workshop in Durban as it entailed the conversion of an existing railway workshop into a special retail centre comprising over 1230 small shops. Our Architects and partner Interior Designers sought to enhance, compliment and reinforce the existing Victorian scale of the Workshop.
Another example of redevelopment that will serve the needs of its community is with our current project Bushbuckridge Shopping Centre where the intention of the work is to strengthen the centres position as a central node that supports retail activity, business operations on both a private and public platform as well as transport connectivity.
The existing centre of approximately 18 800sqm is undergoing a complete revitalization of leasing providing a much improved environment for both the tenants to trade and shoppers to enjoy a pleasurable retail experience that services their needs. An additional 5 000sqm of GLA will include a new Pick n Pay supermarket and liquor store of 2 500sqm, Sheet Street, Identity and Style to name a few.
Our concepts and innovations are designed with an eye on the future whilst making sure that they serve the purpose of the current demands and consumer experiences.
About Bentel Associates International
Bentel is a leading African and Indian-based design firm which has a dedicated and focussed service offering in the design and execution of hotels and resorts, be they branded or unbranded. Over the past years, Bentel has been fortunate to work with numerous distinguished brands and operators such as Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels Group, Radisson Hotel Group, Tsogo Sun and Sun International.
Since the firm’s inception in Johannesburg in 1960, Bentel has grown to offer integrated design solutions, across multiple sectors, comprising retail, office, residential and hospitality projects. Bentel’s projects are renowned not only for their design and sense of place, but also for their commercial value and success for our Clients.