Client Pareto Limited Architect Afritects Project Value Current estimated cost to client is R28 million Project Status The project is expected to go out for Tender End of September 2009 Construction Start Date January 2009, subject to confirmation

Project Rationale

The Cresta Internal Upgrade project was mainly inspired by the need to create a trendy contemporary mall to replace the current dated look that now dominates the mall. Apart from being just a facelift exercise, the project will also address a few current technical concerns in the mall and will go a long way in simplifying how shoppers navigate the mall.

The project scope will include replacing of current floor finishes and wall tiles with carefully chosen modern porcelain tiles. To complement the glazed floor finish the architects worked with a fair amount of stainless steel and glass to create a clinical yet warm feel to the interiors. Stainless steel is neatly packaged across the mall on columns and walls where it is applied as bump rails. These are coupled together with light wooden cladding panels on the existing columns to create a tactile feel on the columns. The column cladding, which will be mostly curved and circular, is intentionally used to create soft and warm human scale to the mall. The new furniture in the mall will follow the same theme with a play between dark and light wood. A stainless steel strip stringing from the bench to the floor the column and floor junctions creates a strong synergy that consolidates the interior design.

The architects working together with relevant specialists have managed to come up with a new signage design for the whole mall. This exercise was meant to improve the sense of orientations in the mall, and order between the signage in the older sections and the newer sections of the mall. Latest technologies in mall orientation and navigation will be implemented as part of the signage revamp exercise. Though the Cresta Internal upgrade project is meant to only focus on the mall interior, the signage exercise will see all mall entrances renumbered systematically to improve on the current system.

The Cresta Internal Upgrade Project is expected to take place almost at the same time as the Cresta Gardens project.