Major upgrades for ‘lifestyle’ mall in South Africa

Morning Glen Mall in Johannesburg’s Gallo Manor has seen a major upgrade.

The refurbishment of the Johannesburg North Mall was designed by MDS Architecture for SA Corporate Real Estate and completed in two phases.

The mall is located on the corner of Bowling and Kelvin Roads in the upmarket suburb of Gallo Manor, with easy access to public transport nodes.

With the mall at the top of a hill, it has expansive 360° views of Johannesburg North.

The first phase of the development was completed in 2017 to accommodate the Food Lovers Market’s move into the shopping centre and create retail space for hardware specialist Mica.

Food Lovers Market and the relocated MICA are anchor tenants on the eastern side of the building, catalysing further development.

The second phase of the project involved a reconfigured mall and a new entrance off a new parkade, new sports and recreation activities, an entertainment node with a viewing deck facing north and a new improved entrance and exits.

Two new elevators were also installed connecting the basement parking and padel courts to the new restaurants above.

MDS Architecture’s Pierre Lahaye said that the shopping centre has been repositioned to create a lifestyle destination.

The tenant mix and locations aim to increase traffic flow, while entrances have been reconfigured to make them more inviting to shoppers.

“From a design point of view, the centre’s fresh lease of life was achieved by eliminating any crossover between service and public entrances, reconfiguring the parking and ensuring better views to develop a contemporary shopping centre with energy and vibrancy,” said Lahaye.

A parking garage was added to provide ample convenient parking facilities for over 600 cars, in addition to improved lighting and convenience for shoppers who now have direct access to restaurants and lifestyle offerings.

With Mica’s moving location, the developers were able to secure Blueberry Beacon, a child-friendly restaurant with a play area and covered seating deck and South Africa’s indoor golf entertainment venue, Golden Tee.

These, along with the new padel courts and culinary market called Foodies Feast, have led to unique vibes on weekends.

“Crisp white translucent cladding and clean lines draw patrons in towards the two covered entrances at Morning Glen, which provide a sense of arrival and welcoming greenery.”

“The signature curve of the building at the entrance to Food Lovers Market is emphasised by the signage which wraps around the corner using individual letters in the name Morning Glen.”

Images of the mall can be found below:

Morning Glen’s latest refurbishment highlights the shift to lifestyle retail offerings, with several lifestyle centres opening in recent years.

Recently, the new Castle Gate Lifestyle opened on 30 May 2024, with flagship stores, including Kloppers, Mr Price Home, Foodlovers Market, and Weylandts.

The new 24,000 sqm lifestyle centre is across the road from the popular Castle Gate shopping centre.

The new lifestyle centre boasts a series of eco-friendly features, such as a solar farm, rainwater harvesting, and sustainability efforts featuring rustic industrial design and green spaces.

Castle Gate Lifestyle forms part of the new multi-billion-rand Castle Gate mixed-use precinct in Pretoria, developed by Atterbury.

The precinct is set to feature 115,000 m² of office space, up to 90,000 m² of residential space, and 20,000 m² of medical facilities once completed.

The large-scale mixed-use precinct development is expected to generate R6 billion in investment and create roughly 750 permanent jobs.

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