Construction World June 2018

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

NewMagistrates Court brings communities together

The building, together with a public library and others still to be built, will provide these communities with a central civic complex called the New Horizons Precinct. Since October 2015, specialists in large- scale construction, GVK-Siya Zama, have communities of Plettenberg Bay, Kwanokuthula and New Horizons together kicked off with the construction of the Plettenberg Bay Magistrates Court, which is now nearing completion. The first phase of an urban renewal project designed to bring the

colourful and easy to clean surface within challenging car park environments that will subject the finish to a variety of demands. Deckshield ID has been specially formu- lated to withstand heavy multi-flow traffic, automotive oils and greases, tight turning cars and the inherent scuffs, scrapes and abuse that floors in car parks will inevitably be subjected to on a daily basis. The parking bays and main thorough- fares were applied in a sleek, light grey colour with crisp white line marking used to mark out the routes, signage and bays. Flowcrete South Africa also had to supply the coating in custom colours to mark out specific parts of the floor area. The project’s architect specified a bright orange floor to clearly display the drop off zone near the centre’s doors. Bright blue flooring was also used to differentiate the priority parking bays for disabled visitors and young families. Deckshield ID was ideal for these tasks, as it could be installed in been busy bringing architect, Barry Kok’s vision to life. The Principle Architect at and Owner of B2 Architects, says that the building – a concrete-framed, four storey structure enveloped by a glazed curtain wall – turns its back on the N2 highway and faces the com- munity it serves, with its large, multi-volume entrance portal inviting them in. He shares that the only brief given to him by the Department of Justice and Correc- tional Services, in terms of the building’s aesthetic, was that they wanted it to be a ‘contemporary expression’. “I spent some time on a beach down in Plett where I saw rocks with cracks and fissures and went and reinterpreted that in the façade of the building through the criss-crossed beams covering the building’s exterior.” This contemporary façade hides a very complex internal layout that accommodates four criminal courts, two regional courts, two civil courts, as well as a family and children’s court, along with a public parking basement, staff parking, 17 detainee cells and magis- trate offices. Regarding GVK-Siya Zama’s execution of his vision, Kok says: “Their attitude has been one of accommodation, understanding and trying to bring forward the vision that I originally had, as opposed to cutting corners

or imparting their own ideas on the design. They asked a lot of questions to understand what my vision was so they could interpret it correctly. I have just taken my kids to see the building and it was fantastic being able to show them the final product.” He adds: “I believe that the client is quite taken with the building and the Bitou Munic- ipal Council has been very complimentary, with them saying that it is an asset to the urban fabric. I am overwhelmed by the response.” Ricci Davidoff, who served as the Princi- pal Agent on the project, shares: “The Plett Magistrates Court is a beautiful building and I think that it will become a landmark in the area. It is not your average court house – it has a touch of class and is an exquisitely Manager, Jaco Kotze, says that the general feedback has been extremely positive and all parties seem impressed and excited for the building to become operational. “The 312 labourers from the local community who were employed on the project since commencement, together with local contrac- tors and suppliers, can be extremely proud of the parts they all played in the successful delivery of the project.”  put together piece of architecture.” GVK-Siya Zama Senior Contracts the desired colours and thanks to its robust nature it will maintain its aesthetics for an extended period of time. Colour plays an important role in a car park, as it has to both impress and provide important safety information. The visual impact is critical, as the car park is often the first part of a facility that a visitor will see and is therefore where they will form their first impression. Seamless, unblem- ished floors in contemporary colours are a great way to create a welcoming and pleasant environment. The floor also needs to be able to direct drivers and pedestrians around the site safe- ly, pointing out directions and also highlight- ing potential hazards. Even though most visitors may not appreciate the importance of it, they will often be looking down at the floor for the clues they need to find the bays, entrance, exit, stairs, etc. However, if the floor is dirty and in a poor state of repair this will be noticed. Thanks to Flowcrete South Africa’s high performance, customisable car park deck coating solution, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre was provided with an attractive finish that lived up to the location’s demand- ing standards. 

Specialist car park deck coating systems The award-winning Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, located in Tshwane, has under‐ gone a large-scale refurbishment project in order to become the biggest facility of its kind in Africa. Due to this development, the multi-level centre now covers over 177 000 m 2 and is able to provide a wider selection of prestigious fashion brands, dining options, entertainment and leisure experiences than ever before.

To handle the significant increase in visitors and footfall that this project would create, it was important to expand and improve the site’s car parking facilities. The upgrad- ed shopping centre now has 16 parking entrances, 12 parking exits and a huge 8 250 parking bays. For the new parking facility, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre installed 2 200 m 2 of Flow- crete Africa’s solvent free, polyurethane car park deck coating system Deckshield ID in the new parking area. This system has been tailored specifically to provide a long-lasting,

26

CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2018 JUNE 2018