Lighting in Design Q4 2018

Bright colours have been incorporated into glass entrance lobbies to reference the colourful regional artwork and fabrics endemic to the area. Lighting at the entrances draws visitors into the building. “Wind lobbies coming off each entrance have coloured vinyl, creating a lingering glow in the evening. During the day, colour glows into the mall are created by sunlight surrounding the entrances,” explains McGillivray. “It was critical to illuminate the external lighting to the five entrances properly so as to create an iconic night time beacon and make a feature of the entrances, highlighting the baobab tree and lantern concepts to the wind lobbies,” he says. Uplighting and downlighting have been used to highlight the entrances and entrance features, while starscape lighting has been used at the en- trance ceilings. The wind lobbies to each entrance are lit up at night to create a lantern effect with the different colours of glass used. The exterior finish of the building is a combination of painted bagging in earthy tones and face brick in terracotta and beige satin. “Given the high humidity and rainfall in the area, maintenance was a consider- ation in the selection of finishes,” says McGillivray. Interior spaces The mall’s interior features double volume spaces. McGillivray says, “Openings have been created in the floors to allow the abstract trees to push through to the upper level from below.” There was a conscious effort to create as much natural light as possible, which was achieved by the inclusion of high level clerestory windows. The building is completely illuminated by the natu- ral light from these windows during the day and complemented by accent lighting. “Internal mall

lighting was consciously kept to a minimum dur- ing the day,” says McGillivray. A common thread of recessed cove lighting and ceiling bulkhead lighting was used to tie the upper and lower levels mall together. The feature courts within the mall are where zones were created and each court has a specific theme and lighting to suit. A pixelated leaf floor pattern incorporated into the floor of the mall creates the illusion that the ‘trees’ have shed their leaves. The colour palette is a timeless black and white combination, which adds a contemporary feel to the shopping centre. It is infused with earthy blues, browns and greens while vibrant splashes of or- ange, yellow, blue and red uplift the monochromatic scheme through mall furniture. The three main circulation courts are double volume and bathed in natural light from clerestory windows wrapping around the high level perimeter and each of the courts has its own aesthetic theme. The Edgars court references the earthly ter- racotta via an eye-catching light feature made of terracotta pots turned upside down. TheWoolworths court has a custom-made light fitting constructed with Consol jars by Optique Lighting Design, while the central court – the main feature court for promotions – has tube light fittings to give it scale. The central court also includes a glazed feature lift. Mall facilities An interesting aspect of Thavhani Mall is that it doesn’t include a dedicated food court. Instead, focused food offerings are clustered around the entrances. “The upper level at entrance four is where visitors will find fast food outlets while

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LiD Q4 - 2018