Boardwalk Mall bags top design honours

Built in a partnership between property developer Flanagan & Gerard and Sun International subsidiary Emfuleni Resorts, the stunning Boardwalk Mall in Summerstrand, Gqeberha, has earned industry recognition with its 2023 Retail Design and Development Awards triumph.

Established by the South African Council of Shopping Centres, the annual awards aim to recognise exceptional design, economic success, innovation and environmental consciousness of shopping centres within the South African property industry.

Social and shopping heart

Paul Gerard, MD of Flanagan & Gerard, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Sun International for the development and thankful for the exceptional professional team that supported us throughout the project, especially our long-standing partner MDS Architecture, which once again delivered a superb design. With this development, the Boardwalk Precinct has transformed into a leading entertainment centre offering top-notch shopping experiences with an unmatched beachfront location. It has created a vibrant new social and shopping heart for Gqeberha.”

Boardwalk Mall edged Olivedale Corner in Gauteng and the 3 Arts Village development in Western Cape in the hotly contested category. The judges noted the degree of difficulty in achieving such a successful transformation and creating a comprehensive retail mix and a world-class shopping destination marked by modern, bright flexible spaces.

Pierre Lahaye, Partner at MDS Architecture, said: “Our design is cognisant of integrating into the existing architecture and creating a streetscape that has developed over time. There are several pedestrian access points to the building and to the rest of the new offerings which serve to integrate the precinct into the urban landscape. It is quite something to be able to step out onto the beautiful beachfront promenade directly from the shopping centre.”

Birthday celebration

The win comes almost a year to the day after it first opened doors, enthralling Gqeberha residents with its mix of shopping and entertainment and forming part of the fabled Boardwalk precinct, which also includes the ever-popular Boardwalk casino, five-star hotel and international-standard conferencing facilities.

The 24 000m² Boardwalk Mall, developed at a cost of R500 million, features 92 retail stores, including anchor tenants; Checkers, Woolworths Food, Dis-Chem, Pick n Pay, and Clicks, and more than 1 000 public parking bays, a dedicated taxi drop-off zone and a palm-lined beach-side front entrance. It also has significant entertainment appeal with a state-of-the-art Nu Metro cineplex and a 2 500m² multi-functional open-air Sun Park events arena.