Ephraim Keoreng
22 August 2008
Gaborone — Gaborone Main Mall will undergo a multi-million Pula 'facelift' to improve its aesthetic beauty, accessibility and user-friendliness.
It is expected that the project will cost P18 million. RPM, the site development company tasked with the project design has already submitted its preliminary report to the Gaborone City Council (GCC). RPM managing director, Richard Arthey, said yesterday that the design elements will include entrances and parking space, soft landscaping and water features, three main squares and promenade walkway between squares among other things. The soft landscaping will be designed inside raised planters to direct pedestrian circulation, create visual links and uniformity in the Main Mall.
"The main thoroughfare from the entrance intersects the existing buildings and links the three squares - Mmatlakgwana, Mmelegikoma and Art Square (Mmualebe). "The squares will be used to set up stalls for special craft events and markets. The epicenter of the project is the Mmatlakgwana Square. This will be an assembly point where people gather at a raised platform," he said.
Arthey added that the design is intended to capture Botswana's cultures, norms and aspirations. Towards this end, a new national monument symbolising the future would be developed such that when people look at the existing Pula Arch they will be looking at the past. The new arch will symbolise the future. "We will consider the use of quality traditional colours and textures and use them in a modern way. The use of modern materials such as glass, steel and concrete in elements of the mall including sculptures will also be considered," he said.
He said that proverbs of Botswana would be displayed in Setswana and English. There will be displays of footprints of Botswana's wild animals labelled in English and Setswana.
Amphitheatres will be provided for cultural activities in the main squares. Activities like music, drama, dance, traditional games will take place at the squares. After a survey of the Main Mall by RPM engineer, Arthey said they realised that most of the streetlights will not be working or might prove difficult to maintain in the next five years. The RPM design is such that there will be only a few floodlights to cover the northern and southern parts of the mall. This is to ensure that the number of streetlights are reduced.
He said that they have chosen artistic lighting so that people can be attracted in going to the mall. The project will cater for everyone including the usually marginalised hawkers and the disabled.
GCC engineer, Komal Chandra Jain said they have a legal responsibility to have emergency facilities, especially fire-fighting ones. The paving, therefore has to be strong enough to accommodate the weight of fire engines.
He advised the company to use locally available goods and materials, especially for maintenance. "This is vital to ensure that we would be able to carry out maintenance of the mall after you (RPM) are done, otherwise ,if it is something we have no expertise or knowledge of handling, the mall will just be a costly beauty," he said.
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