The site of the Maluti Crescent Mall, being constructed by Concor Buildings, is at the foot of Parliament Hill in the historical local legislative district of the old Qwa Qwa homeland in the Eastern Free State.

Designed by MDS Architecture and being developed by Flanagan and Gerard for Vukile Property Fund, when finished this impressive structure will incorporate references to local culture through fabrics and tiling patterns. Interior accents such as stylised mobiles which draw inspiration from mokorotlos, the traditional Basotho hat, will be included in the mall.

Martin Muller, contracts manager at Concor Buildings, says this fast track project started in January 2018 and will be completed in March next year.

The scope of work comprises the significant extension of the existing Setsing Crescent Mall in Phuthaditjaba. The new mall, which will have 12 600 m2 of GLA (Gross Lettable Area) plus additional under cover parking and a taxi rank added, will be named Maluti Crescent. It is being built over three levels including two parking levels with the retail level at the top. The new structure will be linked into the existing centre which will be operational throughout the contract period.

“This obviously provides challenges of its own with a focused approach to public interface management,” Martin says. “Ongoing communication will keep the public informed about construction activities and ensure optimum safety of all stakeholders.”

Situated some 350 km from Johannesburg means that careful management of logistics is critical to ensure costs are controlled, and materials and resources are available on site when required by the construction programme.

It is also significant to note that as part of Concor Buildings ongoing commitment to transformation the company is achieving a 70% local content objective. “With the assistance of the community liaison officer we have secured labour and materials from surrounding communities and are providing mentorship to ensure the future sustainability of the SMMEs in the area. In addition to this, skills development among our people remains a strong focus,” Martin says.

The existing building steps down along the site which has a significant fall of around nine metres. At the junction of the new and existing building a new double volume court with a large picture frame window will be created. This will showcase the panoramic views of the magnificent Maluti mountains.