ROOM WITHOUT A VIEW

Being unseasonably rainy over the last month, many of us in Johannesburg have resorted to watching movies and going to the mall. The mall is not my favourite destination. I loathe the sweating, breathing and shopping hordes. The only time I set foot into one of these places is to buy something I have difficulty buying elsewhere. Yet on this rainy day I find myself at the Telkom shop in Greenstone Mall. Greenstone Mall, located just opposite the new Greenstone development near Modderfontein, is a new mall. This mall is extremely popular with residents in the east of Johannesburg, for numerous reasons. The reasons however are all to flimsy to justify the lack of thinking and planning when this mall was initially designed.

Upon entering the mall I was faced with the most complicated parking system known to man. With ticket in hand I tried to enter the covered parking area. Whoever designed this parking garage was either a miniaturist or a humourist. It is unlikely that one can avoid the kerbs as the turns are so tight and so confusing.
To enter the mall from the parking area I had to ascend a ramp which encloses an outdoor lawned area. This area was completely inundated with junk food eating teenagers lounging on the lawns and children tumbling down the steep arena-like embankments. These people were braving the drizzle and grey skies to be outside and I wondered why? I soon discovered the reason.

I will not go into a long description of how similar this mall is to all other malls, well it is. Even though there are certain redeeming architectural elements at Greenstone Mall, they do little to push the envelope. So after hurriedly finding the Telkom shop and having a brief brouse, I ran for the parking lot.

Out on the road I finally realised how ashamed the designers of this mall should feel. There are spectacular views, in three directions, where this solid box of concrete now sits. There are no restaurants with balconies or shops with views in this mall, it feels like a casino ( and we all know how I feel about casino's). There is one public area open to the elements in this mall and it is the most frequently used, even when it is pouring with rain.
This is Africa and we have sunshine, expansive landscapes and endless horizons. I realized that avoiding the views of a power station and a dynamite factory probably affected the decision to enclose the space and create an upmarket ambience. But were the developers afraid that a chain store might suffer because a tiny peek of nature is too distracting.

Contextually this mall is as absurd as the developments surrounding it. This constant reassurance that the area is now vibrant and young, with new energy and market power, does little to squelch our insecurities. Where are the parks and playgrounds, the open entertainment venues ? Does the mall not consume this enormous void and create a false sense of validation for the entire development?

Well readers I am not going back to this mall in a hurry. It is a pity as many of my newly married friends live in the area and they coax me into drinking coffee at the mall sometimes. I remind them that the lack of glazing and fresh air will make me anti-social but they still believe that it's the de-caffinated coffee speaking.