SALT FOOD MARKET
SALT FOOD MARKET
FOOD COURT
The previously underutilised space on the ground floor of The Box was revitalised with the introduction of a 200-seater food and beverage market that provides 11 ‘pods’ that offered ‘plug-and-play’ opportunities for culinary entrepreneurs and startups (an important SME development initiative in the wake of the pandemic). Each pod provides cost-effective rental space with everything a market trader might need to prepare and serve meals. Traders include a coffee shop, bar and convenience meals. The double-volume space was given welcoming proportions with a suspended ceiling feature with lighting fixtures and hanging gardens, establishing a sense of human scale without breaking the double-volume space. An industrial aesthetic with bold colour accents – including a large-scale mural by artist Ashwin Petersen – is complemented with timber accents for texture and warmth. A 4x2m television screen broadcasts sporting events. An architectural and landscaping intervention extends the space onto the sidewalk. This structured external area includes a steel pavilion, landscaping, street furniture, contemporary signage and playfully designed cycling bays. It brings down the scale of the building at the pedestrian level, reactivating the street and reengaging the local population as it invites people from the outside in and allows events to spill out onto the sidewalk.
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Size: 366m²
Completion Year: 2022
Sector: Retail