Page 12 - Landscape SA 97

PROJECT

Project Team

• Developer: Moolman Group and
PHG Group
• Architect: MDS Architects
• Landscape Architects: Daniel Rebel
Landscape Architects (DRLA)
• Landscape Contractors: FSG
Landscaping
• Quantity Surveyor: NWS (Norval
Wentzel Steinberg)
• Engineers: L& S Consulting Engineers
• Electrical Engineers: RWP
• Main Contractor: Probest

Agapanthus and Strelitzia provide colour and soften the
vast expanses of parking
the mall’s own staff but prior to that, FSG
undertook six months post-completion
maintenance.
Sculpture

Johann Nortje was the artist who created a
giant sculpture at the mall’s main entrance
on Republic Road. It represents the leaves
of the Ladder Brake Fern (Pteris vittata),
following the mall’s logo and the fact that
it is situated in the suburb of Ferndale.

Nortje says the client originally wanted a
spherical shaped structure with organic
elements growing on it, but “being an
artist and not a pure metal fabricator, I
counter-suggested the fern leaves in a
spherical shape, as my concern was the The art piece is made of stainless steel, individually but on assembly, were bolted
level of precise work needed to make a with lazer cut leaves and hand-bent to the supporting spine on the pipes. Says
true sphere on that scale.” details. The 13 leaves were constructed Nortje: “Normally my lazer cut elements
make up a much smaller percentage of
the final sculpture, but with the size of this
piece, I felt that even the large, long leaves
would prove quite light and whispy on
scale.”

The four c-shaped pipes into which the
leaves are bolted were installed first, and
the leaves were dropped into their places
with a crane, individually bolted into place
and welded to secure them.

“To me, the sculpture represents a fresh
approach to fern imagery, a world of
green, a fern planet. It was by far the
most challenging sculpture I’ve done and
I’m really proud to have been part of this
whole experience,” he says.
Successful project

Laker believes the outcome speaks for itself
and that there was “a great team working
together.” Fohren says that the weekly site
meetings made the installation process go
Red brick paving with inlays in different colours and shapes. The walkway provides smoothly, and everyone involved was very
pedestrian access and a link from one end of the site to the other. professional. LSA

10 Landscape SA • Issue 97 2020