Interface : activating a transitional space between private retail interiors and exterior public streets in Robert Sobukwe Street Sunnyside

Abstract

Many of the buildings along Robert Sobukwe Street have been renovated in an effort to regenerate the area, including the Sunny Park Mall. These renovations have improved the general perception of the street but not the overall accessibility to the interior spaces behind the facades. The building facades are a barrier between exterior and interior spaces with little integration. A decline in the pedestrian activity of the retail street stores has occurred due to these renovations in other areas. Consideration towards pedestrian users has shifted from the public street to the design for private interiors. Through the understanding of user behaviour, an intervention strategy can be formed to align social needs with the spatial needs of both the public and private users to inform a design which satisfies both. This intervention utilises the principles of way finding, activities and thresholds to build an interface linking the two environments based on the private needs for occupation and public need for interaction. It provides a strategy to incorporate exterior spaces into a design and not limit the field to the space between the walls of existing buildings. To extend the space and create a transition dedicated to engaging the needs of both users is beneficial to the development and sustainability of this context.