Village Walk in Borrowdale is the newest, hippest shopping mall in Harare. Designed by South African-based, international architectural firm Boogertman and Partners, and developed by Terrace Africa and Mopani Properties, in conjunction with local retail giant TM Pick n Pay, it introduces a new concept in shopping for Zimbabweans – the strip mall. Anchored by Pick n Pay supermarket, shoppers can also enjoy a host of other great stores and services. There’s the drive-through Chicken Inn take away, and there are banks, an electronic specialist Solution Centre, interior décor and design shops like Linden Hope and TV Sales and Homes, The Outdoor Shop, print specialists PrintWorks, Art Attack for art supplies, sports shops Adidas and Mark Manolios, a pharmacy, a medical centre and an optician. To pamper yourself there’s Matsimela Home Spa, Veldemeers delicious chocolates and pastries and Gelato Crema for Italian ice cream and coffee.
But the star of the show is undoubtedly the fabulous new Café Nush situated just below the North tower. It’s the sister cafe of the iconic Cafe Nush in Avondale – the trendiest place for people watching and to see and be seen. Like the Avondale Nush the new Village Walk branch is perfect for socialising and enjoying great food in a cool, relaxed atmosphere. It’s the ideal place to meet up with friends for a coffee and a decadent slice of cake – or a fresh juice for the more health conscious. There’s a range of pizzas and light meals, as well as a more substantial menu for supper, and its family friendly too with a selection for kids. The kitchen and the pizza oven are visible from the restaurant so you can watch your food being expertly prepared.
It’s the brain child of the very talented Abed Khalatbari who has extensive experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Abed has designed a number of residential projects in Cape Town, before designing Cafe Nush Avondale and later expanding its pizzeria, Sandalwood Lodge (especially the interiors) hand to hand with local designer Celso Ribeiro and Cafe Nush at the Village Walk. Mirko Tucakov is a locally based architect, trained in Venice, who helped Khalatbari to make his design ideas take on a concrete form.
Tucakov says, “The collaboration between us was a fun and exciting one. His confident belief in the vision of the new branch helped me model his ideas into a reality.” Some ideas were carried over from the Avondale branch and further developed and adapted for the Village Walk cafe. There’s a kind of edgy, urban, industrial chic look that is common to both cafes, using straight forward materials like steel and wood and keeping fussy design details to a minimum.
At Village Walk structural steel columns, which are an integral part of the way the mall itself is built, help to define the facade. In the interior of the cafe the steel beams have been clad in ebonised timber which makes the rough steel feel a bit warmer, though still strong. The rest of the exterior look is made up of glass set in black aluminium frames which form windows or stacking folding doors, as well as a series of blinds – clear plastic on the two sides facing onto the pavement with additional sun blinds on the west side.
These almost transparent exterior walls give diners a sense of being connected to the outside while still being contained within a small piazza or square. It’s a very European look reminiscent of street cafes across the Continent which often extend out to the pavement. The abundance of natural light also helps to keep the interior feeling less formal, unlike older, more traditional restaurants which tend to be rather gloomy and stuffy. The interior is mostly open plan but subtly divided into four distinct areas each with a different ambiance. There’s the forecourt, the raised deck, the raised balcony, and the verandah area on the west side.
The forecourt is on the same level as the outside walkway and although it’s quite busy with the staff moving around the seating tends to feel more intimate than the other areas. The forecourt has glass fronted display cabinets full of mouth-watering cakes and delicacies, and it’s also the closest to the pizza oven, the coffee corner and the open kitchen visible beyond. The counter between the forecourt and the kitchen is clad in vertical pale wood strips which add a touch of warmth and softness. There’s a small bar counter with simple steel and wood stools on the west side which separates the forecourt from the pavement or verandah area.
The floor is made up of pale terracotta-coloured ceramic tiles and industrial light fittings hang overhead. Above the counter big black metal half spheres form the lampshades and small unobtrusive spot lights illuminate the menu boards, while above the seating area hangs an industrial looking fitting with exposed cables and uncovered Edison type bulbs. The floor of the verandah section is an extension of the pavements in the mall complex and simple small downlighters are set into the concrete slab ceiling. This section has the most informal furniture with small tables and polypropylene italian outdoor furniture.
The raised balcony floor of composite wooden decking and the clear plastic blinds make this section feel the most closely connected to the outside. A sturdy brushed steel banister separates the interior from the exterior making the balcony feel more secure, while still relating to the contemporary design of the complex. The heart of the cafe is the raised central deck which is perfect for people watching. Wooden laminate strip floors and wooden furniture in a simple Danish style make this the section with the warmest, softest look. Simple banisters of teak uprights with steel cables between them define this area and give an almost nautical impression.
Rough pine beams form a grid overhead just below concrete slab ceiling. This is a clever solution which conceals air-conditioning ducting and wiring without making the ceiling feel too low. To get every detail just right developing the design took almost as long as the construction process. The result is a stylish, ultra-modern appearance that successfully combines a number of different materials and textures into a coherent, welcoming, trendy look.
text: Michael Nott
photography: Michele Fortmann
