Five reasons the new Mall is brilliant
It’s traditional in Adelaide to preemptively criticise new developments before they are completed.
Who can forget the way we dumped on Adelaide Oval’s design – purportedly an “ugliplex”, redolent of a “toilet seat”, and a “desecration” of a sacred site – only to proclaim it the greatest and most beautiful stadium in Australia once it was completed.
The revamp of Rundle Mall was no different, being widely slammed from almost the moment the first shiny new paver was placed.
This was entirely predictable, as the original design back in the early 1970s was also pilloried (one prominent architect declared it to be boring, repetitious, monumental and dreary).
But now it is all but finished – just odds and ends and the lighting remain to be completed – it is clear (to me anyway) that the Mall has taken its biggest step forward since it was opened in 1976.
Here’s why.
Long-term problems have been fixed
Surprisingly, the Mall’s surface was never properly levelled.
The pavers always followed the camber of the original roadscape. The levelling and the new style of pavers mean it is a much better surface for pushing prams, or navigating by wheelchair or mobility scooter.
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It also looks better, with the smooth plane contributing – along with other design changes – to a new sense of space. The Mall seems wider.
Fixing the drainage and upgrading other services aren’t sexy changes, but essential for the state’s premier retail strip.
Shade has also been sorted out; the number of trees has doubled.
Tired old street furniture has been replaced by smart and robust seating. Brutal black light poles will be replaced by a new “catenary” lighting system, to be strung on cables from building to building – it should be spectacular.
The ugly canopy at the intersection of Gawler Place and the Mall has been removed.
Decluttering shows off the Mall’s assets
The Mall’s designers were treated like artsy-fartsy wankers when they promoted their concept of decluttering the centre of the shopping strip.
Now that the works are completed finished, we can appreciate the intelligence of the idea.
Not only can the Mall visitor see the Hills to the east (and appreciate a new sense of space), the decluttering shows off the many beautiful facades of historic Mall buildings.
As a bonus, there’s no more of that ‘salmon-swimming-upstream’ feeling that you endured in the old Mall when your primary choice was to walk down either side of the thoroughfare near the shopfronts.
As a result, you feel more welcome to linger in the Mall, rather than moving to your destination as quickly as possible.
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Pop-ups aren’t a fad
The name “pop-up” has become synonymous with “filthy hipster”, but the concept has long been part of Adelaide’s streetscape (such as the now defunct newspaper and magazine stalls).
The original concept for the Mall in the 1970s envisaged special areas where art and craft exhibitions could be held. Instead, we had semi-permanent structures that either blocked the entranceways at either end or dominated the central corridor.
The new Mall finally makes room for temporary facilities and provides proper services to them. It’s a flexible concept that frees up or uses spaces as required.
Anyone who has seen the pop-up flower market would have to admit it’s a big improvement on the old style stalls.
Investment begets investment
The council argues that since the upgrade was announced in 2011, about $300 million has been invested in the Mall and surrounds by the private sector. That’s already a ten-fold return on the $30 million redevelopment expenditure.
And the best thing? If you’re not a city ratepayer, the upgrade cost you nothing – it’s entirely funded by the city.
The Mall is turning heads again
Rundle Mall was a groundbreaker back in 1976 and, despite some early misgivings, it quickly became one of Australia’s most successful retail precincts.
The Mall has had its ups and downs since then – and faces greater competition both within Adelaide and from interstate. Every major city has a pedestrian-only shopping strip these days.
Nearly 40 years after the Mall broke new ground, this new design is attracting renewed attention from retailers, property developers and government.
A few weeks ago the City of Liverpool in Sydney sent a high-level delegation to check out what we’ve done. They’re looking at ways to rejuvenate their tired shopping mall and, instead of catching a train ride into Sydney’s Pitt Street, they took the longer journey to Adelaide.
The new Mall shows that, at least sometimes, designers do have better ideas than the critics in the cheap seats.
