Menlyn Park Shopping Centre is a large shopping mall in Menlyn, Pretoria, South Africa, owned by development company Pareto. Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, named after the suburb in which it is located, was originally built in 1979. In November 2016 saw the completion of another major expansion, which increased the floor area to approximately 177,000m² with 500 shops in total. The R2,5-billion, two-year phased refurbishment has converted the site to become the regional shopping centre in Tshwane.
Menlyn Park Shopping Centre
Design and Features
It is designed around three spaces - the Food Court, the keyhole malls and focal points, and a large internal garden square surrounded by restaurants. In 1998, an American design firm, Development Design Group, designed Menlyn's unique appearance. Menlyn Park has a total lettable floor space of 177,000m², over 500 stores, 16 parking entrances, 12 parking exits and 8,250 parking bays.
In 1854, Menlo Park received its official name when two Irishmen, Dennis J. Oliver and D. C. McGlynn, purchased 1,700 acres (some sources say it was 640 acres) bordering County Road, now El Camino Real, and built two houses with a common entrance. The men named their new home after their old, in Menlough on Lough Corib, County Galway, Ireland. No one knows whether they abbreviated the name to "Menlo" because the space on the arch precluded the longer version, because it was their way of Americanizing the name or because they just couldn't spell. When the railroad came through in 1863, the station had no name, it was just the end of the line, but it needed a designation. A railroad official looked over at the gates and decided that “MENLO PARK” would be appropriate, and so the name was officially adopted. This station is now California State Landmark No. For people to the north and south of San Francisquito Creek, May 1861 was a landmark - groundbreaking for the railroad. On October 18, 1863, the first train traveled from San Francisco to Mayfield along the San Francisco and San Jose Railway. In 2019, a reproduction of the historic Menlo Park gates was rebuilt near the library facing the intersection of Ravenswood Avenue and Alma Street.
Historical Context of Pretoria
Pretoria, city in Gauteng province and administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria stretches along both sides of the Apies River and extends into the western foothills of the Magaliesberg on the east. Founded in 1855 by Marthinus, son of Andries Pretorius, the Boer statesman for whom the city was named, it became the capital of the Transvaal in 1860, administrative capital of South Africa in 1910, and a city in 1931.
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Union Buildings in Pretoria
During the South African War (1899-1902), Winston Churchill was imprisoned there (1899) until his escape. The Peace of Vereeniging, ending the war, was signed at Melrose House on May 31, 1902. Pretoria is well-planned and famous for its streets lined with jacaranda trees. Pretoria is affectionately known as Jacaranda City because of the thousands of lilac-bloomed Jacaranda trees that create its distinctive character when the trees are in full bloom in October and November.
In 1910, the Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange River Colony united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria became the administrative capital of the country, while Cape Town retained its status as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital. Today, Pretoria has taken on a more cosmopolitan feel, particularly with the abundance of young students who attend the large state university. As the administrative capital of government, the dominant Afrikaans culture is diluted by increasing numbers of Black civil servants who have made the city their place of residence.
Marthinus Wessel Pretorius founded Pretoria in 1855 and named it in honour of his father, Andries Pretorius. Marthinus was a leader of the Voortrekkers and the first Pretoria Magistrate, and later president of the Transvaal Republic. Marthinus chose a site on the banks of the Apies River (Monkey River) to be the new capital of the South African Republic (ZAR). Holding the position of Magistrate, he was instrumental in the design and layout of the city of Pretoria.
Landmarks and Attractions in Pretoria
Church Street stretches east-west for 12 miles (20 km). The post-World War II boom is evidenced by skyscrapers around Church Square. Landmarks commemorate Boer history (notably the Voortrekker Monument and the Paul Kruger and Louis Botha statues). Cultural attractions include the Kruger Museum, the National Cultural History Museum, and an art museum.
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Voortrekker Monument
Pretoria is adorned with large parks, notably the terraced gardens of the Union Buildings, the sunken gardens of Venning Park, municipal nature reserves, and the National Zoological Gardens. It has Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals and is the seat of the universities of Pretoria (founded 1908, university 1930) and South Africa (founded 1873, correspondence school 1946) and technical and teacher-training colleges. Pretoria is primarily a seat of government, but it is also an important rail and industrial centre.
The Union Buildings are located high on a hill known as Meintjieskop which is close to the historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument. These splendid buildings house the offices of the President of South Africa and are the official seat of the South African government. The design of the Union Buildings was based on the concept that a public building should be a national ornament which establishes an integrated nation, draws people and commerce to its feet and makes people love their country.
Additional Landmarks and Points of Interest
- Freedom Park & //Hapo Museum: Located on Salvokop, narrating a story spanning 3.6 billion years through seven epochs.
- Maropeng Centre: Offers an original fossil display and a boat ride on an underground lake.
- The Apartheid Museum: Illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid through film footage, photographs, and artifacts.
The city of Pretoria lies in a transitional belt between the plateau of the Highveld to the south and the Lowveld to the north-east. The region enjoys a temperate subtropical climate and is a summer rainfall region (October to April). Temperatures can drop quite significantly in the early evenings of the winter months (May to September) but the days are usually mild and warm.
Today, standing sentry in the centre of the square, is a massive statue of the late Boer leader and former president of South Africa, Paul Kruger.
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The Historical Frieze is the largest marble frieze in the world and consists of 27 bas-relief panels that tell the tale of the historical Great Trek. In the centre of the floor of the Hall of Heroes is a large circular opening where one can peer down to view the Cenotaph in the Cenotaph Hall below. The Cenotaph was positioned to reflect the brightest light at 12pm every year on the 16 December.
Other features at the monument include a Wall of Remembrance that honours those who lost their lives in the South African Defence Force during the period 11961 and 1994 while in service to the apartheid regime.
Pretoria is most well-known as a “varsity city” and young, festive students are everywhere.
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) |
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| June | 20 | 5 |
The Untold Story of South Africa — What I Learned on My Trip
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