Customers came in their numbers to attend the opening of the new Aqua Centre Spar in the heart of Tzaneen, on Wednesday, August 28. Anthony Brett, a co-partner of Aqua Centre Spar said they are very proud to have been a part of the vibrant Tzaneen community for so many years. “We are looking forward to welcoming our customers to Aqua Centre. This has become a true hub in the heart of Tzaneen,” he said.
Jannie Lombard, also co-partner, said the Lombard family has been serving the retail needs of the Tzaneen community for the past 70 years. “When the opportunity came up from Anthony to join up with the phenomenal Spar family, we grabbed the opportunity with both hands. We realised that the present shopping conditions in Tzaneen are ideal for an extraordinary shopping experience for local customers.”
“We contracted the design company to assist us in portraying what Tzaneen is all about, this lush, fertile basket of fruit. So if you walk into the store, you will see this large area as if you are walking into one of Tzaneen’s forests, while enjoying your shopping in our forest.” Susan Brett said that together with Janie and Alicia, they have created a space where people can celebrate everything that makes Tzaneen so special, “A welcoming space in the heart of Tzaneen where people can connect, work or just pay up”.
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Tandi Cornelissen, the interior designer for the Aqua Centre Spar said they were tasked to create the heart of Tzaneen and with this concept in mind, they created this basket of Eden. “From there, we included a lot of natural textures and greenery. We created beautiful illustrations specific to Aqua Centre, that are depicted in many areas. We have tried to bring in a little bit of the heart of Tzaneen,” she said.
Henk Schmidt from Arcon Africa Architects said the building itself was over 30 years old and thus renovations were required. “In its heyday, this building had movies, shops, hairdressers and a restaurant on the first floor. Unfortunately, over time the building became economically redundant.”
“For Tzaneen it used to be quite a location and used to be a vibrant hub, so when presented with the opportunity to upgrade this facility we were excited about incorporating everything into one building, including the atrium, and rejuvenating the structure into something that would again become a destination for the people of Tzaneen.
For us, it has been greatly satisfying and a huge team effort. The final result measures up to the original intent, which is to create a destination for Tzaneen and for those Tzaneeners who can remember the structure for what it was and the facility for what it was. Hopefully, they will find joy in this as well,” he said.
One of the shoppers, Vonani Mabasa said the centre has a unique feel to it.
“Everything here is beautiful, amazing and unique. Who would have thought that we would have a centre like this again? I love the interior and exterior designs. You can do more than just your shopping here. I think the owners have overdone themselves here, it is truly amazing. It really brings to life what Tzaneen is all about,” she said.
