SOURCE to curate WORK I SHOP I NEW I TOWN

Image by Jac de Villiers

WORK I SHOP I NEW I TOWN, the groundbreaking design-driven local retail concept set to open in Johannesburg’s CBD in November 2015, will be curated by SOURCE, the South African design company run by Trevyn and Julian McGowan of Southern Guild, GUILD and Design Network Africa.

The dynamic couple, who are also the curators behind the hugely successful V&A Waterfront’s Watershed project, have been selected by Atterbury Property Group to enhance its award-winning Newtown Junction, through WORK I SHOP I NEW I TOWN, a 1 200-square-metre design destination that will be situated adjacent to the soon-to-be launched The Potato Shed, a heritage restaurant and craft brewery by Maira and John Koutsoudakis of LIFE who will also open the Gentlemen’s Arthouse in the precinct, an artisan cocktail bar in the 1911 Edwardian gentlemen’s washrooms.

WORK I SHOP I NEW I TOWN will present over 45 stalls and store units, with an in-depth focus on cutting-edge local fashion, alongside innovative product design and services such as a tailor, barbershop and tattoo parlour. It will be open for trade seven days a week, with some tenants housing their design studios and workshops adjacent to their retail space.

In reimagining the interior architecture of the heritage building that was built in 1911 to store vegetables and livestock, Julian McGowan’s extensive experience in spatial design will ensure the creation of a dramatic and eclectic visual language for the varied store options.

‘We are thrilled to have secured SOURCE and LIFE for the project that forms part of the Newtown Junction mixed-use precinct,’ says Johan Roets, Director of Leasing at Atterbury. ‘The heritage-inspired designs that both plan on incorporating will retain and restore historical landmarks, while transforming the iconic potato sheds into a modern-day market space, reinforcing Atterbury’s vision for it to be a cutting-edge blend of art, design, fashion, heritage, inspiration and leisure.’

WORK I SHOP I NEW I TOWN will form part of this secure precinct, with basement parking for over 2 000 vehicles. Its family orientation will lend itself to weekend festivals and interactive events for young and old, and its position alongside the recently renovated Market Theatre and seminal Klippies jazz club building will highlight its significance in Newtown’s entertainment and cultural hub.