Sea Point Promenade is the perfect place for a day out – or a workout. On any given day, you’ll be met with runners, families and cyclists. And now, urban development company Blok, in association with Future Cape Town and the City of Cape Town, have installed a new parking system for bicycles so cyclists can rest assured their bikes are safe after their ride down the prom.
Aptly named Blade, the system currently consists of five separate units, each designed to look like long blades of grass rising from the ground. Conceived by agency North Ltd and local designer Rotem Shachar, the units complement the natural beauty of the area.
Each ‘blade’ is constructed from green-painted steel cables cast into concrete, and cyclists can simply secure their bicycle frame – of any size or shape – to a blade with a lock.
But this project isn’t, however, just a means for ensuring security at the Promenade. Environmental concers played a huge part in its implementation. Cycling is, of course, an eco-friendly method of transport and the purpose of Blade is to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and get on their bicycles.
Mike Bond, Creative Director of North Ltd. says, ‘The City of Cape Town encourages bicycle use as a viable mode of transport. Bicycle parking is a key component of creating a successful city-wide bicycle system. The Blade bike rack, with its ground-breaking design, will not only provide a functional parking facility but also generate talk-ability – inspiring further bicycle use.’
Launched on Thursday 16 February, if the Blade project proves successful after sufficient monitoring, more systems will be introduced at various points along the Promenade. Blok’s Managing Director Jacques van Embden notes the significance of this project as an ongoing strategy of the company to invest back in communities through urban intervention programmes. ‘We are particularly passionate about this project as we are strong supporters of eco-mobility and want to contribute to making environmentally friendly city exploration that much easier.’
Photography Megan-Leigh Heilig/HMImages.co.za