Designed by HPA and completed in 2010, the external seating area of the Baobab Restaurant in the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre was inspired by the Baobab tree, with a timber roof support structure creating a dining experience in a treetop canopy. The mystical African Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata) is iconic of the African continent. The bark and fruit have over 300 lifesustaining uses and are the root of many indigenous remedies, traditions, and folklore.
Baobabs are also known as the tree of life: many forms of life live in their hollow trunks, nest on and in their branches, and eat their nectar and fruits. Their massive root systems also slow down soil erosion and recycle nutrients.
