The Mutual Gardner Property Solutions is working with Lurra Capital as their local development partner to help revive the heart of Cape Town. The existing Old Mutual building is a testament to a bygone era. Insular, uninviting, and dismissive of its surroundings, this concrete landmark remains true to its ideological heritage with an almost stoic resilience. The public domain is kept at arm’s length, interaction with its surroundings is slim, and the urban environment within which it is positioned knows not of what life exists in its presence. A transformation is required, an urban revival. This is the aim of The Mutual. Revival through transformation: the transformation of the facades, of the spaces within, of the personable and visible experience. The existing solid concrete facade walls are transformed into terraced glass facades and inviting shopfronts that enable public accessibility and visibility. Pedestrians will be able to see the life inside, enticing them, and welcoming them with open arms. The insular spaces at street levels, above and below, are transformed into open, energetic, functional retail spaces that allow public interaction within and around the building. People en route to and from the train station will have the opportunity to do their shopping or have a quick bite to eat, before heading home after a long day of work. The scale and [...]
Nelson Mandela Square
2017-03-02T16:00:51+02:00Nelson Mandela Square One of the largest open public spaces in the country, Nelson Mandela Square is the result of long development process. The 56,000m2 mixed use development by Stocks & Stocks Properties was for co-owners, Stocks & Stocks Limited, the Transnet Pension Fund and the Sandton City consortium (Liberty Life and Pareto). Linked by a retail-lined bridge to Sandton City, this development effectively increased Sandton City’s rentable area by 50% and provided an open-air meeting and dining are above a multi-level basement parking garage. Neil Gardner was MD of Stocks & Stocks Properties, working closely with his deputy chairman, Bart Dorrestein and the professional team to create, arguably, the heart of modern Sandton. Project Details Location Sandton, Johannesburg Sector Mixed Use - Retail, Commercial, Hotel and Residential Rentable Area 56,000m² Team Stocks & Stocks Properties, GAPP Architects, Bentel & Abramson Architects and Meyer Pienaar Architects Date 1994
Portside
2017-03-02T16:01:54+02:00Portside A joint initiative between Old Mutual and FirstRand Bank, Portside is over 52,000m²of prime AAA office and retail space. The R1.6bn project in the financial district of Cape Town’s Foreshore, is 139 metres high and has been described as a ‘city in the sky’. As Old Mutual Property’s deal originator at the time, Neil Gardner led the development team that saw Portside developed to offer tenants panoramic vistas, contemporary interiors and superior green efficiency, producing an exceptionally healthy working environment while significantly reducing energy costs. As such it has become a benchmark of environmental sustainability in terms of both construction and building management processes. Portside is the only 5-Star Green Building high rise in South Africa. GPS’ development manager and sustainability consultant, Michelle de Toit, was Old Mutual Property’s development manager on this building. Project Details Location Cape Town CBD Sector Commercial and Retail Rentable Area 52,000m² Team DHK Architects & Louis Karol Architects, De Leeuw Quantity Surveyors’ Date 2012