are such that the simplicity of the façade becomes
a foil for the richness of the heritage buildings.
If you pare down the plan and extract the main
elements, the plan becomes simplified to a lion
profile (the sun screens making up the mane!)
The site is located at the end of Mahatma
Gandhi Road, in very close proximity to the harbour
entrance. Fronted by the company’s iconic golden
lion, the building was designed to blend with its
portside location with decks and sails and floor to
ceiling glass that provides magnificent views over
South Africa’s largest and busiest harbour. The
historic precinct of the Point has a height restriction
of 19,2m, providing a further challenge.
Execution
The distribution centre is serviced by extremely
large vehicles which need a wide turning circle.
The largest of these are 22m long interlink double
trailers with a height of 4,3m and a turning radius
of 12m. This had an impact on the massing of the
building. The entrance to the distribution centre is
13m wide with an 8m interior height for racking.
Included in the design are three golden
lions which are a critical part of the Lion Match
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Company’s identity: the lion on the ground floor in
the forecourt roars on the hour and the other two
are at the entrance to the offices on the second
floor and on the roof.
Other elements from the original building in
Umgeni Rd were also incorporated into the new
design. The main staircase linking the ground floor
to the offices is semi-circular in reflection of the
original staircase. However, in a nod to the new
modern design, a 12m water wall runs down the
centre of the stairs.
Located in an abrasive and corrosive coastal
environment, the project faced a number of
site challenges. The most critical of these was
the prevailing wind which at times made the
manoeuvring of the large panels of glazed glass
for the façade almost impossible.
Because of the harshness of the environment,
materials were chosen specifically for their low
maintenance qualities. The structure is concrete
with brick infill, the curtain walls are glass and
highest quality stainless steel as well as galvanised
steel has been used in the construction. Because
of its hardwearing qualities, matt grey granite was
used on the floors.
Lion Match