Architect and Builder February/March 2019 | Page 59

Nedbank and Signatura came to an agreement in
mid 2017 and construction commenced later on
in that year. The development is on the large side
for the CBD and consists of 210 apartments and
9 penthouses with private pools and roof gardens.
The fact that The Onyx was a development of an
existing building allowed the fast tracking of both
planning and construction times. The development
was launched in May of 2017 and construction
got underway in earnest in October 2017. The
apartments were handed over in November
2018, which was a fast tracked 13 month build
programme and considerably quicker than a new
build project of similar size. This reduced build
programme put a lot of pressure on the team
marketing the apartments as the sales period was
significantly less than that of a new development.
Signatura made a strategic decision to retain 75
apartments as an investment and these units
became the core of what was going to be the
hotel component of the building. Other apartment
owners are able to place their units into a rental
pool for use by the hotel. The hotel currently
consists of 102 apartments - 70 apartments on
the fifth and sixth floor and another 32 elsewhere
in the building.
Newmark is operating the hotel on behalf of
Signatura and it opened its doors on 1st December
2018. The reception to the new hotel has been
excellent and Signatura is encouraged by the high
level of room occupancy since its launch. The
Onyx doesn’t merely offer a hotel room, it offers
luxurious apartment living with access to all the
amenities you would expect in a five star hotel.
The larger rooms and self contained facilities within
the apartments make them an attractive option for
stays of more than a few days, especially for those
attending conferences at the CTICC.
The smallest room at The Onyx is a 35m 2
studio that would be classed as a deluxe suite in
a standard hotel. Some of the larger one bedroom
apartments range from 50 to 70m 2 . Two bedroom
apartments are great for families or business
colleagues travelling together. Self-catering is
easily accommodated by fully equipped kitchens
and a Food Lovers and Woolworths is only a short
walk away. Guests have the best of both worlds;
the freedom that comes with a fully equipped
apartment as well as access to all the amenities
of a five star hotel, including a pool, gym, two
restaurants, room service, concierge, valet parking
and a spa.
Left:
The original
Nedbank building
1968
The Onyx
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