2015
SAPOA
Innovative Excellence
in Property
Development Awards
The prestigious South African Property Owners Association
(SAPOA) recently announced the winners of the 2015
Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards.
Winners were announced in 14 categories.
JUDGES
OVERALL WINNER / OVERALL TRANSFORMATION WINNER /
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS WINNER
Pieter Engelbrecht
Growthpoint Properties
Newtown Junction
Andries Schoeman
AECOM
he Newtown Junction mixed-use development in the west of Johannesburg’s CBD
forms part of the city’s ambition to revitalise the Newtown area – a precinct already
undergoing regeneration and long established as the cultural heart of the city.
Attacq and Atterbury Property Developments, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg
and South African Heritage Resources Agency, embarked on this R1.3bn landmark project,
believed to be one of largest multi-use developments to open in Johannesburg’s CBD since
the 1970s. dhk were the lead architects for the development, working with Mashabane
Rose Associates on heritage aspects and LP Architects on the retail elements.
Newtown Junction is an important commercial catalyst for the area, providing new retail
and office space and reinvigorating the existing arts and entertainment venues. Developing
in Newtown required an understanding of and respect for the social, economic, urban and
heritage dynamics which make this precinct so unique.
The development provides 30,000m2 GLA of rentable offices, with approximately
35,500m2 GLA of retail space. While this is not unusual for a mixed-use development, what
makes Newtown Junction interesting is the re-configuration of significant heritage buildings
and the requirement of a 4-Star Green Star SA rating for the office component.
Anthony Orelowitz
The Paragon Group
Beata Kaleta
DSA Architects
Christian Roberg
Abland
Craig Sutherland
Sutherland
Corné de Leeuw
DelQS Quantity Surveyors
and Property Valuers
Hashim Bham
BTKM Quantity Surveyors
Itumeleng Mothibeli
Vukile Property Fund
John Truter
WSP Group Africa Structures
John Williamson
MDS Architecture
Ken Reynolds
Nedbank Limited
Queen Mjwara
STANLIB Direct
Property Investment
Rudolf Nieman
JHI Project Management
and Sterikleen
Sam Silwamba
Old Mutual South Africa
Wessel van Dyk
Boogertman +
Partners Architects
Zinon Marinakos
DSA Architects International
74
T
Heritage
The site itself had some very interesting and significant heritage buildings. The Edwardian
Bathhouse has been preserved and restored. Underneath the M1 highway is the Station
Master’s House, from the time when there was delivery to the market by rail. Many of the
tracks still remain and have been preserved.
The Potato Sheds have been meticulously documented and surveyed, carefully dismantled, restored and re-assembled in the same location. Lastly, a railway bridge has been
restored and placed in its original position linking to a new extension of the Market Theatre.
Design
The design opens up to the natural flow of pedestrians coming from the City, neighbouring
Brickfields development and the Market Theatre and Majestic precinct. A public square and
landscaped park area forms the heart of the development.
Newtown has a very particular urban texture and the environment is no-nonsense and
tough. There was a requirement from a heritage point of view to respond to the palette of
red roofs and red face brick due to the proximity of Museum Africa and the Market Theatre.
The new buildings respond to this in materiality and detailing in a very direct manner,
contrasting the heritage elements with the new construction. By using these materials
offset with clean lines and bold proportions, the buildings sit confidently within the
surroundings. Where there have been new interventions to historic portions of the site,
they have, by contrast been kept clearly contemporary.
SAPOA Awards