Client’s Brief
Following the successful design and completion of
the Lynnwood Bridge Mixed-use Development in
Pretoria, Abland appointed Studio 3 Design House
as architects for the Loftus Park Development.
The client’s brief was based on the above
experience as well as inspiration from a visit abroad
to precincts and piazzas in the United Kingdom and
Germany. This inspired and narrowed the broad
concepts entertaining this mixed-use concept to
become a ‘people’s place’ and to ignite the greater
node around it.
The mixed-use concept requires P-grade office
space, a 4-Star hotel, premium status gymnasium
surrounding an open-air piazza. The instruction
was to provide vibrant retail space with the focus
on entertainment, restaurants and convenience.
Loftus Park must seamlessly bring business and
leisure together as it tackles both work and play in
one vibrant precinct. The development should also
relieve and cater for the desperate need of parking,
not only to satisfy the legal requirements, but for
event opportunities at the stadium.
The brief emphasises the introduction of intense
and valuable landscaping that will embrace the
required “public experience” to be outstanding as
well as complimenting the architectural expression
with special reference to scale and proportions. Also
included was the significance of the surrounding
buildings such as Loftus Versveld Stadium and
Clydesdale regarding use of building materials and
textures/articulation of façades of buildings.
Design Concept and Planning
The approved Town Planning Rights for the
development was 48,000m² which is developed in
different phases. The first phase comprises a retail
component of 11,000m² (including a food anchor), a
4-Star hotel of 8,000m², a premium gymnasium of
3,500m² and P-grade offices of 12,000m².
The zoning parameters restricted the height of
buildings not to exceed the highest point of the
rugby stadium also restricting the height of the
Western Zone to 4 floors.
The main entrance to the development is
celebrated in Kirkness Street which leads to the main
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Loftus Park