Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2014 | Page 10

ProjectWatch

proposed, current and future projects from Southern Africa and abroad

PROJECTVIEW
NEW REGIONAL
OFFICES FOR FNB IN
BLOEMFONTEIN

First National Bank (FNB) recently
launched phase one of the Second
Avenue Development project set to
become FNB’s new regional offices
in Bloemfontein.
The new 7,710m² headquarters
will house all FNB and WesBank
business units in Bloemfontein,
adding a striking feature to the
city’s skyline and contributing to
the infrastructure development and
social uplifting of the Manguang
area. The building will be equipped
with contemporary design elements
and ‘green’ eco-friendly features
that maximise natural light.
Architect: Bomax Architects
Project Managers: SIP
Value: ±R500 million

10

CENTURY CITY CONFERENCE CENTRE AND HOTEL
A Century City conference centre, with a total capacity of 1,900 in 20 venues, and a
125 room hotel are to be built around a new public square in Century City as part of a
R1billion mixed use development in the Bridgeways precinct.
Greg Deans, a director of the Rabie Property Group, said the development was in
response to soaring demand for conferencing and hotels in the burgeoning precinct
and had been designed to complement Cape Town and Century City’s existing facilities.
“Not only will it fill a gap in the market but we believe it will help cement Cape Town’s
established attractiveness as a conference destination.”
The Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) will offer flexible configurations.
Three adjoining halls will have a total capacity of more than 900 delegates, cinema
style, with a fourth hall able to accommodate a further 480 delegates, cinema style. The
multi-function venues will also be available for banqueting and exhibitions while a large
pre-assembly area will be available for exhibitions, product launches and the like.
It will also offer 12 meeting and breakaway rooms and a business lounge on the first
floor able to accommodate around 200 delegates.
Deans said the average hotel occupancy at Century City, which currently has a total of
460 rooms in five hotels, was running at over 73%.
Century City’s popularity as a hospitality node, he said, has grown phenomenally in
recent years in tandem with the growth of the precinct which is now home to more than
500 businesses and with more than 260,000m2 of offices is currently the third largest
commercial precinct in Cape Town.
“And the existing conference facilities, which range from 20 seat venues to a 300
seat facility, are unable to keep up with demand and have had to turn away business,
particularly for larger conferences.”
He said the CCCC, in partnership with Century City Connect, Century City’s open
access fibre optic network, will offer delegates and guests world-class fibre optic and
wireless connectivity.
Over and above the CCCC and hotel, the mixed use development will include offices,
showrooms, residential apartments and service retail and a five level parking garage

Project Watch