Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - June 2017 | Page 36

LIFESTYLE INVESTMENT
Sandton’s Embassy Towers
In the Quest for Timeless Precision
BY JEAN BROWN
I
f you want to find some of Johannesburg’s most
affluent residents, look no further than Sandhurst
in Sandton, Johannesburg. Properties in this elite
suburb are most often described as “stately”, “opulent”
and “expansive” (imagine picturesque streets lined
with shady trees and large, sprawling buildings and
gardens). Despite the neighbourhood’s serene and
leafy atmosphere, Sandhurst is just a stone’s throw
away from the bustle of Sandton’s Central Business
District ‒ making it an ideal location for residents
seeking work life balance and quick access to the
Jozi’s vibrant night life.
It then makes perfect sense that Embassy Towers
‒ a new, 12 storey luxury apartment tower on the
corner of Empire Place and Rivonia Road ‒ has been
developed in this prime urban space. The landmark
tower boasts 90 exclusive private residences,
including 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, and several
bespoke penthouses. Residents have access to an in-
house restaurant, coffee shop, as well as private dining
facilities. Those who are business-minded can make
use of on-site, executive offices and boardroom space,
and then wind down from the day in the apartment
tower’s fully equipped gym or spa and treatment
room.
Another draw card is the tower’s proximity to
transport services, such as Sandton’s Gautrain station,
which is in short walking distance. For commuters
and regular travellers, the trip to work (or the airport)
and back is a relatively short one by rail, at a smooth
160km/h.
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JUNE 2017 SA Real Estate Investor
Riding the suburban estate and inner-city
development wave
In a 2015 interview, Kent Gush, the Managing
Director of Kent Gush Properties (a specialist,
residential off plan sales and marketing company)
highlighted an increasing shift in the South
African mindset towards residential properties and
their locations. Here he noted a move away from a
preference for the conventional suburban lifestyle
towards a growing taste for inner-city apartment
living: “South Africans have surprisingly warmed
to mixed-use developments that combine apartment
living into retail and commercial properties,” said
Kent. The Embassy Towers development is in keeping
with this trend and ultimately caters to high net worth
individuals looking to enjoy a more European, inner-
city apartment-style of living.
According to Chaim Cohen, one of the Embassy
Tower development partners, developments should be
timeless real estate landmarks, whether for residential,
commercial or industrial purposes ‒ signature
buildings, built with uncompromising quality,
resulting in ultra-sophisticated pieces of architecture
that challenge the status quo. Along with Embassy
Towers, Some of the Group’s developments to date
also include The Sandton Emperor, Esprit Estate,
Katherine Quay, and the Radisson in Sandton, to
mention but a few.
RESOURCES
Kent Gush Properties, Newcity Group, Moneyweb,
10onEaton, Embassy Towers, SA-venues
www.reimag.co.za