PROJECT dhk Architects
Design journey
Redevelopment started in 2009 with plans for an office building, which later developed into a 154-key, four-star hotel. Completed in 2024, the hotel preserved and incorporated the eastern façade of one of the original buildings.
Over time, additional properties – including 32 on Kloof, Darters + Threshers( formerly Longkloof Studios), The Refinery, and the villa at 2 Park Street – were integrated, resulting in a cohesive urban precinct plan. The design introduces new pedestrian links, fragmented building forms that respect historic proportions, and three levels of basement parking, creating a car-free, walkable public environment. Street edges are activated with canopies, colonnades, and retail spaces, further enhancing permeability and vibrancy.
Heritage meets contemporary
A key aspect of the redevelopment is its respectful integration of the old and new. The hotel was designed with height restrictions aligned to surrounding heritage rooflines, preserving view corridors and referencing the industrial character through façade articulation and material choices. A glazed bridge across the pedestrian retail walkway maintains sightlines to the Refinery, ensuring continuity between past and present.
Material choices embody this balance: red brick and white plaster echo historic textures, while reclaimed granite cobbles, weathered steel, indigenous planting, and extensive stairways enrich the public space.
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