Steel Construction Vol 40 No 1 - Architecturally Exposed Steel | Page 18

SAISC PROJECTS

Newtown Junction
The decision to re-use and restore the potato shed steel structure proved the least intrusive
construction method with all the structural steel repairs and manufacturing taking place
off-site. The existing steel structure was kept largely intact with the addition of new steel
sub-elements to stiffen the trusses to suit the adaptive re-use of the sheds to that of a
contemporary shopping centre.

N
PROJECT TEAM
Client:
Atterbury Property Developments (Pty) Ltd
Architect (Heritage):
MRA Architects (Pty) Ltd
Architect (Retail):
LPA Architects (Pty) Ltd
Architect (Principal):
DHK Architects (Pty) Ltd
Structural Engineer:
Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Quantity Surveyor:
Norval Wentzel Steinberg (Pty) Ltd
Project Manager:
Metrum Project Management (Pty) Ltd
Main Contractor:
WBHO construction (Pty) Ltd
Steelwork Contractor:
Braam Staal
Detailing Company:
Braam Staal
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Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 1 2016

ewtown Junction is situated in
the cultural district of the
suburb Newtown in the heart
of Johannesburg, next to the
Museum of Africa and the striking 1913
Edwardian building that was redeveloped
into the popular Market Theatre. This multilevel development offers a vibrant 36 000m²
shopping centre, 30 000m² of office space,
gymnasium and four basement levels
providing a total of 2 400 parking bays.
Newtown Junction signals both the growth
of Johannesburg’s city centre as well as the
renewal and revival of the city in a way that
preserves its heritage and history.
The p roject team met with three major
challenges during the refurbishment:
maintaining the integrity of the ‘potato
sheds’ structure; careful consideration of
heritage structures and the inputs of
multiple stakeholders; and accommodating
existing steel structures. The design team
adopted a hybrid approach consisting of
partial restoration, partial replacement and
partial additional strengthening.
An integral part of this development was
the restoration of the long-neglected

potato sheds and old railway pedestrian
bridge. Both were granted heritage status
by the SAHRA. These steel structures
were originally designed and built in 1910
for the purpose of storing vegetables and
fodder that were distributed to fresh
produce markets across the country by
rail. The integrity of these historic
structures was kept intact by creating a
structure that connects the past, present
and future.
The decision to re-use and restore the
potato shed steel structure proved the
least intrusive construction method with
all the structural steel repairs and
manufacturing taking place off-site. The
existing steel structure was kept largely
intact with the addition of new steel subelements to stiffen the trusses to suit the
adaptive re-use of the sheds to that of a
contemporary shopping centre.
The building is partly situated under the
elevated M1 Highway, which required a
very unique geometry in order to
accommodate the existing highway piers.
Some sections of the structure’s roof are
only 3 to 4 metres below the highway.