WINNER : REFURBISHMENTS Stonehill Place , Cape Town
A partnership between Signatura and the Stonehill Property Fund has seen the visage of Cape Town ’ s lower CBD set for a sea change with a first of its kind development – a five star hotel and apartment block housed in one of the city ’ s landmark buildings , the former Safmarine building . Construction and remodeling of the building is now complete and it has been transformed into the luxurious Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence Apartments .
The lower half of the building has opened as one of the Swedish hotel group Redizor ’ s flagship city developments , with 11 floors of executive apartments filling the top half of the building . These stylish apartments were developed in response to the overwhelming demand from South Africa ’ s growing upper middle class for luxury living close to the city and ocean .
The Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence will provide a unique opportunity , with owners of the 166 executive apartments able to add their properties to the hotel rental pool . Residents will not only be able to lay claim to unarguably the best views in town , but also to the full range of amenities and services offered by the hotel . These include use of the pool and bar areas , access to the concierge and meeting rooms , room service as well as the restaurant and buffets .
The development is arguably the first of its kind Hotel and Residence in the city that will follow the lead of similar style developments in major world cities such as New York , London , Paris and Sydney .
The existing architecture made it perfect for conversion from office space to apartments . A team of architects and interior designers , including Bernicchi Architects , dhk Architects and Source Interior Brand Architects , took great care to make optimal use of the unique opportunities inherent in the building . Because of the unique nature of the building ’ s floor plate , all units have external
windows , so they did not have to do much in terms of structural adjustment . This development is an excellent example of the successful transition of an inner city commercial building to a high end residential and hospitality offering .
Developers : Signatura ; Stonehill Property Fund Architects : dhk ( hotel ); Bernicchi Architects ( apartments ) Project Managers : Signatura , Mark Saacks Projects Quantity Surveyor : De Leeuw Group Stuctural Engineers : De Villiers Consulting Electrical Engineers & Fire Consultants : Solution Station Mechanical Engineers : CI Pryce Interior Design ( hotel ): Source Interior Brand Architects Main Contractor : Juan Hugo Construction
SAPOA Awards 75