BLUEPRINT PROJECT #1 THE MARC

The Marc, ’s spectacular new jewel-like edifice, designed by Boogertman + Partners, not only adds a bold new icon to the Sandton skyline, but has also transformed the street level of the precinct.

PHOTOGRAPHY ADAM LETCH The jewel of Sandton

‘The Jewel’ and ‘The Jewelery Box’: The Marc consists of two towers – a dazzling 12-floor ovoid commercial tower with a gold-and-black faceted façade, and a 17-floor tower occupied by legal firm ENS set further back from the street.

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Access to the retail podium from the street is completely unimpeded, and the visible street frontage of the shops and restaurants is designed to activate the street edge and draw office-dwellers out from the surrounding commercial buildings.

PROJ-I-TECH CC IS A TRUSTED AND he Marc (an acronym ESTABLISHED LIFT AND ESCALATOR for Maude and CONSULTANCY, AND A REGISTERED AND TCorner) has transformed ACCREDITED INSPECTION AUTHORITY. the intersection in Sandton, , where the two Our Management and Consultants are all roads meet, into a new urban highly experienced professionals in all landmark. The site, which was facets of the lift and escalator industry, and formerly occupied by the Village this enables us to specify and implement Walk Shopping Centre, has been the right vertical transportation solution for redeveloped as a mixed-use your new or existing building. precinct made up of two office buildings and a retail component, OUR COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF which includes restaurants, CONSULTING SERVICES INCLUDES: supermarkets, a boutique shopping New Lift and Mandatory regulatory offering and a gym. • • Escalator systems inspections Most visibly, The Marc consists for new projects Maintenance of two towers: a dazzling 12-floor • Vertical Transportation defi ciency audits ovoid commercial tower with a • Traffi c sensitivity studies Management of Service gold-and-black faceted façade, • Modernisation or Level Agreements which bulges elegantly over the • Replacement of existing Compliance intersection; and, set further • lifts and escalators assessments back from the corner, a 17-floor Equipment Expert witness and tower occupied by legal firm ENS. • • condition and due professional advise They have become known as ‘The diligence audits Project management Jewel’ and ‘The Jewellery Box’ • services respectively, and have created an entirely new identity for the intersection. At the same time, they have also transformed the character of the surrounding neighbourhood on street level by activating a vibrant pedestrian- The transparency of the glazing lines in the retail section friendly public domain. facilitates a sense of connection, engagement and shared One of the first questions the ideas and a shared, dynamic retail experience rather than architects, Boogertman + Partners the compartmentalisation of a typical mall experience. led by director Bob van Bebber, the intersection like a glittering barriers” around the precinct while Van Bebber argues that it was faced was how to create the jewel cradled by the neighbouring ensuring safety and functionality. “very important that we achieve visual impact and engagement “boomerang-shaped” ENS tower. On street level, between the on-grade pedestrian access off demanded by the prominence of The ENS tower’s added height in 6.5-storey basements and the both Maude and Rivonia” to create the site without competing to be turn imparts visual identity – even commercial space in the towers above, easy pedestrian access. The the tallest new building on the from a distance – from its position is a two-storey retail level, “the ham natural fall of the site required an Sandton skyline. “We went through set back from the corner. in the sandwich” as van Bebber puts urban staircase from the Rivonia a process of mapping the existing The architects placed a great it. Apart from providing a shopping and Maude Street intersection, but aesthetics in Sandton, and found premium on harnessing the destination, this retail podium level for the rest, access is completely Managing Member: W K (Bill) Murphy that one of the only opportunities opportunity the development activates the precinct on street level, unimpeded. (The walkability of the Offi ce: 011 609 4977 to make a statement on the skyline offered to create accessibility and integrates the complex with precinct also encourages the use Cell: 082 783 2600 was to use colour,” says van Bebber. and open up the public realm. coherent pedestrian movement routes of public transport and mitigates So, the relatively diminutive but Van Bebber says they went to through Sandton’s commercial node congestion in the commercial hub Email: [email protected] highly impactful gold-and-black considerable lengths to design and maintains connections to the of Sandton.) Website: www.proj-i-tech.co.za façade was born, articulating “accessible urban space with no adjoining hotels. Continued next page

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Left: The natural fall of the site INNOVATIVE utilised the geometry of a spiral, required an urban FAÇADE DESIGN one of the fundamental geometric staircase from Arup provided specialised façade shapes in nature, to solve the need the Rivonia and Maude Street engineering services on The Marc’s of gradually evolving curvature. intersection. facade, supporting the developer, The curve, generated surface the architect and the façade and triangular panels were coded in Right: The ENS tower connects contractor, Geustyn & Horak (G&H). a parametric environment, allowing at street level, Matilde Tellier, senior façade the geometry of the spiral curve to knitting the engineer at Arup, comments, be adjusted to change the overall precinct into the surrounding “One of the biggest challenges shape of the façade and achieve urban fabric with a building of such unusual different degrees of “bulginess”. while opening geometry was rationalising the This enabled the architect to make up considerable public space on a façade envelope for efficient geometric adjustments, with the pedestrian level. fabrication while adhering to the parametric model ensuring that architectural concept.” the geometric relationships that The façade’s surface is formed provide the smooth curvature by a mesh of 5 620 alternating and geometric rigour facilitating This was another reason for the linking the retail space with the of connection, engagement gold and black flat triangular fabrication are maintained. arrangement of the towers. While landscaped podium outside. The and shared ideas and a shared, elements whose vertices follow Tellier adds, “We were able to the Jewel “has presence”, the ENS movement routes through the dynamic retail experience rather a nebula of points scattered in accommodate and review any tower “connects at street level”, interior are articulated with friendly than the compartmentalisation space with a specific logic. geometric or material changes van Bebber explains, opening up curves and organic shapes. of a typical mall experience. The Arup façade team and assess their impact almost considerable public space on a Moreover, the subtle erosion of Similarly, the way in which the approached the Jewel’s façade instantaneously. The flexibility of pedestrian level. the boundaries between individual restaurants open onto the panelisation design by forcing the our design process was a key factor The generous pavements, public shops and mall space, achieved sidewalk space along Maude Street maximum number of equal triangles in our contribution to the Jewel, benches, public sculpture and soft through the transparency of the activates the street edge. on the surface and exploring various which is much more than a building landscaping bring human scale glazing lines, facilitates a sense Continued next page combinations of curves. The team – it is a work of art.” and appeal to the streetscape around the precinct, and the visible street frontage of the shops and 1. 2. 3. 4. restaurants and easy pedestrian accessibility draw office-dwellers out from the surrounding commercial buildings and onto the street. The retail level, while fairly small and bespoke in its offering, 5. 6. 7. is characterised by transparency and visibility. Overhead skylights help to flood the interiors with natural light and blur the distinction between interior space and exterior urban environment, conceptually

8. 9.

Claassen Auret is a professional Consulting Electrical/Electronic Engineers Company geared to serving the needs of a rapidly

changing . Although based in and Western Brunette All images © Arup / Tessa Cape we undertake assignments throughout South Africa and Africa. 1. 11 Diagonal St, Johannesburg 2. PwC, No 5 Silo, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 3. No. 1 Mutual Place, Sandton, Johannesburg 4. Grain Silo Complex, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 5. The Leonardo, Sandton, Johannesburg 6. Constitutional Court, Johannesburg 7. The MARC, Sandton, Johannesburg 8. Park Square, Umhlanga, Durban 9. PwC Tower, , Johannesburg The Company provides a comprehensive range of general Electrical and Electronic Installations and is the ground breaking Consulting Engineers in the Alternative Energy Field, such as Quad and Tri-Gen as well as bio-fuels generation. A building’s skin can define its value, performance 8 Handel Road, Ormonde, Johannesburg and architectural expression. Arup has designed E-mail: [email protected] | Telephone: +27 11 496 3101 the façades of South African skylines since 1981.

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The ENS tower’s added height The Marc has also been designed imparts visual identity, even from to actively interface and connect a distance, from its with neighbouring properties – position set back from the street. Block C, Main Straight Office Park, particularly the Balalaika Hotel 392 Main Road, Bryanston 2191 and the Holiday Inn. Van Bebber Tel: +27 (0)11 790 1769 Franki Africa is proud to have carried points out that “knitting The Marc www.boogertmanandpartners.com back into the urban fabric” was out the Piling and Lateral Support works essential to ensure the successful activation of the public space of for the 129 Rivonia Road Project (The Marc). the precinct, and to Sandton’s commercial centre more generally. The Marc is unique in Sandton in that it has three separate entrances, S&P House, Corner Lenchen Avenue North and South Streets, Centurion including the newly unlocked Tel: +27 (0)12 663 3125 passageway from Stella Street to the Email: [email protected] south – which has been decorated www.spoormaker.co.za with specially commissioned urban art – and draws pedestrians from neighbouring offices to the south, as well as Gautrain users, facilitating easy access to the centre and hotels beyond. Boogertman + Partners also provided name generation, brand Tel: +27 (0)87 803 0631 creation, signage and comprehensive Email: [email protected] wayfinding design for The Marc. www.cairnmead.com

Kantey & Templer Consulting Engineers 9 Burnside Island, 410 , Craighall Tel: +27 (0)11 501 4760 Fax: +27 (0)11 501 4769 www.kanteys.co.za

+27 (0)832359089 | +27 (0)11 4862979 +27 (0)11 4861513 | Fax: +27 (0)11 646 5399 Left: Overhead skylights in the retail areas help to flood the interiors Email: [email protected] with natural light and blur the distinction between interior space and exterior urban environment. www.aedlandscape.co.za Franki Africa provides As part of the connected companies of Keller, Franki Africa offers dedicated expertise in: a comprehensive range of geotechnical and marine engineering PROFESSIONAL TEAM services including both design and construction for the General ARCHITECTS: Boogertman + Partners (Bob van Bebber; Gavin Tucker; Roxanne Momberg; Judith Jurgens; Herman Jansen; Julia Carew; Mia • Piled Foundations Construction, Civil Engineering and Mining Industries. Call Franki Els; Dean Jacobs; Philippa Lankers; Liesl Niemand, Avinesh Pather, Nonjabula Madlala, Luis Araujo; Marie van de Merwe, Kylie Rankin; Sandra • Lateral Support today about your next project. van Wyk, Saffiya Laher; Merike Swanepoel; Samantha Niar; Ayanda Mkize, Ronnie Figuera, Senzo Philips, Orepa Mosidi; Nqobile Lombo) • Ground Improvement DEVELOPER: Eris Property Group PROJECT MANAGERS: SIP Project Managers TENANT CO-ORDINATION: Tenant Co-ordination Services • Near Shore Marine Works (Pty) Ltd TOWN PLANNER: Urban Innovate QUANTITY SURVEYOR: AECOM STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Aurecon Group MECHANICAL • ENGINEER: Spoormaker & Partners TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Arup (Pty) Ltd FIRE ENGINEER: Specialised Fire Technology HEALTH & 10 Woodmead Estate Design – Build SAFETY CONSULTANT: Cairnmead Industrial Consultants GREEN DESIGN CONSULTANT: WSP Green by Design ENVIRONMENTAL 1 Woodmead Drive Ext.28 • Foundation Repair & Underpinning CONSULTANT: Arup (Pty) Ltd WET SERVICES CONSULTANT: Sutherland FACADES ENGINEER: Arup (Pty) Ltd LIFTS CONSULTANT: Woodmead • Liquefaction Mitigation Tel: +27 (0)11 233 6800 Projitech EXTERNAL ROADS UPGRADE CIVIL ENGINEER: Kantey & Templer Consulting Engineers ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT: Linspace Fax: +27 (0)11 233 6801 +27 11 531 2700 | franki.co.za | [email protected] LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT: African Environmental Design PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR: Aveng Trencon Village Walk JV LATERAL SUPPORT Email: [email protected] CONTRACTOR: Franki (Pty) Ltd BULK EARTHWORKS CONTRACTOR: Zero Azania (Pty) Ltd www.sippm.co.za

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