"Create a landmark on the Johannesburg cityscape!"

This was the brief for the architects of the refurbishment of The Rosebank. DSA Architects went to such great lengths to completely redo the façade and interiors of the building that the new building is unrecognisable as the erstwhile Rosebank Hotel.

The landmark towers The exterior of the two towers of the building has been entirely redone, to give the building a new visual identity. "The towers have been completely reclad," says Nicole Mason, an architect at DSA. "We took out the windows and replaced them with new contemporary materials – rough plaster with fragments of glass embedded in it to capture the light and sparkle."

With the use of curtain walling, an expanse of glass and aluminium, the towers now have a completely different appearance and the reflective edifices are visible from a distance, acting as a beacon to approaching visitors and guests.

Upon arrival even more changes are apparent. "We broke through the West wall of the hotel to give it a new entrance onto Sturdee Avenue, which is the visible side of the hotel," says Mason. "In the past, everyone knew where the hotel was, but couldn’t see it from a distance. This has made an entrance that everyone can see, to draw them inside."

The entrance is also served by a Port Cochere, a covered drop-off area for guests, in line with international hotel trends.

Light and space and volume The Rosebank’s refurbishment wasn’t limited to the exterior and the entrance, once guests are inside, they will find themselves in an open, modern and stylish space that leaves no hint of what the old hotel was like. "We literally took the roof off, gutted the whole building, turned it around, gave it a new entrance and put the roof back on," says Mason.

Guests are ushered into the all-new hotel through a signature reception area that’s all about light and space. "The new entrance, the bar and the lounge are one, big, light-capturing area," says Mason. "It’s a large volume, open-plan area, designed to let in as much light and be as airy as possible."

To do this, a skylight and clerestory lighting have been incorporated into the area, enhancing the characteristics of light, volume and space that are an inherent part of the new Rosebank concept.

Not without its challenges Although the hotel bears no resemblance to its former self, the structural core remains, and presented some sticky challenges for the architects to solve. "The pool was moved from what is now the sunken lounge to outside the spa, and had to be built above an existing parking basement," explains Mason. "This meant that we couldn’t dig into the foundations, but had to build the pool from the ground up."

The edges of the pool had to be carefully positioned over four supporting pillars in the basement. "We had to make it look as if it was meant to be there," says Mason. "So we created an overflow pool, which at 1,5 meters high, is like looking up at a waterfall."

With the hotel reception being comprised of interlinking areas in an open space, it also became a necessity to build a new service lift to the north tower, so that service staff weren’t making their way through the welcoming and aesthetic entrance. "This was quite an engineering challenge, because we had to go through a post-tension slab, which is always difficult," says Mason. "But these are the challenges of a refurbishment."

The Rosebank dining and nightlife The refurbishment has meant that The Rosebank is a social landmark as well, poised to capture Johannesburg’s elite as a venue for sundowners, cocktails and to party the night away.

"We set out to make The Rosebank the hottest place to be seen in Johannesburg," says Mason. "It’s very hip, sleek, contemporary, modern and sexy. The interior design is completely different from any other hotel."

The space created for the Butcher Block restaurant, which will provide Rosebank guests and Johannesburg residents with some of the finest steaks that South Africa has to offer, has been created to engage with the outside world. "The restaurant space was very inward looking, a blank street presence," says Mason. "The Butcher Block is now a corner restaurant, a cube of windows creating a box of light that is visible from the street – and the street is visible from the restaurant."

And with the light-receiving space of the reception areas, the western facing bar will be the perfect place to enjoy sundowners, as the sun sets and the city lights usher in the evening.

A different hotel "The Rosebank doesn’t feel like a refurbishment, it feels like a brand-new building," concludes Mason. "There is nothing conservative about the design of the hotel; it’s one of the boldest on the local landscape. It’s very urban and very contemporary."

For more information contact:
The Rosebank
Marije Meerstadt
0861 174 7444
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Headlines
Lindi Tshabangu
011 887 3422
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