No. 6 Silo in Cape Town

No. 6 Silo in Cape Town

As director at Laurence Martin Developments, a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laurence Grigorov keeps abreast of development news and information. Future and upcoming developments offer Laurence Grigorov an insight in potential residential and commercial market trends and changes.

The developments that are appearing in Cape Town are of particular interest to Laurence Grigorov as these market trends often carry over into the Johannesburg market which is the main project area for Laurence Martin Developments.

The V&A Waterfront approached DesignSpaceAfrica in 2014 with a brief to develop a new mid-range hotel on the site known as No 6 Silo, situated in the Silo District. Luyanda Mpahlwa DesignSpaceAfrica were appointed as architects in association with Peerutin Architects.

The new Zeitz MOCAA Museum in the centre of the District, was envisaged as becoming “a new architectural icon for the exhibition and preservation of contemporary Art from Africa”. This museum has become a key design informant for the rest of the District and all buildings around were expected to take design cues from this building. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was awarded the operational rights for a Radisson RED Hotel with 252 rooms over six floors. The brief for the building had to incorporate the requirements of the operators. At that stage, there was no precedent for the Radisson RED since RED was the Rezidor Group’s new brand. The design brief was based on the concept design developed by GRAVEN.

The objective for the Silo District was the creation of an ensemble of buildings with an individual character. However, architects are required to comply with the design guidelines set for the District and to develop individual buildings that reflect the industrial but contemporary architecture envisaged.

The architectural design reflects a combination of an industrial and robust architecture of a semi industrial harbour District, but also in dialogue with the refurbished Grain Silo building which forms the heart of the new Silo District. This dialogue is expressed through the contrast between a robust brick, industrial and modern aesthetic with metal components combined with glass and metal sheeting to integrate a container type design feel which is characteristic of production warehouses and the harbour environment.

The design also captures the character of the Radisson RED brand, which is represented by a contemporary aesthetic which is youthful and combines art, music and fashion with an African flavour expressed both in the architecture and interior design. The design brief for the Radisson RED brand seeks to achieve an unconventional appeal both in terms of design and guest experience.

The Cape Town RED was completed in September 2017 and is the first Radisson RED Hotel on the African continent. It is the fourth in the world, and the second in the southern hemisphere. The design team faced a great task to interpret the requirements of Radisson RED brand and translate them to a local design aesthetic, hopefully with success.

New and exciting projects such as these offer insight to Laurence Grigorov and the team at Laurence Martin Developments for future projects and developments that the company may benefit from.

Photo and words courtesy of Architect and Builder magazine.

Zaha Hadid’s Morpheus Hotel

As director at Laurence Martin Developments, a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laurence Grigorov has a keen interest in international architectural news and information, keeping abreast of the latest trends and designs in the architectural field.

A project which is highly anticipated by Laurence Grigorov as featured in the website, www.designcurial.com, is designed by the late Zaha Hadid, The Morpheus Hotel, is set to open this spring.

Unique in the fact that it is the first tower in the world to use an external skeleton to support its massive structure, the Morpheus hotel is one of the final projects designed by celebrated architect Zaha Hadid. After her untimely death in 2016, the project was finished by her architecture firm, with Viviana Muscettola taking over the role of project director.

According to Viviana, the result is “a sensuous and intriguing form,” which “[provides] the construction advantage of contributing to the building’s stability, and reduces the internal structural requirements optimising the interior layout.”

Viviana explains that by using a pioneering exoskeleton, there is more freedom with regards to how to use the space inside. “The mixed-use nature of the brief called for an architectural solution that could give the maximum flexibility,” she explains. The building will contain approximately 780 guest rooms, suites and sky villas in the two main towers. These are joined at the top - by an infinity pool and leisure area on the 40^th floor - and at the base, by the hotel’s central atrium.

In between these connecting points, there will also be two sky bridges that connect the towers and give the overall design the appearance of a melting sculpture. “The sculpted void blends roof, walls and ceilings without distinction of traditional architectural elements,” Viviana elaborates. “The definition of building itself is pushed towards its boundaries.”

Part of Macau’s attempts to become a self-described “City of Dreams”, the Morpheus hotel has been designed to help establish the Chinese city as a centre for business and tourism. It is the flagship building in a new leisure complex within the heart of Macau, and is also the most architecturally impressive building in the region.

The aim for Zaha Hadid Architects was to create something new and original for the city, which represented the future of buildings and helped set Macau apart from other popular high end travel destinations. The project has an estimated cost of £2.35 billion.

Offering a glimpse at the future of innovative construction, the project is was in safe hands with Zaha Hadid - and her successor, Viviana Muscettola. A unique piece of architecture, as the last project of a great design legend, the Morpheus hotel will undoubtedly make a mark on its surroundings – and give Macau a bright future as a luxury travel destination.

Laurence Grigorov and the team at Laurence Martin Developments believe that such cutting edge designs and projects can uplift the prestige and global awareness of cities promoting both tourism and business opportunities.

Kieran Timberlake Designs New US Embassy in London

Laurence Grigorov is highly influenced by modern design trends and endeavours to instil these inspirations in the company’s architectural style., who is director of Laurence Martin Developments, often looks for inspiration from international architectural design trends. This allows Laurence Grigorov to continually keep the development projects that the company is involved in, fresh and current. Laurence Martin Developments is a luxury residential development company in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A controversial new project which has caught the interest of Laurence Grigorov is the new US Embassy situated in London which is featured on www.designcurial.com

Donald Trump may have complained about it, but the new US Embassy is one of the most extraordinary projects the capital and the world of diplomacy have seen. James Timberlake, co-founder of the Philadelphia-based practice KieranTimberlake that undertook the design, proudly stated the embassy is ‘a spectacular building’ and ‘an embodiment of peace and prosperity’.

London’s previous American Embassy was bound to be a hard act to follow for its successor, wherever it would be. In 1956, Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen won the design competition for an embassy in Grosvenor Square in opulent Mayfair. This was the time when his bold curved forms were emerging to provide a futuristic counterpoint to rectilinear modernism. It opened in 1960 and the scale, materiality and disciplined geometry gave it a glamorous gravitas.

There are parallels in the story of the new embassy. Following a 2008 decision to move, it too started with an architectural competition, announced during George W Bush’s presidency. Pei Cobb Freed, Richard Meier & Partners and Thom Mayne’s practice Morphosis were the other finalists. In 2010, KieranTimberlake won with a design that, like Saarinen’s had, offered a rectilinear box floating on a glazed ground floor, rising from a defensive base.

Timberlake described the embassy building as ‘an object within its urban context’, but it’s an isolated object. Admittedly not as wide as Saarinen’s embassy, it nevertheless dwarfs it — this is essentially a 12-storey cube, 65m high; a huge volume that doubles the embassy floor area to 48,128 sq m.

This embassy may not be to everyone’s taste — but nor was Saarinen’s when it opened. There’s plenty to like about it, such as the art and the park, and not least its sustainability. It claims net carbon neutrality, and its wastewater reclamation system, solar photovoltaic array, ground source heat pump and the stormwater control capacity of the pond are among features which are expected to earn it LEED Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding ratings.

It’s clear that much of the embassy cost is down to security, and doubtless it filled many, many confidential pages of the 1,000-page brief Timberlake said his practice had to tackle.

Laurence Grigorov is highly influenced by modern design trends and endeavours to instil these inspirations in the company’s architectural style.

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners New Toronto Skyscraper

Laurence Grigorov, as director of Laurence Martin Developments, finds inspiration from international architectural designs and trends for residential development projects that the company is involved in. Laurence Martin Developments has been developing luxury residential projects in Johannesburg, South Africa for nearly 15 years. Laurence Grigorov is highly influenced by modern design trends and endeavours to instil these inspirations in the company’s architectural style.
A new project which is featured in www.dezeen.com and has Laurence Grigorov excited is the HUB situated in Toronto, Canada.

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has released the first visualisations of The HUB, a skyscraper that will "hover" above a historic building in Toronto, Canada. Renders show an external steel structure supporting the building and allowing it to cantilever over the Toronto Harbour Commission Building, a six storey building erected on the site in 1917.

"Our design brings together many key elements of our work, including structural steelwork, transparency, and connectivity to the urban fabric around it, to form an office in harmony with its surroundings," said Graham Stirk, senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. "We are excited to have this opportunity to design a landmark building for Toronto’s skyline," continued Stirk.
At 60 stories high, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners' commercial skyscraper will be among the tallest buildings in the city. The 72-storey First Canadian Place is both the tallest building in Toronto and Canada.

The British architecture firm was announced as the design competition winners for The HUB, also known as 30 Harbour Bay, in 2017. The HUB acronym is a reference to the towers' proximity to the Harbour, Union Station, and Bay Street.

Barcelona Celebrate La Liga & Copa Titles in Style

As director of Laurence Martin Developments, a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, Laurence Grigorov is involved in all aspects of the development process, including land acquisition, rezoning applications, architectural design as well as the finance and legal components of these complex projects.

In his spare time, Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching football and is a massive childhood fan of FC Barcelona who play in La Liga in Spain. Recently the club capped off a successful season by winning both the Spanish La Liga title as well as the Copa del Rey cup.

Thousands of Barcelona fans lined the streets of the city Monday to celebrate the club's success, although the pain of an early Champions League exit was omnipresent. Wearing the club's trademark blue and claret-coloured shirts, fans cheered as an open-top bus passed by carrying Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and other stars who were taking photos with their mobiles, throwing confetti or singing "champions, champions."

It is the eighth time Barca have achieved the feat, although the celebratory parade through the city centre was not as well attended and less exuberant than in past years. Not only did it take place in the middle of a long weekend, when many locals leave the city, but Barca fans are still reeling from their shock elimination by Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals.

As arch-rivals Real Madrid continue their bid for a record-extending 13th Champions League title, Barca fans are left pondering what might have been had their turbulent season gone differently.

The departure of Brazilian star Neymar last summer came before defeat to Real in the Spanish Super Cup. Barcelona regrouped, dominating their rivals on the pitch to win the Copa del Rey with a 5-0 demolition of Sevilla and then securing the league title, in their first season with Ernesto Valverde as coach, with a 4-2 win at Deportivo La Coruna.

It is Barca's seventh La Liga title in 10 years and their fourth consecutive Copa del Rey victory.
Laurence Grigorov is pleased Barcelona were able to bounce back from the disappointment of the shock Champions League result against Roma as I looking forward to a strengthened squad for the next season.

Words courtesy of www.supersport.com

SA National Council for the Blind Offers Assistive Technology

Laurence Grigorov leverages nearly two decades of management and property development experience as the director of Laurence Martin Developments in Johannesburg. Outside of his professional activities, Laurence Grigorov contributes to charities that include the Johannesburg Children's Home and the South African National Council for the Blind.

Founded in 1929, the South African National Council for the Blind organizes more than 100 member organizations that work to prevent blindness. The organization also strives to ensure inclusion for individuals who are blind and visually impaired through rehabilitation and community development or training and education. Moreover, the council operates an online store for the blind known as the Enterprise Shop.

The council’s Enterprise Shop offers an array of braille reading materials in addition to assistive technology devices. Products range from liquid level indicators and computer reading devices to toys for children who are blind and talking watches. For those in need of assistance, council staff are on hand to provide assessments and make recommendations. 

The store’s most popular products are featured in a PDF catalog that can be downloaded from the Enterprise Shop page at http://www.sancb.org.za/article/our-enterprise-shop.