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.

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.

Springbok Rugby Coach Allister Coetzee Sacked

Allister Coetzee

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. Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching sport in general and rugby in particular.

The Springboks, which is the South African national rugby team, has been in turmoil over the last 2 years with poor results and a lack of a clear game plan. Laurence Grigorov has been reading with interest the changes that appear to be happening to try and reverse the decline of the team.

As reported in the Associated Press recently, the departure of Coetzee was described by SA Rugby as by mutual agreement but it was widely reported it was seeking to sack Coetzee following another dismal showing on the tour of Europe last November and December. Coetzee and SA Rugby agreed to terminate their contract two years early. In a statement, it quoted Coetzee as saying "Now is the time the team and me strike out in new directions."

Rassie Erasmus, the former Springboks loose forward and ex-director of rugby at Irish club Munster is expected to take over. He returned to South Africa in November as the union's director of rugby.
Coetzee won just 11 of 25 tests in charge since taking over in early 2016, an unacceptable win ratio for a team that believes it should be the best in the world, or at least the No 1 challenger to fierce rival New Zealand. Instead, the Springboks became a laughingstock under Coetzee, collecting a string of unwanted records.

Coetzee's team lost to Ireland for the first time at home in his first test, lost in Argentina for the first time, was beaten 57-15 by New Zealand for its worst defeat at home, and was even beaten by minnow Italy, also for the first time ever. In all, South Africa lost eight tests in 2016, the team's worst season ever just a year after the Springboks finished third at the Rugby World Cup and pushed New Zealand close in the semi-finals.

The lowest point came in 2017, a 57-0 hammering by the All Blacks in New Zealand for South Africa's worst loss anywhere, ever. After that, Coetzee couldn't shrug off doubts over his suitability for the job. The last straw was the record 38-3 loss to Ireland in Dublin in November to start the Boks' end-of-year tour.

It was widely reported in South Africa that SA Rugby would force Coetzee out of the job, with just a possible compensation deal the only complication because he still had two years left on his contract. The relationship turned sour, with Coetzee reportedly sending a letter to SA Rugby criticizing management and saying he was "set up to fail."

The 45-year-old Erasmus has filled various roles at SA Rugby and has been linked with the Springboks coaching job previously. His role as SA Rugby director is to oversee all elements of the national team, and Coetzee reportedly said he was unwilling to work under Erasmus, calling it an "indignity." Asked if he was willing to coach the Springboks, Erasmus said he would do what was best for South Africa.

MAD's mountain-shaped tower complex nears completion in Beijing

MAD's mountain-shaped tower complex nears completion in Beijing

Laurence Grigorov, 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 new project which is Laurence Grigorov believes is shifting modern architectural trends is the new commercial and residential complex based in Beijing which is based on rock formations.

MAD's Chaoyang Park Plaza is a 120,000-square-metre complex of skyscrapers, office blocks and public spaces is located in Beijing's central business district, which sits on the southern edge of Chaoyang Park – one of the largest parks in the city.

In building Chaoyang Park Plaza, the architects intended to create a "city landscape" by referencing the lakes, mountains and stones depicted in traditional Chinese shan shui scenic paintings.

The project is modelled on Shanshui City, the architectural model created by MAD's founder Ma Yansong for an urban development in Guiyang, China. Yansong's vision is intended to rethink how cities and their inhabitants can reconnect with the natural world.

Construction started on the project in 2012 – with the main focus being a pair of asymmetrical 120-metre tall skyscrapers modelled on the natural shapes of rock formations. "Ridges and valleys define the shape of the exterior glass facade, as if the natural forces of erosion wore down the tower into a few thin lines," said the architects.

The irregular silhouettes of the two towers are formed from multi-level terraces populated by public gardens where people can look out over the city. The ridges are embedded with sustainable technologies, using internal ventilation and filtration systems to draw the natural breeze indoors.

A 17-metre-high glass lobby creates a transitional area between the two towers – sounds of flowing water are played throughout the connecting space to "make the lobby feel like a natural scene from a mountain valley," said the studio. The firm's concern with connecting the urban environment with nature is demonstrated by its use of greenery interspersed throughout the towers.

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