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Property of the Month Turbine Hall: Preserving Our Heritage
The preservation of Turbine Hall, Johannesburg’s first coal-fired power station and one of the city’s most dour yet beautiful landmarks, is finally complete. Glynis Hyslop, MD of The Forum Company, saw the potential in restoring the space. She realised she could transform it into a fabulous venue for functions, conferences and other events, a notion that aligned perfectly with the mission of The Forum Company, an organisation that strives to consistently deliver world-class food and gatherings with a uniquely South African personality and style. Glynis was determined to preserve Turbine Hall, so throughout the renovation process she ensured that every design change was approved by the Heritage committee. The refurbishment of Turbine Hall took almost two years to complete, but it was well worth the wait and the effort. The Forum Company, in conjunction with TPS Architects and developers TIBER BONVEC and Renlia, have created a building that truly displays South African design while maintaining the building’s original architectural principle. By demolishing one of the three main structures (they actually dismantled and re-erected parts of this structure), the design has remained as true to the original as possible. Glynis says the biggest challenge was trying to decide what to leave intact and what to smooth over and modernise, all while keeping to an extremely tight budget. ‘Much of the existing finish came from the building’s former usage – aged copper, aged steel, rust and grey. We’ve made sure that all of the furniture is historically compatible, but it’s been completely modernised and specifically designed for the space,’ she says. The result is an eclectic mix of past and present. ‘We’ve tried to minimise the building’s electricity usage by bringing as much light into the building as possible,’ Glynis adds. ‘By incorporating energy-efficient lighting, additional windows, skylights and glass, we’ve managed to ensure that most areas require very little artificial light. Heating and cooking is done with gas – a slight anomaly, as the building was previously the home of electricity!’ The building has seven function venues and five conference rooms, all of which can be used for launches, dinners, cocktail parties and fashion shows. ‘Plus it has a sexy bar that we’ll probably open to the public on Friday nights,’ Glynis says. Turbine Hall fits perfectly into the social and cultural hub of Newtown. With its many museums, theatres, restaurants, dance studios and craft markets, the area is fast becoming Jo’burg’s arts-and-culture capital. Glynis believes that Turbine Hall will attract more people to the CBD. ‘It’s very accessible, as it’s just over the Nelson Mandela Bridge and has secure parking attached.’ With its sleek, contemporary style, the revived Turbine Hall exudes a degree of personality, warmth and individuality. The Forum Company, +27 (0)11 575 3888, www.theforum.co.za
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