The renovation of Ponte City, Johannesburg’s formerly infamous landmark to a shining beacon heralding the restoration of the inner city to a trendy residential and commercial zone, has been causing a buzz in the country’s property press over the last few months.

Ponte City, originally called the Strydom Tower, was built in 1975 to a height of 173 metres, making it the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa. The original architect, Rodney Grosskopf, came up with the innovative idea of putting up a cylindrical building with a hollow inner core riddled with windows to let light into the apartments.

It was an extremely desirable address for its views of Johannesburg and its surroundings. But during the 1990s, the building became symbolic of the crime and urban decay that gripped the once cosmopolitan Hillbrow neighbourhood. Unsavoury elements moved in, Ponte’s iconic inner core filled up with debris five stories high and the owners left the building to decay.

Then, at the end of the millennium, the building came under new management and by May 2007 Ponte had changed ownership and a redevelopment project, New Ponte was put in motion. The sigh of relief was almost audible (if incredulous, in some quarters). Grosskopf was delighted: ‘I’d love to see Ponte going back to what it once was,’ he said in a previous interview. ‘If you think of any building in Berea or Hillbrow, I think Ponte has the best chance of recovery. It’s a bit of an island so it’s secure. It could really lead the regeneration of the whole area.’ And well it might: according to Ponte City’s website, the Johannesburg Development Agency will be investing significantly in the areas around Ponte City, and the nearby Ellis Part precinct is being redeveloped at a cost of R2-billion.

The developers are restoring the building to its former glory, rekindling its spirit with the concept of ‘firefly boxes’ in the inner core. There will be 86 of these light-boxes, each a half-metre wide and constructed from coloured glass, scattered throughout to resemble stars. The developers speak of opening up Ponte City, as it is now called, to Johannesburg, uncovering many of the views that were hidden through previous renovations. ‘Ponte City is a brilliant, beautiful building – like a giant sculpture,’ says Ngaire Blankenberg, director of Space Marketing, the company responsible for marketing the building.

Planned for completion in April 2009, Ponte City will feature over 2 700m2 of retail space, 8 000m2 of office space, a top gym with indoor swimming pool, an international-standard climbing wall, 467 residential units and – the sparkling crown of the New Ponte project – six highly coveted penthouses.

The penthouses, at the top of Ponte City, are each three stories high, taking up Floors 52, 53 and 54, making them the highest residential apartments in Africa. They form part of a suite of 10 luxury apartments.

The penthouses, which arguably have the best urban views in Africa, range in price from R2,5-million to R6,5-million – that’s just
R20000/m2. All are open-plan and feature a Jacuzzi, personal study, bar, a kitchen worthy of the world’s best chefs and a staggering glass viewing box on the exterior of the building, which will allow the owners to literally step out into the sky. ‘Our penthouses are designed to make the best of the incredible panoramic views,’ says Ponte City developer David Selvan. ‘They are luxurious, unique spaces that can be adapted to the personal tastes of each of their owners. There is one chance to own this exclusive lifestyle; it will not arise again.’

Three of the penthouses have already been sold – two to South African business people and the third to a British investor. Not too shabby an achievement for a building that the City once considered turning into a prison. In fact, interest has been such that the developers are even considering dividing one whole floor into another two penthouses, each with a 180-degree view of the city.

The apartments are also an attractive proposition. Setshwano Rametse, director of Space Marketing, was responsible for their design. ‘The idea from the developer was to have six different concepts to give buyers a sense of choice, which other developments currently are not offering,’ he notes. The six concepts that Rametse came up with include: Old Money - exuding elegance, charm and timeless classics, Global Fusion - an African-influenced décor mixed with colourful contemporary pieces, Moroccan Delight – a Moroccan-influenced décor that is a decadent mix of embroidered fabrics and carved wooden pieces, Glam Rock – a sophisticated mix of indulgent velvet and satins mixed with neo-classical pieces, Future Slick – a slick selection of glass, contemporary and chrome pieces that bring across an uncluttered, modern and minimalist ambience with contrasting colours, and Zen-like – a cool, serene and organic environment with natural wood pieces and natural colour tones.

The apartments will be sold as complete packages including beds and mattresses, sofas, table and chairs, a stove, a fridge, a microwave and a washing machine.

Hillbrow has had such a colourful past that it might as well have been a Jackson Pollock painting. Many Johannesburg residents do not know the extent of the good work being done to revitalise Jo’burg’s inner city. But the revamped Ponte with its ‘tallest penthouses in Africa’ and the benefits of its central location (halfway between Soweto and Sandton, 20 minutes from the OR Tambo International airport, and just minutes from the M1 highways) demands that we look up and take notice.