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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
NOVEMBER
2016
From the inner hall, steps lead to the first floor.
Another functional artwork on the landing – a laser
cut steel screen depicting the school’s first anthem
in braille – fulfils an important architectural purpose
as it hides the staircase.
Even the materials of the old school are re-in-
terpreted in contemporary and functional ways,
according to Mathews. A graphic screen of piano
keys that adorns the southern façade of the existing
school hall adds a fun element while, at the same
time, hiding unsightly drainage pipes from the
ablution block.
Providing the perfect venue for summer
festivals and year-end functions, Sandton
Central offers ample space for people to
reconnect with nature, unwind and socialise with
friends and family on lush green lawns sheltered
beneath the shady trees.
Elaine Jack, city improvement district manager
of the Sandton Central Management District
(SCMD), says: “Joining leading cities across the
globe, Sandton Central recognises the importance
that green lungs play inwell-designed urban fabric
that provides a full experience for the people who
use it. These precious outdoor spaces provide
people with an opportunity to take a break from
the hustle and bustle of city life, and they also
provide opportunities for groups of people to get
together and enjoy themselves without feeling the
restrictions of four walls around them.”
Innesfree Park, conveniently located on
Katherine Street in Sandown, offers residents
and visitors respite from the rigours of city life.
Here you’ll find two tranquil dams and plenty of
open space in which to have picnics or just take
a lunch break.
“Due to its size, Innesfree Park is known to
host large-scale events like music concerts, motor
shows, arts and culture exhibitions and a number
of other outdoor shows. It is also ideal for smaller
private parties and picnics,” says Jack.
Another extraordinary lush green hideaway
situated in the heart of the Sandton Central
business district, Mushroom Farm Park, renamed
Hyundai Sky Park, boasts a fully equipped play-
ground for the kids, a duck pond, amphitheatre,
hilly landscaped lawns and an outdoor gym.
Popular with families for weekend picnics, the
giant Hyundai branded hot air balloon, which rises
120 m above the park, offers visitors an incredible
view of Sandton, weather permitting.
Dog walkers are also welcome to this park
provided that their pooches are on a leash, and the
neatly paved walkways are perfect for strollers or
joggers. There are also tables, benches and clean
public toilets available.
A small, intimate park located in the heart
of the financial district, Sandton Central Park
offers a blank canvas, perfect for planning niche
events. The park occasionally hosts live music
day festivals as well as other events and offers an
amphitheatre, sculptured garden beds, indigenous
SANDTON CENTRAL – LIVE THE PARK LIFE
South Africa’s commercial
capital, Sandton Central, offers
visitors and residents more
than just world class business,
retail, residential and tourist
facilities. It also is also home
to three wonderful parks that
connect this thriving city to
the great outdoors.
tress, solar powered lights and benches to sit on.
Jack says: “Sandton Central’s parks build a
healthier community by providing green spaces
for people to socialise and enjoy recreational
activities and events. These spaces have been
designed to be enjoyed and shared by the
community, and we encourage people to make
good use of them.”
The mandate of Johannesburg City Parks and
Zoo (JCPZ) is to create safe recreational spaces for
residents of the greater Johannesburg. JCPZ has
been fortunate in having the opportunity to form
mutually beneficial relationships with residential
associations as well as business communities
to protect these open spaces. Louise Gordon
(GM new business development) says numerous
opportunities exist to create safe cycling, trail
running and walking lanes in parks as well as
events that will encourage outdoor lifestyles.
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“The building scale and materiality
relates to the existing built heritage
fabric, but the aesthetic resolution
is not one that copies the style of
the existing buildings.”