Construction World September 2016

PROJECT PROFILE

FLOOR SPACE for SA

TOURIST

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A 22 storey hotel is rising out of the footprint of the old Tulip hotel in the Cape Town central business district (CBD) in the Western Cape, South Africa.

front and back of house and a further three parking levels. Building complexities Most of the complexities of the build were encountered in the early stages of the contract. From the outset, the site team was aware of the extremely built-up environment in which it would be operating. “This structure is surrounded by four of the busiest streets in the Cape Town CBD, namely Buitengracht, Strand, Bree and Castle streets, and we therefore had to plan very carefully to ensure a safe and productive site,” says Morilly. Importantly and in line with Murray & Roberts Western Cape’s commitment to safe operation, Morilly says that public safety is on top of the agenda. The operational site has been clearly demarcated with signage alerting the public of construction activities, while access to the site is strictly controlled, complementing other safety and environmental interventions such as the installation of debris netting around the entire structure. To mitigate the risk, Murray & Roberts Western Cape ensured that at all times

successfully completed many iconic buildings in the province on behalf of the leading South African building contractor. Morilly says the execution of the design of the hotel by internationally-acclaimed Dexter Moren Associates and South African partner, Ruben Reddy Architects, is now in the phases where the construction of the structure has become typical and there- fore easier. As the structure climbs to its final level, subcontractors follow three to four floors below, starting with the installation of the services components, followed by the dry walling, ceilings, doors, skirting, tiling, painting and soft finishes. There are 40 bedrooms on each floor of the hotel tower that starts on the fifth level of the structure. These are preceded by the podium which consists of 1,5 basement parking levels and two levels housing the

eveloped by Green Willows Properties and to be operated by Tsogo Sun, this asset will feature 500 bedroom suites, of which 250 will be part of the

Sun Square Luxury Hotel and the balance affordable units. These are complemented by banqueting and conference facilities and retail space, as well as 300 undercover parking bays. Murray & Roberts Western Cape, a divi- sion of Murray & Roberts Construction, has made steady progress on the project and, by June 2016, it had reached the halfway mark with 10 more floors left before handing over the building to its client. Overseeing the build is senior contracts manager and Western Cape executive, Collin Morilly, who is a seasoned member of the Murray & Roberts Western Cape team, having

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2016