Of all the people who have toiled in the Daily Dispatch’s building in Caxton Street, the most legendary is Donald Woods, who became editor in 1965.
As the end of November move-in date approaches, the Quinera Drive construction with its ground-breaking architectural design site is steadily nearing completion.
“We are exactly on target,” said Monobulelwa Construction owner Sheldon Ball, the main contractor on the build. “This design is very distinctive so it takes a lot of co-ordination of various trades, but we are happy with the way it’s going and on track.”
Besides the stylish angles and curves of the Beacon Bay building’s contemporary aesthetics, energy saving is one of the vital elements of the design.
“We are using UV resistant glass which will have a grey tint to eliminate UV rays so it won’t get too hot inside, which will save energy,” Glass Co co-owner Roddy Anderson said. “Part of the new building regulations require buildings to be as energy efficient as possible.”
Brett Moyes of Gridnic, who was installing massive exterior panels of isoboard on the front and back of the building, which will give the building a unique aesthetic especially once strips of glazing are installed, explained that isoboard is usually used for industrial refrigeration due to its insulating qualities.
“It saves electricity and conserves energy,” he said. “We use it in bulkheads in factories, but nothing like this, so it’s quite a challenge for us.”
Architect Marius Greeff said all doors and windows are being plastered in, while the floors on the first floor were being smoothed before the application of a sealant for an on-trend polished look.
Once BCM has provided vital three-phase power to the construction site, the Kone lift will be installed, signalling the final farewell to the temperamental vintage Otis lift Dispatch staff have been using for decades in the CBD. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za