SPECIAL REPORT>THE PIVOT AT MONTECASINO

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Conceived as a walled Tuscan village, in line with the previous phases built at Montecasino, The Pivot is a unique blend of office, retail and hospitality spaces that offers convenience and style to those looking for accommodation and business facilities in the upmarket suburb of Fourways.

By Bev Hermanson

The Pivot courtyard showing part of the office complex, the conference block, the ‘Pivot’ sculpture designed by renowned Johannesburg artist, Marco Cianfanelli, and the entrance to the hotel.

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Easily accessible from the N1 freeway, the Lanseria and

OR Tambo Airports and the business hubs of Sandton

and Midrand, the casino complex known as Monte-

casino offers an excellent blend of entertainment to

the residents of Johannesburg. The first phase of

Montecasino, comprising a gaming floor, various

upmarket restaurants and boutique-styled stores,

along with a Pieter Toerien theatre, NuMetro cinema

complex, fast food court and kiddies entertainment

zone, was opened in 2000. Launched amidst much

fanfare, Montecasino rapidly became one of the most

popular gaming destinations in Gauteng.

Initially, the 5-star Palazzo Hotel built alongside the

casino, was the only hotel accommodation nearby,

but as subsequent phases came on stream, offices,

an additional theatre – the 1 900 seater Teatro – and

another hotel ‘on the square’ added more spice.

The latest offering at Montecasino, in the form of The

Pivot, adds a great deal of value as an extra dimension

to the already popular entertainment node. A joint

venture between Tsogo Sun, Abland and ABSA, The

Pivot fulfills a number of needs, one of which was the

provision of extra parking. Furthermore, for those

living in the vicinity and for those living north of Wit-

koppen Road, The Pivot offers an excellent business

premises alternative to the congestion experienced in

Rivonia, Sunninghill and Sandton. Over 16 000 m2 of

rentable office space is available in blocks of be-

tween 50 m2 right up to 13000 m2. Each office block

has its own core facilities in the form of lifts, stairs and

toilets, with access to the open air communal square.

A dominant feature in the square is the huge sculpture

by renowned Johannesburg artist, Marco Cianfanelli.

The brief to Cianfanelli was to create a tall sculpture

that would add a touch of modernity to the Tuscan sur-

roundings. “I tried to capture the idea of a pivot being

both a point of origin and a source of energy,” explains

Cianfanelli. The interpretation suggests that the pivot

represents centrifugal forces and Cianfanelli decided to

depict this by arranging multiple fins around a single

point, to create the effect of energy radiating out-

The open plan kitchen creates a ‘theatre of cooking’ interactive with the guests in the dining room.

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wards. The result has been quite a feat of engineer-

ing, at 18 metres tall, weighing six tons and wired to

light up at night.

The office facilities are complemented by a choice

selection of retail outlets and restaurants. In fact,

every convenience has been considered, from rentable

meeting rooms and boardrooms, to hairdressers, dry

cleaners and even printers. In addition, tenants of the

office accommodation have access to the facilities

in the new four star Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel

that is part of the new development – in particular the

120 seater restaurant, the lounge area and the Venetian

bar.

“The addition of another hotel increases our total room

stock to over 600 in the Montecasino node,” says Kevin

Page, director of development for the Tsogo Sun Group.

“This has been a welcome extension to the accom-

modation already available. The additional offices

have further added an exciting business opportunity,

especially since we have included a 1 200 m2 confer-

ence centre as an extra attraction.”

Modelled on the Palazzo Corsini, a fifteenth century villa

nestling on the slopes between Gianicolo and the Tiber

River in Italy, the new Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel,

with its distinctive pink and cream exterior, offers 194

rooms and boasts a theatre-style open plan kitchen

interactive with the restaurant, a high tech gym in the

basement and a spacious lounge and bar. An exten-

sive wooden decked terrace outside overlooks the

pool and wetland area on the northern side of the

hotel, which, although it faces one of the busy traffic

circles, is effectively shielded from public view.

Multiple volume reception area of the Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel and the sweeping staircase leading off the reception area.

"Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose."

- Charles Eames

SANDTON +27 11 555 4800 I CENTURION +27 12 663 2556 I www.offix.co.za I sales@offix.co.za

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Tel: +27 011 474 1431Email: lailainteriors@wol.co.za

www.lailainteriors.co.za

Laila Interiors appreciates the opportunity to be a part of another

Kharafi Holdings Project at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai development

Laila Interiors have been involved in the following projects with Kharafi Holdings;

-Sheraton Hotel, Albania & Gambia

-Lombardy Estate Lodge, Pretoria-Port Khalib Hotel Project Egypt

-Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria

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The Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel enjoys prime position as part of The Pivot development in Fourways.

“What is special about this development is the unique

fusion of old meeting new,” says Ryan Illgner, interior

designer for the hotel and conference facilities and

Director of Blacksmith Africa Interior Design Con-

sultants. “The juxtaposition is evident throughout

the development and especially in the hotel, which

resembles an old Venetian building that has been

refurbished.”

The ‘remnants’ of the ‘old’ building are evident in

the antique furniture pieces, the refurbished ceilings,

reclaimed oak floors and timber work. A contemporary

element is added through the use of glass for the

balustrades, stainless steel detailing and the inter-

mingling of classic contemporary furniture pieces

accented in places with strong colours.

“The Pivot project was a wonderful experience in

that it combined the talents of some of the top con-

sultants in all disciplines within South Africa, who

were given the creative freedom by the client to create a

unique development where every detail has been

carefully considered and tested,” Illgner adds. “The

future for The Pivot can only be successful. Its beautiful

classic Venetian appeal is seamlessly integrated

with contemporary design and all the convenience

afforded by modern technology.” <