Podium at Menlyn

Podium at Menlyn - Pretoria South Africa

Boogertman + Partners Architects as Architects

Brief and design reaction The three-part brief from the Client seemed simple enough at the time. Firstly the design team at Boogertman+Partners Architects had to design a building that would not date. Secondly the design had to be implemented with materials that were low maintenance, and the building had to be Emira Property Fund’s Flagship building, and become a Pretoria Icon in itself. The design team translated the brief by creating a striking triangular geometry using low-maintenance materials. In 2012 phase one of Emira Property Fund's new office development, Podium at Menlyn, was successfully completed. This iconic building has been a talking point ever since the first off shutter concrete facade was revealed.


Design Concept The seamless triangular union of glass and off-shutter concrete was inspired by ancient engraved artworks found in the Blombos Caves on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. This symbolizes a bridge between a 77 000 year old culture and the future of South Africa. Inspiration was also drawn from the ancient Chinese Tangram dissection puzzle. This puzzle, consisting of seven flat shapes called tans, are put together to form shapes. The design team met the client’s “Icon” part of the brief by transforming this ancient game into a magnificent triangular grid which features on the eastern and southern facades of the building. The abstract design is produced as a modular unit that can be configured into a geometric grid, making the implementation of the design an exact science and representing a synthesis of mathematics, symbolic systems and art. Even the basement and lift lobby artwork makes use of these tans to create a "geometrical garden” within an urban space, giving one the feeling of being in a digital landscape. The artwork transforms a once dull basement into an exciting space, through which one enters for a day’s work. The design suggests both the archaic nature of its origins and the sophistication of 21st century technology.


Materials Glass The use of mottled grey and black glass on the facades lent itself to the concept of a triangular geometry. The design team wanted to achieve contrast with the use of clever materials and a contrasting curtain wall grid was designed. The internal face of the triangular façade is a sharp contrast with the exterior. Instead of the shades of grey on the exterior, the interior consists of shades of white. This is due to the construction process of the laminated safety glass used for the facades, whereby the lamination film is grey and/or black to the outside of the building, but the internal surface of the film is white. This accentuates the grid of the aluminium structure on the inside of the building, a decision made in the design phase also enabling the end user to experience the geometric grid of the exterior.


Concrete As the triangular geometry of the curtain wall is only 2 dimensional, the Design Team wanted to explore materials that would be able to incorporate a third dimension to the triangular forms of the façade. In the end, the most suitable material to achieve this 3 dimensionality was raw concrete, allowing the triangular shapes to transition from 2 dimensional patterns in the curtain walls, to 3 dimensional extrusions within the concrete. The raw concrete juxtaposed with the smooth curtain wall would create a harmonious balance in the design. The 3 dimensional triangular pattern was a construction feat in itself, constructed by creating 35mm deep recesses within the concrete. The function of the triangular windows is to allow natural light to filter into the internal office space situated behind the concrete feature walls.


Challenges Creating the recessed lines which define the triangular geometry meant that once the shutters were removed there was a risk that the concrete could break out, leaving the face of the walls with ragged edges that would require patching. Patching of the concrete is a process the entire team wanted to avoid at all costs as the beauty of off-shutter concrete lies in the seamless and sculptural appearance as well as its unique texture. A sample panel was constructed beforehand, allowing the architects and contractors to explore different methods and materials to achieve the desired finish. These methods include: • The use of fibre reinforced concrete • The use of self-compacting concrete • The use of pre-mixed concrete with a smaller aggregate.


Another challenge was that the Structural Engineer required the concrete feature walls to form part of the structural framework of the building. This required portions of the feature wall to be cast simultaneously with the main frame of the building. To deliver the required structural integrity, the construction of the concrete was done as follows:


• The down stand portion of the feature walls were cast simultaneously with the first floor slab. Construction with regular premixed concrete as opposed to self-compacting concrete was used, as a continuously cast concrete structure was required by the structural engineer. Due to the added cost of self-compacting concrete, it could not be used for the casting of the floor slabs. • The second cast of the feature wall (First Floor to Second Floor level) was completed using self-compacting concrete. On the top portion of the feature wall, a polystyrene pocket on floor slab level served as a permanent shutter for the concrete of the Second Floor slab. • The Second Floor slab was cast using regular pre-mixed concrete, with splicing of reinforcing done above the floor slab level. • This procedure was repeated for the Second, Third and Fourth Floor pours (to the underside of the Roof slab) • As with the bottom portion of the wall, the upper most portion of the wall also required one continuous pour for structural integrity of the roof slab upstand. This upper portion was again cast using regular pre-mixed concrete due to cost constraints. • The construction joints in the concrete walls were required at very specific heights as not to impact on the Contractor’s program. Numerous consultations between architect, contractor, structural engineer and concrete specialists were held, resulting in a design solution that had no impact whatsoever on the program of the Building. • Two sets of shutters were used for the construction of the 3 feature walls • A single set of shutters were used for both the eastern and western façade’s feature walls. The eastern and western feature walls were phased by levels, i.e. once the first down stand was complete on both the eastern and western facades, the first wall cast on the western wall’s shuttering was used on the eastern wall’s first cast, and so the process continued. The walls are therefore a mirror image of the other. • The second set of shutters was used for the construction of the fire escape stairwell on the southern façade. The utilisation of the same shutter for the construction of the two walls meant a cost saving of 40% on the shuttering. • The Contractor approached Lafarge Readymix Gauteng, and in the end it was decided to use Lafarge’s Agilia Vertical self-compacting concrete solution. Of the total volume of 11 500qm of concrete used, 360qm was Agilia Vertical. What makes this methodology so unique is the fact the building’s entire façade grid was set out using the same grid of the concrete feature walls. One would imagine that, due to time and cost restraints, the triangular grid of the feature walls would only be an external surface treatment. However, upon entering the interior of the building, it becomes apparent that the internal faces of the feature walls are in fact a continuation of the triangular grid. It is evident that due to good planning and construction methodology, this feat was achieved without an impact on the contractor’s program and the client’s budget.


The Building The monochromatic triangular facade consists of a 3 shaded curtain wall of grey and black glass which spans the building’s south façade as well as the soft curve of the building on the corner of Atterbury Road and Lois Avenue. This striking feature takes full advantage of its prime location directly across from Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. The curtain wall acts as a mirror to the sky, evolving in colour and intensity as the sun moves across the African sky. In some instances the mottled facade appears as a single uniform colour from the outside. Breaking the length of the southern facade and anchoring the building to the north, the off-shutter concrete feature walls repeat the triangular module of the facades. The main entrance to the building is a celebration of space with the bold concrete entrance towering the full height of the 5 storey building. This rather humbling entrance is a grand welcome to each visitor entering the Jewel of Pretoria.


The building's northern facade is divided into two main sections. The first section has affectionately become known as the "egg-crates", which are sun-shading pods created using concrete overhangs and division walls which protect the office space from the midday sun throughout the year. Equally deep concrete sunscreen walls also provide shading from the early morning and late afternoon sun. The combination of the walls and the overhangs create the "egg-crates", which has also become a multi-functional space being utilised as patio’s overlooking the main intersection of Lois Avenue and Ingersol Road in Menlyn. The northern facade is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day. To avoid excessive heat buildup, a double curtainwall system was designed. The facade is therefore built up of 2 curtainwalls 1 metre apart, of which the external curtainwall ventilates naturally and disperses the heat build-up. The top and bottom of this curtain wall is open to assist the stack effect of heat dissipation within this void.


Interiors Upon entering the building, one cannot help but feel as if you have stepped onto the set of a black and white, 70's science fiction movie. The interior design, done by Boogertman + Partners Interiors, is a dramatic transition from the darker more powerful external facades to a much lighter and friendlier interior. The geometric grid continues throughout the interior of the building. Spontaneous triangular monochrome floor tiles contrast playfully on the floor of the lobby and full height white glass wall cladding subtly mimics the exterior facade. Natural light pours into the space, reflecting striking patterns off the white glass walls. Recessed channel lights pierce through the ceilings, following the geometric lines of the floor. The geometric facade and triangular windows are visible from the office space during the day, adding texture and contrast to the interior. This neutral interior creates a canvas for tenants’ own signage and branding. At night, the bright interior draws passing eyes like moths to a flame. Therefore the focal point of the building shifts from the dark and powerful exterior in the day, to the bright and playful interior at night - an inverse contrast. This is highlighted by the gigantic custom designed luminaires that hang like pendulums in the multi- volume atrium. A challenge facing the Interior Designers was that of acoustics. In a space with high volumes and hard surfaces, noise travels and reflects, creating disturbances and discomfort for the end user. Custom designed acoustic cladding constructed from perforated MDF board with an acoustic felt backing was designed for the underside the stairs and the lift lobby walls to overcome the noise reflection one would find in such an interior. Circular shaped rugs with soft seating also break the harsh lines and soften the interior, making it feel more welcoming. This also assists with acoustics. The retro style teal chairs dot the space with colour and are set off with subtle tan leather armchairs and white glass tables. Working as a team, Boogertman+Partners Architects and Interiors offer a holistic design approach, as is clear in the case of Menlyn Podium, to a variety of different projects from retail, corporate, health and wellness, hospitality, spaceplanning and furniture procurement.


Green Technologies Although the building is not Green Star rated, many Green Principles have been implemented. These include T5 light fittings, a VRV HVAC system, the double curtain wall facade, 765mm bulkheads and similar sized spandrel panels on every floor reduces the effective area of the facades, passive sunshading on the northern facade and performance glazing which reduce heat loads substantially.


In Conclusion The Podium at Menlyn has become the gateway to the Menlyn node, which is to become an A-Grade business hub with in excess of 300 000 square metres of mixed use development including retail, offices, hotels and residential units being planned. The success of the project can be attributed to the unbeatable combination of creative design talent by Francois Bredenkamp, technical and project management expertise in the form of Frans De Klerk, and a client who had complete faith in the both of them. Support from an equally talented technical and interior design team at Boogertman + Partners Interiors, made the implementation of the original concept a reality. There is a saying that goes "Be so good they can't ignore you". We believe Podium at Menlyn cannot be ignored.

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