Facelift to transform Shell House


Shell House, one of the tallest buildings in the Cape Town CBD, has had a name change and is in the process of undergoing an extensive facelift.

The landmark building was acquired by property developer Atterbury Property in 2006, and has been renamed Atterbury House.

An extensive refurbishment will transform the building on the corner of Riebeek and Lower Burg streets.

A total area of 26 500m² will be upgraded and revamped to upper-grade CBD-offices. All building services, such as lifts and air conditioners, will be improved and 25 floors will be refurbished.

"Each floor spans an area of approximately 975m², says Heidi Rix of Atterbury. "The floor plates have no columns, which enhances the efficiency of the office layouts. The core is in the middle of the building, which makes the subdivision of office space easy. Each floor plate can either be occupied by a single tenant or subdivided into up to four smaller areas for individual tenants."

Rix says floor revamps will take about six weeks to complete. The first three floors are available immediately and will be revamped according to tenant needs before occupation. In addition, the foyer revamp will be concluded by next month.

Most offices have spectacular views, so rentals of R75/m² to R100/m² are standard, depending on the specific views. In addition, the building is close to St George's Mall and public transport facilities.

"Atterbury House will offer tenants top-grade facilities at competitive rentals," says Rix.

"In addition, ample parking (2.3 bays for every 100m²) is an attraction in a city that is plagued by a shortage of parking space."

The Atterbury Property Group has a 46% shareholding in Attfund, an award-winning private property fund specialising in regional shopping centres, which was co-founded by Atterbury in 2002, and a 25% stake in RAPFund, a private, unlisted fund focusing on convenience shopping centres.

Shell House will be placed in Atterbury's office fund, Attacq, which accommodates A-grade office parks and buildings. This fund also accommodates other signature office developments such as Investec's regional office, the Lord Charles & Lady Brooks office parks in Pretoria, and Hampton Office Park in Bryanston.

The addition of Shell House to the portfolio will enhance the Cape Town presence in the fund, which already houses Great Westerford and the recently completed Terraces, both of which are in Claremont.

excellent, a great post modern building with spanderal pannels around the perimiter.hasent the Shell logo been removed and replaced by FNB?

Is the Attlerbury House in a bad or partially bad condition?

Its still in a decent nick, but does need some touching up. Its got pontential thats for sure!

This building does have amazing potential. It seems to be in good shape, but I love it when they just shake things up a bit...

It will be nice if they give it a massive facelift, like what ABSA did, that will be awesome!!! oh maybe like Civitas in Pta.

I really hope they do something very glassy to the outside! It will help alot in modernising the bit of skyline we have :D

I wonder if the facelift will actually be visible from the outside.

Here is a photo of Atterbury House:
http://www.amethyst.co.za/CapeTown/ShellHouse.jpg

shit, how old is that pic? the building looks new!

if im correct the building was built in the early 90's so its not really that old but a external facelift with a nice glass coat like the civitas thats mind blowing as it plays a big role in the ct skyline

Atterbury House was constructed in 1976.

okay i was way off

Either way a nice glass coat would suit it fine :D

Yip, cover it in glass, please... Not exactly a beauty, is she?

no way its a perfect example of how brutalist architecture should be preserved. the exposed precast spanderal pannels and actually a very good energy efficent design which allwed for column free spaces.
One of the nicest towers in CT

?? its a concrete block, as dull as the Jozi's Carlton! Hopefully it will be covered in glass like the Sheraton/Westin to really brigthten up the CT skyline.

na too expensive and I belive its more of an internal refurb(new IT, Lifts, Upgrade HVAC systemes etc) and the facade will be left as is with maybe a clean of the exposed concrete spanderal pannels

^^ ya thats the message i am getting too. It will cost a fortune to redo the outside in cladding and i dont think they will get it back

http://www.commercialspace.co.za/c/image/full/426/
http://www.commercialspace.co.za/c/image/full/428/

I rather like it!

cant make out much, but from what I see, it looks good.

anychance of them adding a dome to the top like the sandton cityh building

i think a dome would look a bit kakkie dont you?

A dome on a rectangular building would look like an architectural afterthought. Unfortunately, do not think that would work.

okay how about a triangle ???? though either way i suppose it would be a afterthought

i think the top is fine how it is

The old Shell Building was designed in the International Style, typical of the 50's-70's. They do not really have architectural decals as such. The only way a roof cap would work is if the cladding of the building was made more eclectic to mimic Post Modernism, else a dome or triangle on this building would look stylistically out of place. Triangle House (old Safmarine House) looks good with the pyramid, because it isn't a perfect rectangle, has bump-outs and follows a more post-modern design. My ten cents worth. I'm not a huge fan of the International Style of Le Corbusier, but hey... it is what it is.

Upington dont u have pics of this building..with the entrance blocked off.

.....i did post it showing the fencing......and i did state that they are busy with renovation......but here is the photo again with the fence and 3 palm trees.......BTW it still have the "Shell House" sign at the entrance, despite the FNB at the top......

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x31/Upington/May08/P5180281.jpg

......with FNB sign at the top......

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x31/Upington/May08/P5180277.jpg

New Capello in Cape Town!:

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l103/eduardm2/19092008001.jpg
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l103/eduardm2/19092008.jpg

Updates?

Was this ever completed?

I hate this building! Upgrade now.

Cape Town CBD buildings upgraded
Published: September 28, 2010

http://www.sapropertynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/cbd-upgrades1-682x1024.jpg

Landmark Cape Town CBD buildings are undergoing massive renovations as more top companies look for office space in the city centre.

Two landmark CBD buildings to be affected by this transformation are Atterbury House and Wesbank House. Both recently changed hands and underwent major refurbishments, signalling the confidence of their owners and tenants in the rejuvenated central business district, says Martin Rippon, regional general manager of Eris Property Group.

These two CBD beacons are both managed by Eris, and Rippon says the CBD’s regeneration is attracting a wide range of tenants to the city.

The buildings concerned are just two examples of the rejuvenation of Cape Town’s CBD, which has seen ongoing transformation in the past two years, ensuring that the city centre remains Cape Town’s premier business and government node. Although transport and security have been significantly enhanced, the CBD’s biggest plus is its “atmosphere.”

Atterbury House, which recently had a multi-million rand facelift, was previously Shell House, a well-known landmark on the Cape Town horizon. It has 25 000 m2 of space on 25 floors, and is estimated to be worth about R350 million.

Wesbank, named for its major tenant, the vehicle finance giant, is a six-floor building, worth about R176m. Its refurbishment has cost R12million.

“At Atterbury House, we moved the entire foyer, put in a range of retail outlets and converted the old podium deck onto St George’s into parking,” Rippon says. Each floor was upgraded and revamped into prime CBD offices.

“The rationale behind the revamp was to ensure that the end product was a top-grade offering at competitive and comparative rentals, and that sufficient parking, with an allocation of 2.3 bays a 100 m2, could be made available.”

The Metropolitan Health Group occupied four floors in 2009, and has said it may be interested in more. The Department of Education occupies three floors, the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs two and the Premier’s office one.

Two restaurants, a retail shop on the ground floor on Riebeek Street, and immediate access to St George’s Mall and the Fan Walk are key attractions for tenants of the building. Spectacular views can be enjoyed from each floor in a building known as one of the tallest in the city.

Rippon says Shell wanted bigger, more open plan floors, which is why the company left the building. However, the company did not leave the city centre.

“It’s an encouraging sign for the CBD that Shell remains in the city centre, as do two other big former Atterbury House tenants, Accenture and SA Eagle,” he says.

Meanwhile, Wesbank, which underwent a R12m upgrade, has as its major tenants WesBank and the Department of Labour.

Rippon says the Wesbank upgrade included new building management systems, a complete revamp of the air-conditioning system, in line with green principles, and a new lift system. The building now has a 93% occupancy.

“In both cases, the money the landlords have spent on renovation is a clear signal of their confidence in the future of the CBD, which has undergone enormous transformation in recent years and is now a wonderful place to be,” says Rippon.

Source: SA Property News (http://www.sapropertynews.com/cape-town-cbd-buildings-upgraded/)

Signage alert!!!

Just spotted: They've started erecting signage on the south facing side of Atterbury House. Knew it was just a matter of time! Have no idea what, just a blue 'S' at the moment. Horrible photo, but help me guess!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8188112104_82504c8c41_b.jpg

^^Have to add a banana, or two! :banana::banana:

That's very hard to see, but maybe Sanlam? Good to see the old girl getting some love again though :)

Forgot I had my camcorder with me. Better image!
Definitely not Sanlam. Hmm, intriguing...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/8188166458_ab9ec07fa6_b.jpg

Samsung? The next letter will help a lot :P

^FU I posted first :(


Samsung.

^^ That kinda looks like the 'S' on the Samsung logo?
http://www.seeklogo.com/images/S/Samsung-logo-4BDAA5DC5B-seeklogo.com.gif

Yebo :) The right colour as well.

I think Samsung as well, the colour and font gives it away...

FINALLY! The CBD is brightening up! haha goodbye LG hello SAMSUNG :)

Is the new signage up? I didn't see anything yesterday

Yes I'd love to know if our guess was right :)

An idea of Samsung signage around the world
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlmQF64HmCg/T94EheK2r1I/AAAAAAAAWqU/OXwMrQSD2_Y/s1600/samsung-1.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7083152079_b09bb395da_z.jpg

Nope, still just the S. Perhaps they're waiting for the other letters no arrive, who knows. I'll post pics as soon as there's movement. :)

Still just the 'S'. FFS!!! So annoying...

^^ I was just about to ask. Hell what could be the hold up? This might be a bit much, but hopefully they follow Standard Bank and put signage on all four sides of the tower.

Dear Santa: Please ensure the 'S' on top at Atterbury House gets an 'A', or any letter of the alphabet for that matter, by Christmas. Sincerely, Impatient Urbanite. :gaah:

EDIT: double post.

Dear Citywalker, Santa here.... you can have any letters of the alphabet in any order you like if you have been a good boy this year-- and I hear that you have, you have walked the streets and put many wonderful pics on here for all the boys and girls, well, more boys I guess, or girls.....oh shucks whatever! Thank you.

Why thank you Santa, I have been a good gi.. *cough* boy. :lol:

:dance::hug::cheers1:

There are some guys working on the S again? Hopefully, we'll see an A erected today. I'll keep y'all posted, neh.

^^ *fingers crossed* It has been like 3 weeks:bash:

Well well, the S has now been removed completely. Perhaps it was just a durability and visibility test before the final product is installed.

If not, and if this was a waste of our time...then...I...simply...cannot!

Right guys, the 'S' is back. It's currently lying on it's side inside the gantry on the same side as it was last time. Hopefully we'll get the 'A' as well today. I'll get pics a bit later. :banana:

^^ great news!

Finally :) I was beginning to wonder.

Samsung it is indeed :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8402156838_59f4e89e1b_b.jpg

The "S" & "U" have joined the party :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8401548313_7a0be9cf01_b.jpg

That's not going to be perfectly centred, is it? My OCD cries.

That's not going to be perfectly centred, is it? My OCD cries.

:hilarious I'm sure it will...

Hahaha Lydon! I'm more interested in seeing signage on all four corners

Wow! 119 meters tall! And the Shell House/Atterbury House is the third tallest building in the city.:rofl:

That's not going to be perfectly centred, is it? My OCD cries.

The missing "M" and "G" is quite fat, so they'll space things out nicely ;)

That's not going to be perfectly centred, is it? My OCD cries.

Lol Lydon, breathe buddy breathe, in out, in out!!! It will be fine!!! :cheers::nuts::cheers:

I'm convincing myself that it'll be left-aligned with the windows instead :lol: Problem solved.

Maybe I'll get a nice surprise and it'll be centred after all ;)

Looks the same :)
An idea of Samsung signage around the world
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlmQF64HmCg/T94EheK2r1I/AAAAAAAAWqU/OXwMrQSD2_Y/s1600/samsung-1.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7083152079_b09bb395da_z.jpg

They're busy attaching the 'N', and then the 'G'. The left of the 'S' and the right of the 'G' should then align directly with the windows. :okay: Seems like they're still making the 'M'.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8404325253_452f89c694_b.jpg

http://drawception.com/pub/panels/2012/9-17/8zxSz38ADe-2.png

...and the 'G' is on it's way down from the roof :D

You o's reckon it's one side only ?

^^ Hopefully not. FNB used all four sides. I think Shell used two sides.

I highly doubt it'd be one side.

...and, it's done. Hopefully they'll move onto the other sides soon.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8407873560_c9e6fac0d7_b.jpg

Nice one! Thanks. My OCD is appeased :lol:

It looks pretty good on the tower, even though the tower does seem rather grimy in comparison to the shiny new sign.

Thanks! Looks good! Keep an eye out for when work on the other sides begin :D

At 2 pm the north side read "SUN"

It reads "SA SUN" as of Wednesday. Hope they attach the M and G to it today!

I hope they use the Samsung logo with the white elliptical circle on the other two sides. :)

Me too! Has it been lit at night?

Me too! Has it been lit at night?

Not yet, but the 'S' they had up December was lit, and it looked awesome.

I hope they use the Samsung logo with the white elliptical circle on the other two sides. :)

...Althought, that might just make the building look like an appliance.

...Althought, that might just make the building look like an appliance.

It currently looks like an 80s cellphone with the Samsung logo at the top.

It currently looks like an 80s cellphone with the Samsung logo at the top.

They should erect a big ass spire on top, then the picture will be complete.
:hilarious

On another note, does anybody know if they are going ahead with the gym , on the ground, first and second floors ?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8416967936_ebe55f02ee_b.jpg

^^ The logo is still incomplete on the north side. Still just reads SA SUN ...well played summer, well played. :hilarious

My OCD cringes every time I drive past.

It's weird coz the full sign is now up on the south side. One and a bit sides to go.

That's if they do the east and west sides :nuts:

They have started the east side facing Nelson Mandela bvd.

Aha!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8471394220_3790f85d88_b.jpg

Cool. So only one side to go ?

One side left to go indeed :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8473465344_d01528d12e_z.jpg

Via Paul Scop

The old girl is looking pretty good with the new signage.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8477520731_1cfa0120f2_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8477524419_97542db7db_b.jpg

They've started on the west and last side this afternoon :cheers:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8478139665_b9e919a701_b.jpg

...and lit up.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8478940867_b0e02bed99_c.jpg

^^ looks good! Are all four sides lit at night?

Yes, they are. The west facing side was lit up for the first time last night, so all four sides are now live. And it looks gorgeous at night!!!

Great! Now if only they would leave some of the office lights on a bit longer at night.

^^ the green freaks will have a fit

Great! Now if only they would leave some of the office lights on a bit longer at night.

That would be awesome yes, ha ha!

Between heritage and the environmentalists...honestly...

Since A.H is 'tall' some LED lights along the sides the building wouldn't be bad.

Coming soon...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8550542113_088ac2a85f_b.jpg

The Samsung signage looks amazing at night - bright blue and lit up. It feels like you're actually in Korea.

It is indeed amazing. Best signage in town at the moment.

So gorgeous at night :cheers:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8551790443_8e947ae1e4_c.jpg