An architect from Scotland, I joined a local established conservation and restoration practice, Robert Hurd and Partners, Edinburgh in 1983 on leaving University. The practice had pioneered in historic conservation work, castles, country houses and Edinburgh’s Old Town. While absorbing the traditional side of architecture and indeed becoming a reporter for the Scottish Architectural Heritage Society, I successfully applied myself to various new build design competitions and the practice reputation and portfolio expanded. I became a partner in 1988. Our expertise was being able to retain or incorporate large new buildings into historic environments.

In 1991, I met my wife, Cecile, a South African, resigned from the practice and moved to Pretoria, managing to get a position with the embryonic practice Boogertman, Krige and Blignaut. Initially based in Pretoria, I commuted between the two offices (Pretoria and Joburg) designing, illustrating and managing presentations in the boyant ‘New South Africa’ environment.

Around 1992, BKB were invited, as outsiders to participate in a design competition for a vacant site, off Fredman Drive, Sandton, then owner by Momentum Health. I then effectively moved to the Bryanston office, managed by partner Andre Krige. Andre had been an early exponent of CADD and had developed unique software for Autocad and was very much into using the new 3D CADD modelling presentation tools.

Very much left to run the competition submission, I envisaged a new towered skyline for a new Sandton, very much in contrast to the concrete slab tower of old Sandton City.

 

Old Sandton City

 

Model of 1 Merchant Place (Xavier Schorr)

 

My earlier work in the UK had paved the way, my Insurance HQ in York (also a design competition win), albeit in very traditional dress, exploited sharp roof forms to develop a distinctive skyline. Another competition win for a Harbour Tower in Dundee, maybe a little outlandish, perhaps pre-empted my approach in Sandton. I also liked the work of German American architect Helmut Jahn- his towers were crafted and playful in comparison to the conventional brutalist concrete piles.

 

BP York Insurance HQ Design and Drawing

 

The competition submission to Momentum was mainly hand drawn and coloured, very much aspirational proposal, but it hit the target and Momentum Health chose the BKB approach. A little unsure of BKB one of the other competitors, MV3 were initially retained.

 

Competition Concept Masterplan

 

BKB Detail Design Masterplan

 

Momentum then immediately proceeded to commission BKB to detail design and build out the project. There was little backtracking to competition design and the focus was to get the New RMB Tower fully designed constructed, the other buildings would follow.

The masterplan provided a massive double floor basement parking platform to serve the ten new freestanding buildings above. The frontage to Fredman Drive would be two low rise welcoming wings while two towers behind would fill the skyline. The RMB tower would be the centre-piece.

 

Drawing of the main tower

 

The completed tower

 

Drawing of the second tower

 

Construction started around 1994, with the tower core rising and recorded in The Saturday Star on 27th May 1995 celebrating the Springbok Rugby World Cup victory.

 

Front page news

 

BKB as a practice had been transformed, not just with the Momentum work, but with other large commercial projects in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Tensions within the partnership lead to the departure of Danie Blignaut and I left in 1996.

The Tower and one side of the Crescent wings were completed as I had envisaged, but the other 8 buildings positions, form and elevational treatments were modified and the ‘Grander Design’ diluted.

 

BKB Detail Design CADD Model

 

I returned to the UK and to my former partnership where I continued to practice until returning to South Africa in 2017. I reregistered in SA and work out of the Centre of Cape Town. I have had some success since, my apartment, a reworking of a 1970s factory penthouse made it onto ‘Top Billing’ and ‘Visi Magazine’. I am currently working on designs for a the new Imiso Ceramics Studio and Gallery, one of the great new international South African success stories!

 

Imiso Ceramics Studio and Gallery

 

Brian Paul is a registered architect in South Africa with over 30 years national and international construction. Check out his website here.