CRYSTAL TOWERS

SPECIAL REPORT: CRYSTAL TOWERS

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Crystal Towers > the jewel in Century City’s crown

By Duncan Cruickshank

Award-winning Rabie Property Group has launched Crystal Towers Residences, offering purchasers the ultimate in luxurious living at Century City and providing investors with a unique opportunity to capitalise on the positioning of Cape Town as a premier leisure and business destination.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Since its inception, Century City has become a 250ha suburb of Cape Town. It was constructed as a mixed-use development including entertainment, residential, retail and office components. Development began in 1997 and continues under the new owners, Rabie Property Group and investment thus far exceeds R10 billion. It is located 10km to the north-east of central Cape Town along the N1 motorway, within easy reach of the CBD, northern suburbs and Cape Town International Airport, and is traversed by numerous waterways, wetlands and canals. Century City is home to Canal Walk – one of the southern hemisphere’s premier shopping destinations with over 400 shops, restaurants and cinemas. Alongside is the thrilling Ratanga Junction theme park as well as the more tranquil and majestic wetlands reserve and bird sanctuary, Intaka Island with its myriad birds and exquisite indigenous flora.

Comprising 91 luxury apartments, Crystal Towers Residences is part of the mega R750 million mixed-used Crystal Towers development now under construction. The development also includes a 180-room five-star hotel, Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa, which will be a sister hotel to the Melrose Arch Hotel in Johannesburg and fall within the exclusive African Pride Collection. Restaurants, a gym and health spa, conference facilities and meeting rooms as well as triple A-grade offices add to the offering.

Sales Director Allen Usher says Crystal Towers will set ‘the diamond standard’ in contemporary luxury and design. “Every detail has been meticulously applied, from the imported German kitchens with silky Caeser Stone countertops, to climate controlled living and bedroom areas and heated bathroom floors. The uncluttered principles of modern minimalist design have been observed throughout, resulting in a refreshing and clean look while outdoor patios offer breathtaking views of either Table Mountain, the Tygerberg Hills or the Atlantic Ocean.”

Within this peerlessly lavish lifestyle, residents of Crystal Towers will have access to the hotel’s five-star amenities including its bar and a 24-hour deli.

What is particularly exciting about this development is that cutting-edge green building principles have been applied wherever possible. Greg Deans, a director of Rabie Property Group, said while the Green Building Council of South Africa had not yet instituted a greenbuilding rating tool for hotels, Rabie had as far as possible, applied green-building principles in the construction of Crystal Towers.

A green building is one which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible. It incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce its negative impact on the environment and its occupants.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Deans said reducing the carbon footprint of new developments was not only socially responsible but also made good business sense. “While there is a general perception that implementing green building principles significantly increases building costs, this is not necessarily true. In fact much can be done in the original design and orientation of the building to include natural ventilation and lighting while major developments in green technology, methodology and even materials have made green-building measures more cost effective and accessible,” he said. “In fact many of these measures, such as implementing energy saving components, can reduce your operating costs substantially.”

Deans said South Africa was way behind many other countries in implementing green building principles but was now playing catch up. “At a hospitality conference in the United States (which has the LEED green certification system) last year, corporate America made it very clear that they would not consider allowing their staff to stay in any hotel which did not have the equivalent of at least a four-star rating and a growing number of international corporates feel like-wise about the office space they occupy,” he said.

The green building principles that have been applied to Crystal Towers are not only to design and construction measures, but have been extended to the finishes. All the kitchens are imported from a German manufacturer, Nobilia. Nobilia is the first German kitchen company to be awarded the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) which means that all the timber used for the kitchen units is from sustainably managed forests.

Jay Margolis from Inside Living, which has been appointed to supply the kitchens and other exclusive finishes at Crystal Towers Residences, adds: “We are very proud to have a supplier of Nobilia’s standing, which is not only the largest manufacturer of pre-assembled kitchens in the world, but also complies with PEFC standards.

The mega development is testament to Rabie’s faith and confidence in Cape Town and Century City in particular.”

“Critical to the success of any new development is its location, coupled with the timing of the development,” explains Usher. “Crystal Towers Residences enjoys the best of both. Its central, sought-after location in the heart of Century City, which is generally perceived to be the Sandton of the Western Cape, is idyllic and the timing of the development, which is to be officially launched in March next year, coincides with much improved market conditions and sentiment.”

Usher says purchasers will have the choice of studio or two bedroom apartments: “At around 60 square metres including a private balcony, the studios, which also

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come with an undercover, secure parking bay, are substantially larger than average. These apartments are aimed primarily at investors and business travellers who are able to purchase selected apartments fully furnished with a choice of finishes put together by leading interior designers. The two bedroom apartments, aimed predominantly at owner-occupiers, average around 110 square metres including a balcony and come with two undercover, secure parking bays.”

Usher said selected apartments would be offered with a unique investment package and purchasers would be able to contract the services of a dedicated professional management company which would let out apartments on behalf of investors as well as offer a bouquet of other valet services from arranging airport shuttles to cleaning the apartment, providing a laundry service, stocking the fridge and any other required services to ensure owners of a hassle-free investment.

Although the apartments are only to be officially launched in March next year coinciding with the expected completion date, purchasers are able to register their interest now to maximize their choice of apartment. Pre-launch buyers, he said, would benefit from being able to have their apartments listed with Status, accredited accommodation agents for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. “We have confirmed demand from Status for Century City based apartments, particular in Crystal Towers, which can be expected to raise around R50 000 per studio apartment and more for the two bedroom units during the World Cup,” he said.

The Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa is due to open in December this year with the residences and offices due for completion in March/April 2010. It will be the astute investor who sees the obvious potential in this unique development – and will certainly reap the benefits in years to come. <