Cooling Towers of the Past

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JEPPE STREET COOLING TOWERS

The Electrical Precinct The historic Electrical Precinct tells the story of the extraordinary expansion of Johannesburg after the discovery of gold. Within two years of the chaotic development of the mining camp of Johannesburg, the Electrical Precinct became associated with generating power in the form of both gas and electricity when the first gasworks was established here. In 1902, the new British administration granted the Johannesburg Municipality a concession to develop an electrical tram network which created the demand for a power station. The First President Street Power Station was built in 1906 on the site of the existing gas and electrical works. A massive explosion destroyed the magnificent new station 18 months later. It was then turned into a shop for repairing machines and electrical parts. The Second President Street Power Station was quickly erected to meet the city’s power requirements. The Newtown Compound built in 1913 housed black workers for the power station. White staff lived in superior accommodation. As the demand for electrical power increased rapidly during and after World War One, a new station was approved. By 1927, the Jeppe

Street Power Station was in operation with further extensions being made until 1939. The Electrical Precinct remained the main supplier of Johannesburg’s electricity until the early 1940’s when the Orlando Power Station was built in Soweto. In the 1960’s, the Station was converted into a maintenance workshop and the workers compound eventually closed its doors in the mid-1970’s. The Second President Street Power Station was demolished in the late 1980s and is now the SA Breweries Museum. The transformation of the Electrical Precinct into a cultural precinct involved clearing the central area. The cooling towers imploded with a mighty crash on the 6th of June 1985. Newtown never looked the same again. "The Electrical Precinct tells the story of the social relations that emerged in the context of racial segregation, urbanisation and industrialisation, including those between workers and employers. The buildings along this trail are containers of these stories." Sue Krige, historian, 2009. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST PRESIDENT STREET POWER STATION , BUILT IN J OHANNESBURG IN 1906, EXPLODED IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION? I N 1907, THE SECOND PRESIDENT STREET POWER STATION WAS BUILT TO REPLACE IT . An Excerpt from http://www.newtown.co.za/


Sunday Times article-1985 "Although Johannesburg's four cooling towers in Newtown will soon come tumbling down the 6680m2 site is not top priority for the areas redevelopment. John Mortimer, chairman of the city council committee responsible for advising on the redevelopment plan, says the decision to implode the towers is a result of an investigation into the feasibility of redecorating the towers for Johannesburg's centenary next year. The centenary festival committee wanted to spend R500 000 on renovating the towers but the city electrical engineer found they were in too dangerous a condition to allow work on them. According to the overall plan, the coolingtower site is the last part of the area to be developed. Dr Mortimer says: "We see the Newtown site being developed from the north-east side towards the motorway." The City Engineering Department's mechanical workshops are situated around the towers and new premises will have to be found before the site can be put to other use. As the site is next to the motorway, noise would be a problem and the planners suggested the site should not be used for offices but as a recreation area. The Mallows Kirchoffer report which formed the basis of the council's redevelopment plan recommended that the cooling towers be considered as popular landmarks to be retained if possible.' The report suggested an entertainment zone be made between the two taller towers and the Market Theatre. Another suggestion in the past few years by architects and planners was for floors to be built in the larger towers. They would

house an entertainment centre, including a theatre, art gallery and restaurant. Nigel Mandy of the CBD Association mourns the passing of the cooling towers and says although he knew the two smaller towers were unsound, he thought the larger towers were stable and worth preserving as a landmark on Johannesburg's skyline. 'People who are making new facilities would pay hundreds of thousands to build a landmark such as that says Mr Mandy. The north-eastern part of the Newtown site will be redeveloped first. When the plan was announced in November last year, the suggestion was to put 35000m2 of space near

THE COOLING TOWERS BEING IMPLODED

the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on the market for development. Dr Mortimer says the council will announce later this year when the first pieces of land will be available for redevelopment. According to the original plan the 20 hectares of land owned by the Johannesburg City Council will become a complex of offices, shops, parking garages and an entertainment area around the Market Theatre and Africana Museum. A bridge to connect Newtown with Yale Road is planned. A long-term plan for an underground station is also being considered."


The History of the Turbine Hall Turbine Hall started its life as Johannesburg’s Jeppe Street Power Station, the last and largest of three steam-driven power stations built in Newtown to supply electricity to the city. Constructed between 1927 and 1934, it consisted originally of a shorter Turbine Hall and a single “North Boiler House”. The station could not keep up with the city’s growing demand for electricity, and so in 1934 the “South Boiler House” was built, extending Turbine Hall. However, demand outstripped supply and in 1942 Orlando Power Station took over the supply of electricity to Johannesburg.

of businesses from the city to Sandton had begun and the degradation of the inner city was becoming a reality. During this time the electrical precinct served as a workshop and storage depot. The property became the subject of an ownership wrangle between the city council and Turbine Square (Pty) Ltd after the company purchased it for R22.1-million but transfer was never accomplished.

TURBINE HALL

By the year 2000 more than 300 squatters had occupied the then-derelict building. The ownership issue was resolved in 2003. Today Turbine Hall houses the offices of AngloGold Ashanti and other businesses, and is home to the forum company’s conference and wedding venue. Preserving the Heritage of Turbine Hall

TURBINE HALL MAP

By 1958 the Jeppe Street Power Station was no longer able to function economically, even as a back-up supply. The plant was shut down in 1961, but because of expansion in Johannesburg’s CBD during the mid-1960’s, Turbine Hall was re-equipped to be used as a standby and for peak loading periods. It continued to function through the 1970’s. From that time Newtown experienced its own decline as a result of the then-city council’s indecision about the area. The flight

Preserving the building while transforming it into a first-class conference facility had to be done with the utmost respect and sensitivity. Glynis Hyslop, the forum company’s managing director, was adamant that throughout the refurbishment process the founding principles of the entire project would be to ensure it remained a pristine heritage site. Together with acclaimed architects TPS, the forum company has created a venue that continues to speak volumes in terms of its powerful heritage.


compatible – but it has been modernised and specifically designed for the space.

TURBINE HALL REMNANT

The new building pays homage to the existing structures in material selection, scale and spatial experience. The result is an intentionally "modest" external expression with celebrated internal volumes.

FIT FOR A KING

“Ironically, although it was the home of electricity, we have tried to minimise its usage by bringing as much light into the building as possible. Additional windows, skylights and glass mean that most areas require very little artificial lighting. Heating and cooking is done by gas and the only area that requires lighting at all times is the champagne bar in the cellar.”

THE NEW LOOK

“The building has an enormous energy,” says Hyslop, “and its uniqueness meant that the spaces dictated their own usage. The soaring basement with the enormous turbine concrete plinths make an extraordinary event space, while the girder room has evolved into a perfect evening bar and the huge boiler house inspired the lightness of the furnishings. “The major difficulty,” says Hyslop, “was to decide what to leave intact and what to smooth over and modernise. As the first coalfired power station in Johannesburg, much of the existing finish came from its usage – aged copper, aged steel, rust and grey. The integrity of the surfaces remains and we’ve used yellow – the colour of light – as an accent. We’ve gone so far as to make sure that all of the furniture is historically

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contemporary personality. The building has an enormous energy and atmosphere – every brick speaks of its colourful history while lofty volumes of light offer opportunities to showcase significant South African art and bold architectural spaces. Newtown Today

DINNER WILL BE SERVED

The history of building is rich and colourful and during its lifetime Turbine Hall has seen aspects of the city come and go, and stood witness to the changing face of Africa’s wealthiest city. Turbine Hall has been hailed for its representation of a truly iconic South African architectural style. The site retains its industrial heritage but also displays a The Electricity Supply Commission The Government Gazette of 6 March 1923 announced the establishment of The Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom), effective from 1 March 1923. Dr Hendrik Johannes van der Bijl, a leading research scientist appointed by the Smuts government as a "Technical Advisor on Industrial Development to the Department of Mines and Industries", was appointed first Chairman of Escom. The Commission was made responsible for establishing and maintaining electricity supply undertakings on a regional basis. Electricity was to be supplied efficiently, cheaply and abundantly to government departments, railways and harbours, local authorities and industry. The Commission met for the first time on 20 March 1923 in Cape Town. The Commission’s headquarters

Newtown originally started out as a racially mixed working class district, where bricks were manufactured. Through the years the area has seen forced removals take place, has been an agricultural trade hub and also the producer of much of Johannesburg’s power. Today creativity flows through Newtown whether it is in music, theatre, art or dance. The area is home to museums, theatres, restaurants, art galleries, dance studios, craft markets, live performances and night spots. It is also a managed precinct with 24–hour security patrols and lots of safe parking so visitors can enjoy all that it has to offer with peace of mind. An Excerpt from http://www.theforum.co.za/

opened in Johannesburg on 1 May 1923 on the first storey of Hofman's Buildings. The headquarters moved to Electricity House in 1924. Construction Eskom House, the headquarters of the Electricity Supply Commission from 1937, was an outstanding landmark in the city of Johannesburg. The fact that it was the highest building in the Union of South Africa was merely incidental, as it was not designed with that intention. The chairman of the commission conceived a building with every office as an "outside" office receiving direct sunlight. To achieve this it was necessary to follow a design, which also ensured that, although the building rose to a height of 236


feet, the three streets bounding it received an ample amount of light. The twenty�one storeys of Eskom House, including the tower, were "stepped�back" in several stages, thereby introducing a new and

pleasing style of architecture to South Africa. This marked a departure from the edifices built mainly to ensure the maximum space to let, with no regard to other considerations.


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