JEWEL BOX OF JOBURG GEMS INSIDE MY...

IT’S NOT IMMEDIATELY obvious that the Johannesburgbased architect collects anything. Brian’s home is a late modernist 1990s stunner in Northcliff and is tastefully paired back. Yet if you look closer, you will notice his living space is a carefully curated cabinet of curiosities. The items speak volumes of their owner, whose passion for life and his city has manifested in this space.

Brian has been collecting his whole life, starting with toy cars – a passion which has grown into owning a small fleet of classic cars as an adult. But it’s his much-loved collection of items centered around the City of Gold that has a special place in his heart.

“My Joburg collection probably comes down to me being a little obsessed with the city,” he says. “These are things that remind me of the places I love.” They include an apartment in the CBD’s grand dame of art-deco, the Anstey’s Building, that he has owned for some years.

He is, however, very aware of the complexities of the city. “I don’t love the inner city at the moment, and I really resent that it’s being managed so badly. The citizens of Joburg have been let down. But I suppose however disappointed I am in Joburg, we will always have a lovehate relationship.”

Brian gathers his treasures from all over – including on auction and in antique or bric-a-brac stores. He notes, “To me the meaning or story of the object is just as important as its aesthetic beauty.”

Four great finds

1

“This small blue plate is from Joburg’s famed Carlton Hotel. It dates back to the 1960s and has a midcentury design with a fun graphic of people arriving at a party. Although I’m interested in the history of the hotel, my real passion is the later 1973 building and wider Carlton Centre complex. I love how the office tower was the tallest building in Africa for over 50 years. Celebrities like John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed there, and Nelson Mandela lived in the hotel. The ANC’s 1994 election victory celebrations took place there too.”

3

“The photographic print was taken by friend and photographer, Brett Rubin, from a set he did with fashion designer Marianne Fassler. They reimagined some iconic images of Joburg, and you can see the Fassler fabric in front of the building. It’s of the Anstey’s Building, and is displayed as you walk in my front door. It makes me feel like there is always a bit of the building with me.”

2

“This electroplated silver tea set was a real auction find. It’s embossed with the insignia AAC, which stands for Anglo American Corporation. Dated to around the 1940s, I can imagine it being used at the company’s 44 Main Street head office for tea in their legendary boardroom. For me, the story of Joburg and the story of Anglo are intertwined. Ours is a city built on gold, and Anglo was the biggest gold mining company. The shape and design of the set was a popular one. My grandparents, who lived in Linden, had one in the same style and I remember having tea and biscuits with them, so I also have a nostalgic connection to it.” yourluxury.africa

4

“The small gold key is a real treasure. A gift from actress and friend Jay Anstey, great granddaughter of Norman Anstey – the former mayor of Johannesburg and owner of the Anstey’s department store and building – it is the actual key to the Johannesburg Town Hall and now the Gauteng Legislature. It was presented to the mayor when he opened the building in 1915. It is such an important part of the historical fabric of Johannesburg. I’m actually amazed that it isn’t in a museum. The question still begs though: would it still open the doors of the building today?”