Heritage Cases

Architectural/Historical Significance: The largest red-brick building in the southern hemisphere, declared a National Monument in 1969, was designed by architect R. Street-Wilson. The original City Hall was completed in 1893 and rebuilt, after a fire destroyed it, in 1898. This landmark building takes its architectural style from the Flemish Renaissance, evident in the variety of gables and turrets punctuating the parapet. A prominent campanile marks the Church Street/Chief Albert Luthuli corner and displays elaborate detailing which is to be seen throughout the building, with its moulded brick and plaster portes-cochere. It is currently used as a municipal building. Proposed Work: The City Hall project brief was generally to upgrade security at the access points and to further formalise the entry and exit points for both the public and staff. This will be in the form of glass doors with access control systems, a camera monitoring system, and a designated access point to record staff entry, including new security equipment and furniture. The main public access (on Chief Albert Luthuli Street) is to receive new glass doors in the inner archway, with a fixed glass panel to fit into the moulded arch. The purpose of these doors is to separate Security Point 1 and the Main entrance foyer, the use of glass being of minimal aesthetic impact and sensitive to the existing interior, including the decorative steel sliding gates and plaster mouldings. Security Point 2, the Church Street access, is to receive a new security desk and metal detector in the foyer, with new frameless glass doors with access control fitted into the existing arch. Security Point 3, a more private access point, is to be used as the staff entrance from the parking lot. The existing security gates are to be kept in an open position, with new frameless glass doors fitted into the arch. Security equipment to this foyer will include a new desk, metal detector, paraplegic gate and a clock-in turnstile. The major change to this foyer will be a new recess formed in the side wall to accommodate the security desk. This drywall ‘niche’ will be finished with internal mouldings to match the existing interior. Other forms of access control include screening reception and waiting areas with frameless glass doors and drywall partitioning, in one case with a suspended glass ceiling panel. In most cases this will provide a lobby area for the public to be received before gaining access to personnel offices. Access control at stairwells and passages will be upgraded, with glass panels designed to suit each archway and new arched openings formed where required. Where drywalling is installed, the applied mouldings are to match the existing, with particular attention paid to keeping the scale appropriate to a public building. A camera monitoring system is to be installed at all crucial access points. The integration of cabling and wire-ways is to be done under the supervision of Grice Bellars architects, to ensure that the aesthetic principles of the interior are upheld.