Words by Hedi Lampert Kemper

Photographs by Minette de Villiers

 

A peek inside top drawer interiors at Joburg’s most exclusive business address – Melrose Arch.

 

With its fine restaurants, world class luxury hotels and top-end retail offerings, Melrose Arch is home to a niched community of blue chip residential and corporate tenants.  Inspired and indeed compelled by the precinct’s award-winning architecture, interior designers have more that stepped up to the mark.

 

Possibly the most challenging aspect for an interior designer is the current corporate trend which calls largely for open-plan offices.

 

Creating privacy in a public space involves inventive and thoughtful treatment of layouts, careful choice of colour, texture and design elements and the appropriate direction of light to minimize stress and simultaneously elevate communal energy.

 

THE ENTRANCE LOBBY OF 34 WHITELY ROAD, MELROSE ARCH

The stylish interior of this entrance lobby can be seen clearly from the street, thanks to the glass façade.  The downside is that relentlessly harsh eastern and northern sunlight, making the space uncomfortably hot.  The solution is a timber slate screen applied to the exterior to avert the sunlight.  It also serves to soften the effect of glass and steel making the entrance more welcoming.

 

The bamboo which can just be seen through the timber screen was planted on the eastern side to provide a natural and attractive wall of privacy between the entrance lobby and the neighbouring restaurant.

 

Designed by Ronel Bronkhorst Gouws for Osmond Lange Architects.

 

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Source:

The Arch

Winter 2011

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