The extensions, which were undertaken in joint venture with Sivukile Contractors, include the lavish new theatre where the much touted stage production of The Lion King will open to the public tomorrow (June 6). Boasting a seating capacity of 1 900, the “Montecasino Teatro”, as it has been named, represents a truly outstanding achievement in engineering and construction, comments Grinaker-LTA Building managing director Neil Cloete.
“It is the largest theatre in the southern hemisphere, and sets new South African standards in world-class entertainment facilities. One of the most exceptional elements in the construction of the theatre is the massive transverse beam supporting the semi-circular mezzanine level. Spanning the entire 31.4 metres across the auditorium, this beam not only supports its own weight but also the dead weight of the terraced upper gallery and the live weight of 800 people.
“The theatre’s structural steel truss roof weighs 60 kg per square metre, and is designed to keep noise - such as aeroplanes and Highveld thunder - out of the theatre. The building is supported by piled foundations and has a concrete frame and cavity brick walling, for acoustic purposes among others,” Cloete notes.
Some 4 million bricks were used in the extensions at Montecasino, together with 25 000 m³ of concrete and 2 000 tons of reinforcing steel.
A new four-storey, 179-room hotel has also been added to the development, as well as a new parkade comprising 994 parking bays, a conference centre and outside entertainment area. The latter is the rugby field-sized Montecasino Piazza, which is modelled on an Italian gathering place. “It is surrounded by buildings and features a bell tower as its focal point. It opens Montecasino out into Gauteng's magnificent climate and is designed to be the ideal venue for a wide variety of outdoor activities and events. Restaurants and the hotel line the Piazza.”
The Montecasino development has been extended by a total of 42 000 m2. All the additions match the design of the original Montecasino complex, with its aged look that represents the prevailing architecture in the historic Tuscan village of Monte.
The challenges faced by the contractor during this project included redirecting a spruit that flowed through the development site. “The project team also faced the additional challenge of contending with an above average rainfall at this time,” Cloete says. “The spruit was finally diverted along the eastern and northern borders through a storm water culvert set in a deep trench. A manmade wetland waterway was constructed above the culvert to provide a neat, attractive solution.”
In addition to trials posed by Mother Nature, Grinaker-LTA also rose above other challenges at Montecasino. One of these was the specification that this project should not interrupt the 24-hour access to the VIP parking area beneath the casino, the entrance of which is located on the east side of the existing complex - precisely where all the construction took place. “The only solution was to continually move the access road in and around the construction site as work progressed. With clever planning, this was successfully accomplished.
“This project was a rewarding follow-up to Grinaker-LTA’s completion of the original Montecasino complex in 2000,” concludes Cloete.
