Tudor Chambers was originally a speculative development intended for street-level retail and luxury offices in typical high-street or city-centre square fashion. This use will be retained in the R20 million rehabilitation of the building. The historical and architecturally significant project is set for completion in August 2008.

Coach magnate and businessman George Heys purchased the building in 1893 and set in motion the construction of Tudor Chambers, designed by British architect John Ellis, in 1903 with material imported from Scotland by Heys’s own maritime transport company. The solid, beautifully built structure was intended to included Heys’s own offices and is a fine lesson in building methods and technologies, even today.

This stately building on the corner of Church Square and Church Street manages to blend in with both its neighbours in each road despite being of different heights. Each façade exudes a different energy.

Its architecture is typical of the late Victorian era with ground floor retail, three upper storeys, and a crowning parapet.  It was the tallest building in Pretoria at the time of its construction. It has an interesting perspective, which makes the building look higher than it really is.  As you proceed up the building so the space from floor to ceiling decreases. However, the floor-to-ceiling measurement is never below three metres.

Unfortunately the building deteriorated steadily under the management of its previous owner with the roof deteriorating to such an extent that the building was flooded repeatedly, with damage to walls, floors and ceilings in addition to exterior damage by the elements.

Purchased by Alec Wapnick in 2007, City Property will undertake massive repair, maintenance and restoration works to ensure that this building is returned to the magnificent landmark it once was and can be enjoyed by generations to come for the architectural and period charm it radiates.

Wapnick, an ardent art lover, sees this building as a work of art to be preserved, shared and enjoyed. “This is a building that deserves to be seen,” says Wapnick, who is best known as a father of today’s property industry, having mentored some of the best minds in South African property.

Wapnick has also purchased all the furniture and photographs of the office of JG Heys (No 3 Tudor Chambers) as well as the counter of the maritime transport and insurance company which Heys undertook in the next door office (No 2 Tudor Chambers). A museologist has restored the furniture and reconstructed the office in  Alec Wapnick’s private gallery.

City Property appointed Gapp Architects & Urban Designers to undertake the project. Architect Teresa Frank explains that it was an enormous responsibility to undertake the renovation of Tudor Chambers correctly and as a result called on the expertise of architectural heritage specialist Prof Karel Bakker of the University of Pretoria. Specialist renovation builders are also being used to make sure that care is taken with every detail.

“It is a privilege to be preserving this magnificent building for future generations thanks to City Property,” says Frank.

Heys was a man who clearly prized fine buildings with his former home being Melrose House -- the site of signing the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging which ended the Anglo-Boer War on 31 May 1902. Today it is a museum and superb example of the transition of Victorian to Edwardian architectural styles and interiors, with the majority of its contents belonging to the Heys family.

George Heys would surely have been most pleased with the care Tudor Chambers is receiving from Wapnick and City Property. In fact, the Heys family estate, Tudor Estate, provided its resources to the project for the heritage and conservation of Tudor Chambers.

Background: The basics

 
Additions to Tudor Chambers, required to bring it up to modern A-grade office space specifications include fire protection in the form of a sprinkler system, a wheelchair ramp for access from the rear of the lobby as well as wheelchair toilet facilities on each floor.

Careful electrical and mechanical installation have ensured that wiring is run through the building in the most discreet way possible, while still meeting the latest criteria for cutting-edge business requirements.

Green building technologies have also been applied to the west façade, which faces Church Square, with strategically placed awnings and shading devices installed where appropriate, to improve the building’s energy efficiency.

 
The second phase

 
The outbuildings of Tudor Chambers will be restored during the planned second phase of the project which will include a small lane which runs behind the building which is cluttered with bulky air conditioning equipment from the 1960s and almost completely covered and inaccessible.

Stripping these obstacles is anticipated to create the opportunity for a coffee shop, housed in the retail section of Tudor Chambers with seating spilling into the lane to create a tranquil break away place and pause area, away from the frenetic pace of the CBD. This will become a ‘shared secret’ similar to the charming coffee shops which can be found on the small lanes of Paris.

About City Property Administration:

City Property is a residential and commercial property management company which counts two listed property investment companies, Premium Properties and Octodec Investments, amongst its major clients, in addition to a large number of private clients. City Property’s managed portfolio comprises more than 400 buildings and is considering a portal partnership with eProp.