SPECIAL REPORT: CRYSTAL TOWERS

award-winning Rabie Property group has launched crystal Towers Residences, offering purchasers the ultimate in luxurious living at century city and providing investors with a unique opportunity to capitalise on the positioning of cape Town as a premier leisure and business destination.

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CRYSTAL TOWERS > THe JeWel in cenTURy ciTy’s cRoWn

By Duncan Cruickshank

Since its inception, Century City has become a 250��ha

suburb of Cape Town. It was constructed as a mixed-use

development including entertainment, residential,

retail and office components. Development began in

19���9���7 and continues under the new owners, Rabie

Property Group and investment thus far exceeds R10��

billion. It is located 10��km to the north-east of central

Cape Town along the N1 motorway, within easy reach of

the CBD, northern suburbs and Cape Town International

Airport, and is traversed by numerous waterways,

wetlands and canals. Century City is home to Canal

Walk – one of the southern hemisphere’s premier shop-

ping destinations with over 40��0�� shops, restaurants

and cinemas. Alongside is the thrilling Ratanga Junction

theme park as well as the more tranquil and majestic

wetlands reserve and bird sanctuary, Intaka Island

with its myriad birds and exquisite indigenous flora.

Comprising 9���1 luxury apartments, Crystal Towers Res-

idences is part of the mega R750�� million mixed-used

Crystal Towers development now under construction. The

development also includes a 180��-room five-star hotel,

Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa, which will be a sister

hotel to the Melrose Arch Hotel in Johannesburg and fall

within the exclusive African Pride Collection. Restaurants,

a gym and health spa, conference facilities and meeting

rooms as well as triple A-grade offices add to the offering.

Sales Director Allen Usher says Crystal Towers will set

‘the diamond standard’ in contemporary luxury and

design. “Every detail has been meticulously applied,

from the imported German kitchens with silky Caeser

Stone countertops, to climate controlled living and

bedroom areas and heated bathroom floors. The unclut-

tered principles of modern minimalist design have been

observed throughout, resulting in a refreshing and

clean look while outdoor patios offer breathtaking

views of either Table Mountain, the Tygerberg Hills or

the Atlantic Ocean.”

Within this peerlessly lavish lifestyle, residents of

Crystal Towers will have access to the hotel’s five-star

amenities including its bar and a 24-hour deli.

What is particularly exciting about this development is

that cutting-edge green building principles have been

applied wherever possible. Greg Deans, a director of

Rabie Property Group, said while the Green Building

Council of South Africa had not yet instituted a green-

building rating tool for hotels, Rabie had as far as

possible, applied green-building principles in the

construction of Crystal Towers.

A green building is one which is energy efficient, resource

efficient and environmentally responsible. It incorporates

design, construction and operational practices that sig-

nificantly reduce its negative impact on the environ-

ment and its occupants.

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Deans said reducing the carbon footprint of new develop-

ments was not only socially responsible but also made

good business sense. “While there is a general percep-

tion that implementing green building principles signifi-

cantly increases building costs, this is not necessarily

true. In fact much can be done in the original design and

orientation of the building to include natural ventilation

and lighting while major developments in green tech-

nology, methodology and even materials have made

green-building measures more cost effective and ac-

cessible,” he said. “In fact many of these measures,

such as implementing energy saving components,

can reduce your operating costs substantially.”

Deans said South Africa was way behind many other

countries in implementing green building principles but

was now playing catch up. “At a hospitality conference

in the United States (which has the LEED green certifica-

tion system) last year, corporate America made it very

clear that they would not consider allowing their staff

to stay in any hotel which did not have the equivalent

of at least a four-star rating and a growing number of

international corporates feel like-wise about the of-

fice space they occupy,” he said.

The green building principles that have been applied to

Crystal Towers are not only to design and construction

measures, but have been extended to the finishes. All

the kitchens are imported from a German manufacturer,

Nobilia. Nobilia is the first German kitchen company

to be awarded the PEFC (Programme for the Endorse-

ment of Forest Certification) which means that all the

timber used for the kitchen units is from sustainably

managed forests.

Jay Margolis from Inside Living, which has been appointed

to supply the kitchens and other exclusive finishes at

Crystal Towers Residences, adds: “We are very proud

to have a supplier of Nobilia’s standing, which is not

only the largest manufacturer of pre-assembled kitchens

in the world, but also complies with PEFC standards.

The mega development is testament to Rabie’s faith and

confidence in Cape Town and Century City in particular.”

“Critical to the success of any new development is its

location, coupled with the timing of the development,”

explains Usher. “Crystal Towers Residences enjoys

the best of both. Its central, sought-after location in

the heart of Century City, which is generally perceived to

be the Sandton of the Western Cape, is idyllic and the

timing of the development, which is to be officially

launched in March next year, coincides with much im-

proved market conditions and sentiment.”

Usher says purchasers will have the choice of studio

or two bedroom apartments: “At around 60�� square metres

including a private balcony, the studios, which also

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come with an undercover, secure parking bay, are

substantially larger than average. These apartments

are aimed primarily at investors and business travellers

who are able to purchase selected apartments fully

furnished with a choice of finishes put together by

leading interior designers. The two bedroom apartments,

aimed predominantly at owner-occupiers, average

around 110�� square metres including a balcony and

come with two undercover, secure parking bays.”

Usher said selected apartments would be offered

with a unique investment package and purchasers

would be able to contract the services of a dedicated

professional management company which would let

out apartments on behalf of investors as well as offer

a bouquet of other valet services from arranging air-

port shuttles to cleaning the apartment, providing a

laundry service, stocking the fridge and any other re-

quired services to ensure owners of a hassle-free in-

vestment.

Although the apartments are only to be officially

launched in March next year coinciding with the ex-

pected completion date, purchasers are able to reg-

ister their interest now to maximize their choice of

apartment. Pre-launch buyers, he said, would benefit

from being able to have their apartments listed with

Status, accredited accommodation agents for the

20��10�� Soccer World Cup.

“We have confirmed demand from Status for Century

City based apartments, particular in Crystal Towers,

which can be expected to raise around R50�� 0��0��0�� per

studio apartment and more for the two bedroom

units during the World Cup,” he said.

The Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa is due to open in

December this year with the residences and offices

due for completion in March/April 20��10��. It will be the

astute investor who sees the obvious potential in this

unique development – and will certainly reap the

benefits in years to come. <

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