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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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