A breath of colour in Bruma
The building is expected to start in 2017 and is expected to take three to four years to complete.
The revamped Bruma Lake Park is already breathing in new life into the area.
For a number of years the area has experienced problems, resulting in businesses around the Bruma Lifestyle Centre moving out the area and the place becoming a white elephant.
The centre has recently been bought over and will be going through changes that promise to be a positive change to the area.
“Our vision for the area is to create a first-world tourist and commercial destination in Johannesburg through iconic landmark architecture,” said Prof Ambrose Adebayo from Ambro Afrique Consultant Artchitect and Urban Designer.
He has been working with the new owners to recreate the spirit of the old Bruma, while they bring in the modern feel to the centre.
The new centre will consist of an office tower, residential apartment, hotel and conference facilities and a themed entertainment area.
“What inspired the design is the area itself. We first started to understand the history of the area, hence it will be a mixed used development. We wanted to integrate people, the economy and the activities together,” said Prof Adebayo.
He said it was important to the new owners to preserve the spirit of Bruma.
“There was a lake in the area before all the development. To preserve the spirit we will be building a boat to be a symbol of the lake and also have the elements of water that will represent the lake. The centre will be a landmark and a tourist attraction,” said Prof Adebayo.
He said they are finished with the designers and are just waiting finalisation.
“The building is expected to start in 2017 and is expected to take three to four years to complete,” said Prof Adebayo.
Residents and businesses in the area are looking forward to the project because they believe it will be a positive change to the area.
“The area needs such a positive investment. It is not going to be a smooth journey – there will be issues as the project is planning to take three to four years to complete,” said Cyrildene resident Mr Rob Crawford.
The City of Joburg is also happy with the future of the area.
“We are pleased to see private businesses already investing in the area. We will be assisting them with the applications but will not be investing into this project – we will be advising were needed. The project is about creating an environment suitable for business,” said the City of Johannesburg’s executive mayor, Clr Parks Tau.
After completion, the new centre will be called CHROMA – which means quality of colour.
