Did you know: Arts on Main is a heritage site?
JOBURG - Arts on Main has made a splash in hipster hangout culture during the six years since its inception, but did you know that it has become an official heritage site in the city?
Boat loads of Johannesburg residents frequent Arts on Main each day and especially on Sundays when it is transformed into the bustling, hipster, gourmet food and handmade clothing shopping extravaganza that is Market on Main.
Only a few of these people know the history behind the iconic shopping complex, but City Buzz has got all the information on hand for you.
The building was erected in 1911 and was used as a liquor warehouse for a man named William McBain.
Later, from 1931 to 1932, the building was turned into the head office of a construction company that was started by the mayor of Johannesburg at the time, D.F. Corlett.
The building later became dilapidated and unusable until the pioneering development company who oversees the development of Maboneng, Propertuity, bought and began renovating the premises in 2009.
Architects Daffonchio and Associates were the designers who were commissioned to combine the five warehouses on the property and create an arts and culture space from it. They made sure to preserve the industrial structure of the building and thus retain the blue-collar character of the space.
Today, Arts on Main is a bustling hub of activity and is the studio of a number of influential artists such as William Kentridge and David Krut.
The Goethe Institute’s Johannesburg baby, Goethe on Main finds its home within the Arts on Main confines and showcases a number of exhibits each year.
The Jozi Art Lab is also situated within the building and it works to facilitate collaboration between artists of all kinds.
There are many more arts and culture-promoting organisations that have their headquarters at Arts on Main. Without Arts on Main, the City would not have started construction on the Manoneng precinct that is now an award-winning rejuvenation project.
