by Estelle van Staden, Johannesburg, 23 June 2005

The Michelangelo Towers heralds a completely new era of highly exclusive, luxurious, secure and practical living - the ultimate luxury lifestyle.

Situated in the heart of Sandton's commercial and civic area, the Michelangelo Towers complex links, via a new bridge forming part of the development, with Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City, and the Sandton Convention Centre. 

Standing 146m above street level the new neo-classical structure is the tallest building on the Sandton skyline, the sixth tallest building in Johannesburg, and the fifth tallest commercial structure in South Africa.

The R750-million Michelangelo Towers project, due for completion in September 2005, will be an iconic landmark and is being hailed as another design coup for Bentel Associates International (BAI). With 45 years experience in the commercial building and construction environment BAI is recognised as a major multidisciplinary design practice, their name is synonymous with innovation and design excellence. 

The company is managing all aspects of the project, bringing their impressive range of skills and expertise to this prestigious development. Utilising their customary synergistic approach to project design and management BAI have utilised classically elegant and modern features in this spectacular building. "Although we have used classical design features the Towers is in all aspects a modern structure incorporating the latest building and materials technology. The building also has been designed with state-of-the-art fire protection, air-conditioning, security, emergency evacuation, sanitation and lift technology," says Franc Brugman, Bentel's architect extraordinaire and Michelangelo Towers Project Director. 

The Manhattan-style apartment complex features intricate classical detail on the facade using bricks and a specialised external sandstone finish with extensive aluminium and glass sliding doors and windows, stainless steel handrails, glazed balustrades and marble granite and plaster cladding.

Situated in Africa's prime business centre, the Michelangelo Towers and retail complex has been designed to meet the demanding expectations of the increasingly sophisticated and contemporary residential owner, traveller and business executive. "The classically elegant but modern Michelangelo Towers is a unique multidimensional development offering luxurious fully serviced all-suite residential and hotel accommodation, modern retail shops, complete business facilities and peace of mind security," says Brugman. 

The Michelangelo Towers comprises a prestigious 35-storey high-rise residential complex topped by an iconic stainless steel dome, ingenuously designed utilising stainless steel arches with a floating "jewel" at the top. The stainless steel dome, with design antecedents in Renaissance architecture, will create an impressive sparkling effect during the day, and at night, the dome and the "jewel" will generate fascinating and spectacular visual effects, creating a constant impression of motion.

The Michelangelo Towers consists of 196 apartments ranging in size from 75m2 to 800m2. Three levels of 50 "Gallery" apartments form the podium to the tower itself and they are serviced by two lift lobbies off Maude Street and the upper level of the retail complex. 

The Tower, which starts on the eighth floor, includes thirteen levels of Michelangelo Apartments, four levels of Penthouse Suites, two levels of King Penthouse Suites and three levels of the prestigious Observation Suite which includes a 360o uninterrupted view of the Johannesburg skyline and beyond. Each apartment has air conditioning, reverse cycle heating, and several parking bays. 

The luxurious one or two-bedroom Michelangelo Apartments are open-plan designs that incorporate en suite bathrooms, gourmet kitchens and a high standard of fixtures and fittings. There will also be several three-bedroom configurations.

The eight two-level Penthouse Suites will offer discerning owners an enchanting 300 square metres of balcony. The top King Penthouse Suites are more elaborate and will include informal and formal lounges and gyms, amongst other luxury features. Entry lobbies will lead to upper and lower level designs that incorporate dressing rooms, butlers quarters and a sense of space commensurate with the overall grandeur of this elegant building.

The Observation Suite on the 35th floor is a three level ultra-luxurious multi-use residential apartment featuring a hi-tech boardroom and a pool deck with a gym and a steam shower amongst other luxury finishes.

Apartment layouts offer configurations that allow for a wide range of personal inclinations, tastes and family routines. Some apartments include studies, some are duplex, while others feature fold back windows that allow unrestricted vistas reaching to the Magaliesberg Hills and beyond. 

"Because of the open-plan designs, the views are spectacular from just about any of the rooms and to ensure this, bathrooms and kitchens have been positioned closest to the core of the building with living and bedrooms on the outer periphery. On a clear day even the Voortrekker monument in Pretoria is visible from the top floors," says Brugman.

It is anticipated that many buyers will live in their units but that a substantial minority will be investors. Others have homes outside Johannesburg and will use their apartments as a weekday pied-a-terre. Private owners and investors have been given the option of placing their apartments in a hotel rental pool. 

The Rental Pool is an interesting bonus offered by the developers, the Legacy Group. It offers owners the option of purchasing a fully furnished apartment and placing it in a Hotel Pool, thereby optimising their investment. This arrangement is of particular interest to foreign business people, visitors and tourists who desire an exclusive address in Sandton for limited periods. Participants in this scheme will be able to rent out their homes on a short, medium or long-term basis under the auspices of the Legacy Hotel Group that will operate and manage this component of the Towers. 

To ensure a superior standard of accommodation the interior design options have been created by the internationally renowned designers Stephen Falcke, Lionel Levin (Lisa Wilsenach). Owners of apartments in the Hotel Investment Pool may select furnishings and decor from four classic or contemporary suite layouts. The final cost of furnishing an apartment will be in the region of R400 000. Apartments that do not form part of the hotel pool will be furnished according to individual owners' choices.

All the apartments, regardless of whether they become part of the hotel rental pool, will have hotel features. All will have full laundry and room service available, be linked to reception and have all the other necessary technology to become part of a five-star hotel.

"Bentel Associates, whose work apart from that of principal agent and architect includes the coordination of designs that interior designers require on behalf of individual apartment owners. BAI also continues to manage the requirements of the apartments, down to the final finishes, which will be required for the apartments becoming part of the hotel rental pool," says Brugman.

Included in the development is the ultra modern 4 500 m2 Michelangelo Towers Mall, with contemporary designer showrooms and shops linked directly to the two Nelson Mandela Square shopping mall levels. The Michelangelo Towers Mall will be a showcase of ultra contemporary designer showrooms, restaurants and shops targeting the corporate and residential markets, traders and discerning consumers. 

As part of the exclusive lifestyle offered by the Towers, tenants and apartment owners will be able to utilise a variety of services including medical facilities, shopping, legal services and entertainment without having to leave the Sandton precinct.

The Towers is achieving record prices - the lower level units start at about R15 500m² and the King Suites are being sold at R28 500/m². International executives will appreciate that with Michelangelo Tower's world-class standards there is still an enormous disparity between R15 500m² for a flat in the Michelangelo Towers and R70 000m² in New York's West Side, or R180 000m² for the equivalent property in Chelsea, London. 

The R1.7 million units are expected to rent for R20 000 per month whilst the Observation Suite will offer visitors the opportunity of staying in a R30 000 a night suite offering ultimate opulence and luxury.

Brugman says that the Michelangelo Towers will have great scarcity value. "The Towers are unique, up there with the best in the world, and with no immediate competition now or in the future, the Michelangelo Towers is expected to appreciate rapidly and substantially." 

Responsible for the entire design concept Bentel Associates International have been at the forefront of developing this majestic building into an icon. Despite many logistical challenges, the company has once again optimised architectural and design capability with an outstanding project of which they can be justifiably proud.

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