The relentless regeneration of Cape Town's CBD received yet another boost recently with the launch of the new look ABSA Centre at 2 Riebeek Street to the property broker community.

The skyscraper has been a landmark in the city’s foreshore region since 1968 and today the owners, The Patrick Partnership, and the property managers, Rennie Property, revealed ongoing plans for a revamp of this iconic building that will make it a major hub in Cape Town’s legal, financial and publishing districts.

When the hoardings around the base of the building are removed they will reveal the latest in contemporary shop fronts. Frameless glass and 24 by seven lighting create a floating effect and provide retailers with innovative display windows to showcase their products.

The retail area is linked to the buzzing pedestrian mall, office and hotel — creating a busy 24-hour retail centre point. Continuing through into the office floors of ABSA Centre itself, a redesign of the common areas is planned. The Riebeek Street entrance will pay homage to the building’s heritage and the award-winning Seagram Building in New York that inspired it. A series of black and white photographs and sketches will illustrate the two buildings’ histories and reputation as the benchmark of the International Style of architecture.

In the entrances to the building gilt-edged frames will provide a contrast to the monochrome walls and floors. This clean, crisp contemporary décor comprising imported off-white tiles and luxurious black velvet wallpaper will extend from the foyer through the common areas.

The building also features the largest windows in the city — three quarters of the façade is glass — giving tenants unprecedented views of Table Mountain and Table Bay. Also on the cards is a revamp of the hotel that is located in the skyscraper — completing the triple play of shop, work and stay.

"Cape Town is one of the most exciting cities in the world. We are thrilled to be part of the regeneration of this important business district," said John Foley, managing director of the building owners, The Patrick Partnership. "The ABSA Centre is an iconic landmark and has long been home to many of South Africa’s important businesses."

"For visitors and tenants alike these changes underscore the ABSA Centre’s status as a premier business address in Cape Town," said Steve Rennie, director of Rennie Property.

The International Style of architecture

The International Style was a major architectural style of the 1920s and 1930s. The term usually refers to the buildings and architects of the formative decades of Modernism, before World War II. The term had its origin from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson written to record the International Exhibition of Modern Architecture held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1932 which identified, categorised and expanded upon characteristics common to Modernism across the world. They identified three different principles: the expression of volume rather than mass, balance rather than preconceived symmetry and the expulsion of applied ornament.

About the Seagram building

The Seagram Building is a skyscraper in New York City located at 375 Park Avenue between 52nd Street and 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan. It was designed by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in collaboration with the American Philip Johnson and was completed in 1958. It is 515 feet tall with 38 stories. It stands as one of the finest examples of the functionalist aesthetic and a masterpiece of corporate modernism. It was designed as the headquarters for the Canadian distillers Joseph E. Seagram's & Sons.

Inspiration from a modern icon

The Patrick Partnership’s flagship property, the iconic ABSA Centre in Cape Town, is an unashamed homage to the Seagram Building in Park Avenue, New York.

When the Seagram Building was completed in 1958 it was a dramatic departure from the usual architectural style of the time. The Canadian distillers Seagram & Sons asked renowned architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Phillip Johnson to design 'a masterpiece of corporate modernism' for its company headquarters.

The skyscraper is the embodiment of the International Style of architecture and a classic example of the understated elegance of the Modernist movement. The clean lines, minimal decoration and focus on volume and balance contrast dramatically with the Art Deco trend popular at the time, with its focus on decoration for decoration’s sake.

Instead, the International Style puts the structure of the building at the centre of the design and aesthetic expression so there is no need for additional adornment and decoration. The Seagram Building is built around a steel-frame box that supports dark amber tinted glass surrounded by bronze beams. This 38-story slab of bronze appears to hover above the glass-encased lobby, which is supported by a core of bronze-clad steel and lift shafts.

Despite meticulous design guidelines the planning, symmetry and simplicity of the structure allows for flexibility and a vast palette of styles and after 50 years the building retains its iconic status.

"God is in the detail" — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, architect of the Seagram Building

Fast facts about the Seagram building in New York

1. When it was completed in 1958 it was the most expensive building in the world, costing U$36-million.

2. As well as the extravagant use of marble and travertine, 1.5-million kilograms of bronze was used in the construction of the skyscraper.

3. The Seagram Building is 157 metres tall and has 38 stories.

4. The architects were Ludwig Mies van der Rohe from Germany and the American Phillip Johnson. They won multiple awards for the building and Johnson coined the phrase 'the International Style' in 1932.

5. The New York Times named the Seagram Building as its 'building of the millennium'.

6. The Seagram Building has featured in several movies, most notably Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

7. The skyscraper houses the world-famous Four Seasons Restaurant and Brasserie. The restaurant’s interior was also designed by Mies van der Rohe and Johnson and remains almost unchanged since 1959.

8. To maintain the building’s uniform appearance, the blinds were designed so they can only be opened fully, opened halfway or kept closed. In addition, they all open at a 45 degree angle.

9. Current tenants include JP Morgan, Sony, NASCAR, Fiat USA and Gulf & Western.

10. The quality of natural light in the lobby and the plaza has brought art exhibitions by Henry Moore, Jean Dubuffet, Miró and Mark Rothko among others.