Switching live-work-play between cities has always required a compromise on at least one of the elements – but the connection between two Aparthotel developments in the CBD’s of Sandton and Cape Town is about to make all three seamlessly transferrable, to offer true, simple multi-city living.
Having established a R500 million ‘vertical village’ footprint in the heart of the Sandton CBD by converting two former office spaces into tech-driven, connected and affordable serviced apartments, BlackBrick is set to open its doors in Cape Town in mid-June 2021 – making it possible to affordably switch lives between the two cities, to make the most of work and lifestyle opportunities in both.
Millions of South Africans have been forced into embracing the work-from-home lifestyle over the last year, mixing the joy of avoiding the hours spent each day commuting in traffic with the challenges of establishing spaces in their homes to work, and separating work time and down time at the end of each day. BlackBrick blends serviced apartment hotel convenience with a range of dedicated work spaces and a host of amenities from boxing gyms and yoga courtyards, to meditation gardens, a cinema and library to provide a comprehensive live-work space for members. The addition of BlackBrick Cape Town now makes it possible for ‘members’ to move friction-free between the two cities at will and access all the same facilities for maximum live-work benefit.
“The fact that the Johannesburg-Cape Town flight route remains one of the busiest domestic channel in the Southern Hemisphere demonstrates how many people commute between the two cities to embrace business opportunities and take advantage of the lifestyle opportunities afforded by both cities,” says BlackBrick Cape Town City Operator Viwe Hewu. “The challenge was always remembering to take everything needed along with you, and to base yourself somewhere that covered all your work and play needs. That’s the benefit of BlackBrick – buying, staying or renting at BlackBrick gives you a membership that makes life seamless between cities with access to all familiar amenities you know you’ll need, at both locations”.
Demand for residential property in the heart of the Cape Town CBD has kept prices high, but BlackBrick apartments are reasonably priced from R995 000, offering first-time buyers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to buy into the all-encompassing live-work experience, just 850m from the V&A Waterfront. “Add that to the benefit of having instant access to BlackBrick Sandton, a block from Sandton City and 800m from the Gautrain station, and you really do have the best of both worlds,” says Hewu.
“Where BlackBrick Sandton has taken on the entrepreneurial spirit of its community, BlackBrick Cape Town is seemingly becoming a complementary creative and soulful destination on the other side of the country. In the spirit of creative collaboration with local experts, we have a restaurant called “A Gallery You Can Eat At” as well as a Concierge desk called ‘Local knowledge’. The creative community that is the heart of Cape Town’s economy have found ways to engage BlackBrick on so many levels, creating a strong foundation before the doors have even opened. This next month will be fascinating to see how the two clubs grow in totally unique ways, each responding to their environments in an authentic way that is relevant to that neighbourhood and offering members the authentic best of both worlds”.
