Cape Town – The Portside building in the Cape Town CBD is a joint initiative between FirstRand Bank and Old Mutual.
The overall Portside project offers 57 000m² of office space and 1 444 parking bays.
It is a 5-Star Green Star SA rated building.
The 139m high building is the provincial headquarters of the various divisions of FirstRand, namely: FNB, RMB and Wesbank, as well as its asset management arm Ashburton.
The section owned by Old Mutual has a retail and office component that will be leased.
A mix of cafes and restaurants occupy the ground floor of the building along with a new FNB branch, revitalising the street life in this part of the city.
“FNB has a strong presence in Cape Town and the Western Cape. Our investment in Portside is an extension of our continued commitment to investing in the development of the city and region,” said Stephan Claassen, FNB Provincial Head for the Western Cape.
The intention is to host various activities at the building that will benefit the community of Cape Town.
Explaining the architectural approach, Derick Henstra from dhk architects described the Portside as a timeless 21st century building, a modern classic.
“The city of Cape Town is set within an extraordinary landscape and Portside was designed to become a landmark while being considerate to its immediate surroundings," he said.
The bulk of the construction and fit-out of the building finished in May this year and the various brands within FirstRand started moving into the premises in June.
- Fin24