Murray & Roberts Western Cape is making significant progress with its two full construction services contracts for the Rabie Property Group at Century City in Cape Town in the Western Cape. The first contract, Bridge Park, was awarded in November 2013, while the second contract, Century City Urban Square, is on the adjacent site and was awarded in March 2014. The total value of the  work being undertaken by Murray & Roberts Western Cape at Century City at present amounts to over R900 million.

Designed by Vivid Architects, the Urban Square project comprises a conference centre, 125 bedroom boutique hotel, residential apartments and a seven storey commercial office block. The conference centre will have capacity for 1 900 delegates over 20 different venues, including 12 meeting rooms and a business lounge. The entire project will be anchored by a public square, and built over a ‘super’ basement parking garage, in addition to an extra above-ground structured parking garage.

The 18 000 m2 Bridge Park office complex, designed by DHK architects, is adjacent to the Urban Square development and will be the first of the packages to be completed in mid 2015. “The structure on Bridge Park is approximately 70% complete and the  piling and deep foundations on the Urban Square will be completed by early September 2014, with the first structural concrete reaching ground level at the same time,” Dave Heron, managing director of Murray & Roberts Western Cape, says.

He adds that a concrete batch plant has been erected on-site in order to facilitate both these fast-track contracts, which will be completed by the end of 2015. A total of six tower cranes will be erected by early September in order to service the sites. The phased bulk excavations during the earthworks portion of the projects saw the removal of 70 000 m3 of material. An on-site batch plant with a discharge rate of 65 m3/hour of concrete has been set up in order to cope with project demands which total 55 000 m3 of concrete.

“These are flagship contracts for Murray & Roberts Construction Western Cape,” acknowledges Heron. “It is testament to the standing and capabilities of the company in the construction industry in the Western Cape that it was awarded both these prestigious contracts by the Rabie Property Group in a very tight economic climate.”

The Bridge Park and Urban Square projects, described by Heron as part of a greater multi-use urban precinct, are the latest additions to the burgeoning Century City mega development. “The main challenge posed by this project for Murray & Roberts Western Cape, apart from the tight timeframe for completion, are the logistical issues, as we are constructing these projects concurrently within a very restricted site,” Heron comments. All major deliveries will be managed during the night in order to alleviate any congestion within the Century City precinct.

CENTURY CITY CONTRACT PROGRESS 01: The 18 000 m2 Bridge Park office complex is adjacent to the Urban Square development and will be the first of the packages to be completed in mid 2015.

CENTURY CITY CONTRACT PROGRESS 02: The  piling and deep foundations on Urban Square will be completed by early September, with the first structural concrete reaching ground level at the same time.

CENTURY CITY CONTRACT PROGRESS 03: Bridge Park (pictured) and Urban Square are the latest additions to the burgeoning Century City mega development.