About R7-billion passes through Jewel City, Joburg's diamond industry sector, each year. With an extensive refurbishment, artists, galleries, and designers are adding to the precinct's sparkle.

The attractive concrete and mosaic two-seater of Theresa-Ann Mackintosh

REFURBISHMENT efforts by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) in the Jewel City precinct have been the catalyst for major art galleries opening in the eastern CBD, led by William Kentridge.

 The JDA launched Jewel City on Friday, 31 October with a walkabout; about 50 people walked through the area, led by the JDA's chief executive, Lael Bethlehem; and the mayoral committee member for development planning and urban management, Ruby Mathang.

The precinct consists of four blocks on the eastern edge of the city centre. Jewel City contains offices and workshops of about 280 diamond dealers and manufacturers, receiving and processing diamonds from as far away as Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana. The precinct attracts some 400 visitors a day, mostly buying cut and polished but unmounted diamonds. About R7-billion changes hands every year at Jewel City.

On the walkabout, Bethlehem took the group via the DF Corlett buildings in Berea Street. The new owner, Jonathan Liebmann, says he has bought five warehouses and is to develop art studios, with the major tenant being Kentridge. Other tenants include the Goodman Gallery, David Krut Galleries, and Bailey's African History Archives. It is to be called Arts on Main.

Liebmann says the galleries will house their larger artworks in the studios, easily accommodated in the lofty spaces. He will be creating spaces for a restaurant and a delicatessen, and plans to set up an internet café in an old car that came with the building. He plans to open in April next year.

He has planted a small grove of olive and lemon trees in the courtyard of the warehouses, a welcome green space in an area of busy warehouses and motor workshops.

Extensive revamp
The JDA revamp was extensive. Stormwater outlets and drainage were revamped, street lighting was replaced, freeway columns were cleaned and painted with anti-graffiti paint, pedestrian ramps were constructed, and to give the precinct a distinct feel, geometric mosaic shapes were created on the pavements to enhance the new diamond-shaped slabs.

The olive and lemon grove in the new Arts on Main complex in Berea Street

The upgrades took in Van Beek and Market streets between Beacon Street, and Commissioner Street between End and Berea streets, and Main Street between End and Berea streets.

"This is really exciting, a lovely development with green spaces," said Bethlehem, "I hope the creative design will inspire the precinct."

The JDA worked with ApexHi, the major property owner in the precinct. ApexHi contributed R2-million to the total cost of R17,8-million that the JDA has spent.

ApexHi provides 30 000m² of space and over the past four years has spent R14-million in upgrading its facilities. It is planning to spend a further R60-million in expanding the Jewel City premises by a further 5 000m².

"It is quite incredible to think that over 90 percent of all Gauteng's rough diamonds pass through this precinct consisting of four quiet city blocks on the eastern edge of our city," said Mathang.

Art and artists
A major element of the regeneration was the placing of a sculpture by artist Shepherd Ndudzo. "This artwork, like the mosaics on the paving, was inspired by the facet shapes of diamonds in integrating the Jewel City brand right through the precinct's architectural iconography," added Mathang.

A close-up of the impressive Shepherd Ndudzo sculpture

The artwork, consisting of stone and wood in the shape of an elongated diamond, stands 6,5m high. It sits on a traffic island at the intersection of Commissioner and Berea streets, making a bold statement to those entering the precinct.

Ndudzo uses hard woods and stone for his sculptures, at times using both in one piece, as with the Jewel City sculpture. He participates regularly in exhibitions and workshops, nationally and internationally. His work can be found in a number of corporate and private collections.

"My inspiration is drawn from a lot of things but primarily it is from the people that I meet and the experiences that I had in the past," said Ndudzo on his website.

Mathang spoke about the artist's style: "His style is uniquely graceful and he has meticulous craftsmanship and has done many solo and group exhibitions."

Artist Theresa-Ann Mackintosh's concrete and mosaic one-seaters have been placed on the corner of Commissioner and End streets.

Mathang referred to the original three beacons that marked the triangle that made up Randjeslaagte, the left over piece of land on which the town of Johannesburg was established. The marker in End Street was repaired as part of the upgrade.

Other developments in the area include the five-storey August House in End Street, formerly a small-scale factory building but now converted into loft and studio space, and an international art gallery, the Seippel Gallery, opened in early 2007.

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