Piazza Da Luz

Saturday Argus 31/01/2009

PIAZZA DA LUZ SHINES THE WAY TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SEA POINT

A few years ago the area around the corner of Kings and Regent roads
found itself at the lower end of the business and development cycle.
With consistent effort from local government, ratepayers, law
enforcement and the Sea Point City Improvement District, an upswing of
the SBD is now an undeniable fact. Reclaiming space for the young and
fashionable professionals who used to set the tone for one of South
Africa's most desirable places to live, numerous developers have
succeeded in renovating local landmarks and firmly established a
positive trend in the area. Sea Point and surrounds is home to some of
the most valuable real estate in the country –with a resident
population of similar spending power- and the transformation of dull,
tired space into vibrant multi-use precincts is long overdue.

Slowly arising from what used to be the old Kings Hotel, Sea Point
residents have watched with anticipation as the most recent high note
in the ongoing regeneration of their area takes shape. They call it
the Piazza Da Luz, or Piazza of light, the product of two years of
building activity that finally ended this January with the opening of
an eye catching multi-purpose development sculpted in sandstone and
steel. A breezy glass atrium in a contemporary industrial style now
forms the focus of a multi-million rand shopping, office and hotel
lifestyle complex that brings back what Sea Point used to be about.
Good design, contemporary, cutting-edge style and city living on the
edge of the Atlantic.

The Super SPAR is still there, but the extensively renovated
supermarket now boasts a gourmet deli section so successful, that SPAR
send their trainee managers to this branch to take notes. Woolworths
food has also opened a branch in the Piazza Da Luz, so between the two
there should not be any excuse to go home with a bag of groceries that
don't comply with the ideal of high-quality, healthy food and produce.
Naturally, everything is Kosher to help serve the needs of Seapoint's
Jewish community, and the complex is served by two levels of
underground parking as well as 24-hour security.

For those too busy enjoying the Atlantic Seaboard's social scene to go
home and cook, the sun-kissed atrium provides the ideal venue as well
as the reason to meet friends and connect with the people most
important to you. Top-end franchises such as smoothie kings oSumo,
noodle bar Simply Asia and coffeehouse Vida E Caffe cater to
discerning tastes. Lifestyle shopping meets convenience with a branch
of PostNet, boutique beach gear outlet Watermelon and flowers from
Daluca Lifestyle and Flowers. Intimo, Sea Point's only outlet that
specializes exclusively in designer underwear for men, rounds out
gifting options for guys who need that little bit of extra support to
project total confidence.

The natural quest for excellence in all aspects of urban living isn't
confined to what we eat of course, appearances count for quite a bit
these days and Piazza Da Luz has the image conscious urbanite
well-covered. On the first floor award-winning hair maestro Stephen
Kavanagh and his team will ensure you have a good hair day at
Kavanagh's Hairdressing. Around the corner you can find the Dante
Wellness Centre, run by the radiant Stefanutti sisters. Daniela (the
"Dan" in "Dante") and Theresa (the "Te") offer a wide range of
pampering spa and cosmetic medical treatments designed to erase the
damage of a hectic urban lifestyle and help restore your normal
youthful and vibrant self. Dental Practitioner Dr. Toni Bedford will
soon open her doors to keep Seapoint smiling.

Above it all of course is the old Kings Hotel, now arisen as the New
Kings Hotel. Oozing sophistication, the New Kings lives up to its
convenient Sea Point location and breathtaking views of Lion's Head
and the Atlantic with an extensively refurbished interior. Whisked up
from the atrium floor in two scenic lifts, guests at the New Kings
Hotel will easily relax in the simplistically chik style notable in
all aspects of the hotel's design, from the beech wood floors to the
integrated I-Pod docks. The 42 hotel rooms with their bespoke
interiors are complimented by a cocktail bar terrace with a sea view,
conference facilities, private boardroom and personalized service.

The Piazza Da Luz is likely to be remembered as a milestone in the
regeneration of Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard. Pointing the way
forward for Sea Point, the latest chapter in the sought-after area's
resurgence has now put it undeniably on the upward curve of
redevelopment. Piazza Da Luz and the New Kings Hotel aims to recapture
the glory of the past by seizing the future of sophisticated urban
living.