Press Articles

Introduction

As in all other parts of the world, the Johannesburg TV and film industry is gravitating towards a convenient central node. In this case, that node is Auckland Park and Milpark - in an area loosely bounded by Empire Road, Annet Road, and the SABC complex.

This trend has been driven by the proximity of the SABC, and other industry facilities in the region - as well as the availability of spacious, affordable premises with oodles of charm, and overall convenience. (As well as being a stone¹s throw from Melville - where so many media people seem to live.)

A GIANT IN JOLLYWOOD

"You've heard about Hollywood, and Bollywood… now welcome to Jollywood."

We're standing on a rooftop on the corner of Owl and Frost Roads in the heart of Milpark - Joburg's blossoming film, TV, and media precinct.

Under our feet is the grand old Atlas Bakery building that's in the process of being totally redeveloped into the Atlas Studios - a one-stop TV and film production facility.

Jonathan Gimpel, my Jollywood tour guide and developer of the Atlas Studios, is pointing out a host of neighbouring buildings that are also experiencing an exciting new lease on life in one of the city's most historical, yet under-utilised, areas.

Welcome to Our Neighbourhood
Across the road from us is the Media Mill - another of Jonathan's projects. As it happens, the Media Mill was also a bakery in its past life. That's before Jonathan - and his architect wife Lorien - got their hands on it a few years ago.

They stripped the old bakery, reconfigured the spaces, and added angular modern industrial entrances, light-wells and staircases in steel and glass. The result is an airy, light, functional environment with a funky industrial feel that perfectly suited the media industry.

Another neighbour to join the trend is the old knitting factory on the corner of Owl and Stanley Roads that's currently being converted into a block of upmarket loft apartments. When the apartments came onto the market recently, they were sold off plan in a jiffy.

Just the other side of this on Stanley Road, is what used to be the old AA Building. This building has also been sold recently - for redevelopment into a stylish new "lifestyle centre" - with restaurants, bars, arts and craft studios and exciting stores.

Across the road is the Milpark Holiday Inn cluster. This landmark hotel, its adjoining tower block, and the Galleria Centre (Johannesburg's first modern indoor shopping mall) have all recently been renovated and revitalised.

An old bakery rises from it's ashes
While most Joburgers refer to it as the old Atlas Bakery, this architecturally significant building was originally built by the Coca-Cola Company in 1951 to be their local bottling plant and HQ.

It was only later taken over by Atlas Bakeries - and became a local institution for decades - until a change in government legislation shook up the bread industry by deregulating it.

When Atlas hung up their baking gloves five years ago, this Modern Movement icon became a favoured haunt for vagrants, pigeons and party organisers. It also attracted its fair share of film crews - especially students from the South African Film School (AFDA) who are conveniently located next door.

Movie directors get seduced by the cavernous spaces, volumes, shapes and unobstructed camera lines made possible by the building's signature barrel-vaulted roofs (as they require only the bare minimum of supporting pillars and columns).

It's not even six months since the builders moved onto the site, and the first two studios have already been handed over to the first team of set builders. They are busy preparing the 1000+m² space for "The Res" - SABC 2's upcoming new sit-com that's being co-produced by two of the biggest hitters in the local industry - Anant Singh and Franz Marx.

One Stop Shop
The state-of-the-art studios are fully sound-proofed, light-proofed, (vibration-proofed) and air-conditioned. They are conveniently connected to brand-new "dry-hire" control rooms that are fully compatible with SABC, ZSE, and other major industry specifications. (Lighting grids and dimmer controls are supplied.)

There are also spacious, well-appointed art-department rooms, make-up rooms, change-rooms, and even an in-house laundry for the wardrobe department.

Besides the main two studios, there are also a number of "loft-style" spaces for production houses, modelling agencies, photographers, set builders, grips, and post-production facilities, etc.

As you enter the main access "arcade" that separates the TV studios from the "loft spaces" there will be a stylish restaurant/cafe/bar - done in red brick, stainless steel and dark wood - that will also be available for on-set catering. And to keep the bakery memory alive, you¹ll be able to smell the fresh muffins and breads they'll be baking daily.

The plush office suites upstairs have been updated, refreshed, cabled and re-carpeted. But the original terrazzo stairwells, ceramic tiles, glass bricks, oak handrails and wood paneled boardrooms retain the original Art Deco feel of what used to be the local Coca Cola headquarters. (It's almost The Real Thing!).

Convenience at its best
Initially, the nearby Barry Hertzog Avenue flyover - and other major road re-engineering works over the last few years -- were a source of disturbance and doubt in the Milpark area.

But thankfully the dust has finally settled - and traffic now runs smoothly, and briskly in all directions. From the Atlas Studios you¹re only minutes from the M1, and nearly all major traffic routes.

To zip into the city, just go past the old gas works, and you¹ve got almost a clear run to the new Nelson Mandela bridge that leads you into exciting Newtown redevelopment zone.

The "2 Universities" Development Zone
From an Urban renewal perspective, it's interesting to see the re-development that's occurred along the "corridor" that starts at Wits University and stretches all the way down to RAU.

Besides the new office developments - all the way down Empire Road to the Milpark Holiday Inn - there are also the new Naspers Headquarters, ABSA¹s massive new Call Centre building, and the comprehensive Campus Shopping Centre, to name but a few.

This adds a significant amount of momentum, convenience and new people to the node, as well as making it a smart nucleus for future development, and redevelopment.

© 2007 Atlas Studios

CNR. FROST AVENUE & OWL STREET, MILPARK, JOBURG, SOUTH AFRICA