Hitting The Mark

From the Minds That Conceived Joburg’s Maboneng Precinct Comes a New Chain of Lifestyle Blocks That Merge Living With Design and Art

- Sylvia Mckeown

Originally a diamond-polishing facility in Joburg’s diamond district in the CBD, Hallmark House was designed in the 1970s by architect Greg Cohen for developer Mark Markovitz, who would go on to build his own empire across the United States and Israel. Markovitz was still the owner of the building 45 years later when developer Jonathan Liebmann approached him, wanting to buy it.

‘It’s quite unusual,’ says Liebmann. ‘I normally buy buildings from people on their fourth or fifth cycle. I’d never bought one from the person who built it.’ He goes on to explain his belief that no two buildings will ever be alike, especially when one is being refurbished, and that his key philosophy is to respond to the original architecture of the structure, an approach seen in Hallmark House. Maboneng’s latest hotel-and-beyond property will offer a 17-floor luxurious living space that includes residential apartments, a boutique hotel and retail stores as well as wellness and leisure facilities.