Turbine Hall
The Turbine Hall is an extraordinary corporate, conference and events venue in the heart of Newtown, Johannesburg’s cultural precinct.
The original building was the Jeppe Street Power Station, the largest of Newtown’s three steam-driven power stations. The facility was built and extended between 1927 and 1934 to keep pace with Johannesburg’s growing electricity demand. Although the power station was officially decommissioned in 1961, it was re-equipped and kept on standby as a back-up power facility from the mid-1960s through the 1970s. By the early 1990s, the facility was largely mothballed and it fell into disrepair.
One of the rooms in Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg. Photo courtesy SANGONeT
After years of neglect, the Turbine Hall was given a new lease on life in 2005, when the dilapidated north boiler house was demolished and, in its place, a structure was built to accommodate the global headquarters of mining giant AngloGold Ashanti. Over two years, the building was carefully refurbished to preserve its industrial heritage while transforming it into a top-class, modern facility.
The revamped Turbine Hall opened for public functions in 2009 and has fast become a popular venue in Johannesburg’s inner city. Visitors to the unique venue are offered a glimpse of the old and the new – 1920s South African industrial architecture and rusted, unpainted steel juxtaposed with contemporary fittings and fixtures.
The venue is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and breathtaking decor, making it a sought-after location for corporate functions, conferences, parties and weddings. It has hosted high-profile events such as South African Fashion Week, as well international artists, including US singer Kelly Rowland.
The Turbine Hall houses numerous conference and function rooms that can host exhibitions and conferences for up to 500 people, dinners for up to 320 and cocktail parties for as many as 800 people. The venue also boasts an upmarket bar and private dining area.
Directions
Take Jan Smuts Avenue (M27) south in the direction of the Johannesburg city centre, keep right at the fork and cross the Nelson Mandela Bridge into Newtown. Keep straight onto West Street, which becomes Ntemi Piliso Street.