City Lodge Hotel - O.R Tambo

2008
Johannesburg, Gauteng

Team: Ivor Daniel, Trevor Lovell

The City Lodge O.R. Tambo project involved the expansion and refurbishment of an existing hotel in Isando, Johannesburg, as part of a broader upgrade programme for the hotel group. The intervention added approximately 60 new guest rooms in a separate three-storey wing, increasing capacity while maintaining uninterrupted hotel operations during construction.

A key constraint was integrating the new accommodation wing into a functioning hotel while ensuring clear separation between existing and new structures. The expansion also needed to respond to the existing building geometry and improve arrival experience, circulation, and public interface areas.

The design introduces a new wing set at right angles to the existing bedroom block, clearly articulating the junction between old and new. This intersection is expressed through a glazed corner tower containing vertical circulation, serving as both a visual marker and organisational node. Public areas were upgraded concurrently, including a new entrance canopy, refurbished foyer, and enhanced meeting facilities, improving the guest arrival sequence.

The result is a cohesive hotel expansion that increases capacity while enhancing spatial clarity, circulation, and public presence, reinforcing the building’s identity within the City Lodge portfolio.