Een van Vereeniging se mooiste ou Art Deco-geboue is 22 jaar gelede gesloop om plek te maak vir nuwe uitbreidings in die middestad
VEREENIGING IS VANJAAR 130 JAAR OUD. OM DIT TE HERDENK, KYK VAALWEEKBLAD VANJAAR TERUG NA IN ITERESSANTE GEBEURE UIT DIE STAD SE GESKIEDENIS…
Een van Vereeniging se mooiste ou geboue, die voormalige Stewarts & Lloyds-hoofkantoor op die hoek van Voorstrekkerstraat en Rhodeslaan, moes in die jaar 2000 gesloop word om plek te maak vir nuwe sakeontwikkelings in die middestad.
Die Stewarts & Lloyds-gebou is 1939 in die Art Deco-styl opgerig en was jare lank deur die onderneming as hoofkantoor gebruik. In later jare het dit as ekstra kantore vir die polisie gedien, en sommige het beweer dat dit snags daar gespook het…
Die gebou het mettertyd in onbruik verval maar omdat dit op so ‘n gesogte plek in die middestad gestaan het, wou ‘n ontwikkelaar die gebou laat sloop en ‘n nuwe sakesentrum, insluitend ‘n McDonald’s deurry-restaurant, daar vestig.Omdat die gebou soveel historiese waarde gehad het en ouer as 60 jaar was, moes toestemming eers by die Suid-Afrikaanse Monumenteraad verkry word om dit te mag sloop. Goedkeuring is uiteindelik gegee en dit was die broers, mnre. Johan en Lucas du Preez van LDP Vervoer & Sloping, se taak om die gebou af te takel.
Die Du Preez’s het destyds aan Vaalweekblad verduidelik dat geboue in die Vaaldriehoek nie met behulp van plofstof gesloop mag word nie, daarom moes dit moeisaam met ‘n geboustamper gedoen word. Dié taak het sowat twee weke geduur en het ook nie aldag vlot verloop nie. ‘n Gedeelte van die gebou het in die proses op ‘n staalstruktuur van die naasliggende Botha en Deysel Motors geval, maar aangesien die moontlikheid van so ‘n gebeurlikheid vooraf in ag geneem is, was die motorsaak voorbereid. Niemand is in die voorval beseer nie en geen voertuie is in die proses beskadig nie.
Nadat die afgebreekte stukke stene weggery is, kon die terrein gelykgemaak en bouwerk aan die nuwe McDonald’s begin word. Hoewel die moderne era van kitskosrestaurante verwelkom is, het baie van Vereeniging se ouer garde tog ‘n knop in die keel gehad omdat een van die stad se bekendste bakens vir altyd verdwyn het en nou net op ou foto’s waardeer kan word.
Historic old building makes way for fast food restaurant
One of Vereeniging’s most beautiful old Art Deco buildings was demolished 22 years ago to make way for new extensions in the city center.
VEREENIGING IS 130 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. TO COMMEMORATE THIS, THIS YEAR, VAALWEEKBLAD IS LOOKING BACK AT INTERESTING EVENTS FROM THE CITY’S HISTORY…
One of Vereeniging’s most beautiful old buildings, the former Stewarts & Lloyds head office on the corner of Voorstrekker Street and Rhodes Avenue, had to be demolished in the year 2000 to make way for new business developments in the city centre.
The Stewarts & Lloyds building was erected in 1939 in the Art Deco style and was used by the company as its head office for many years. In later years it served as extra offices for the police, and some claimed that it was haunted at night…
The building fell into disuse over time, but because it stood in such a prestigious location in the city center, a developer wanted to demolish the building and establish a new business center, including a McDonald’s drive-through restaurant. Because the building had so much historical value and was over 60 years old, permission had to be obtained from the South African Monuments Board before it could be demolished. Approval was finally given and it was the brothers, Messrs. Johan and Lucas du Preez from LDP Transport & Demolition, tasked with dismantling the building.
At the time, the Du Preez’s explained to Vaalweekblad that buildings in the Vaal Triangle may not be demolished with the aid of explosives, therefore it had to be done laboriously with a building rammer. This task lasted about two weeks and did not go smoothly every day either. In the process, part of the building fell onto a steel structure of the adjacent Botha and Deysel Motors, but since the possibility of such an eventuality was taken into account in advance, the car case was prepared. No one was injured in the incident and no vehicles were damaged in the process.
After the broken pieces of bricks were driven away, the site could be leveled and construction work could begin on the new McDonald’s. Although the modern era of fast food restaurants was welcomed, many of Vereeniging’s older guard still had a lump in their throats because one of the city’s most famous landmarks had disappeared forever and can now only be appreciated in old photographs.
