Construction company GVK-Siya Zama has completed the restoration of 96 Rissik street, in Johannesburg, for State-owned logistics agency Transnet’s new head office, preserving one of the city’s most prominent Edwardian landmarks in the process.

The project was completed before Heritage Month and celebrates Johannesburg’s architectural legacy, while ensuring that a building once left to decay now endures as a reminder of the city’s rich history and heritage, the construction company says.

Externally, the restoration reinstated the building’s historic northern entrance, widened pavements and returned its facades to their Edwardian clarity.

Inside, previously hidden elements, such as fireplaces, fanlights and a historic railway control panel, were revealed and retained, thereby reinforcing a tangible link to the building’s origins.

“By choosing to restore rather than replace, Transnet revives a piece of history while creating something new, thereby bridging historical roots and contemporary aspirations,” says GVK-Siya Zama Gauteng MD Jabu Serithi.

The redevelopment balanced conservation with forward-looking design. Original timber windows, decorative plasterwork, tiled passages and the Transnet Heritage Library were protected, while new features, such as glass-fronted meeting rooms, flexible office layouts, and a landscaped atrium, create a vibrant working environment.

Together, these choices ensure the building remains functional and culturally significant, she says.

Further, the restoration also anchors the broader regeneration of Johannesburg’s inner city. By weaving heritage into the fabric of modern infrastructure, the project strengthens the city’s renewal efforts and positions the central business district as a place where history and progress coexist.

Additionally, the project also extended its impact beyond the site itself. Built environment students gained hands-on training in heritage refurbishment, while nearby schools and communities benefited from support initiatives ranging from uniform donations to winter relief programmes.

In this way, the restoration became a platform not only for architectural renewal but also for social investment, Serithi says.

“Adaptive re-use is a model for sustainable, culturally rooted development. This building has been restored as our collective contribution to the generations who will follow and as a reminder that we chose to be custodians of our heritage while being architects of our tomorrow,” she says.