Even before its official opening next month, the Turbine Hall has hosted two stylish events - a champagne launch and Sanlam Fashion week, indicating the buzz this iconic venue has generated.
Joburg's first coal-fired power station retains its industrial heritage, with its red brick, steel girders and concrete plinths, but it's been transformed into a contemporary place with warmth and personality.
Glynis Hyslop, MD of The Forum Company, which has leased the venue, has spent the last two years patiently refurbishing it into a first-class multifunctional venue.
She was gratified by the reaction of fashionistas, celebrities and the media at Fashion Week, she revealed over a cup of coffee enjoyed on a stone bench in the clipped gardens of Turbine Hall.
"It went well considering we were still carpeting the floors hours before the show started," she said with a grin.
Simply and elegantly decorated, all agreed the place looked classy. And, said Hyslop, 5FM DJ Elana Afrika said she "felt so at home".
But not long ago the building, consisting of the south and north boiler houses and a large hall, stood unloved, decayed and forgotten.
Built in the 1920s, its reputation as "one of the finest examples of industrial architecture in Johannesburg" had long been relegated to the furthest recesses of the public's memory. And long gone were the days when it was acclaimed for being "the largest building under a concrete roof in the country".
Squatters took over the abandoned building and, according to the City of Johannesburg website, "in 1999 the hall was the scene of a series of muggings, rapes and murders, including that of a Homeless Talk writer". Criminals, the article continued, used the hall's dark passages to evade authorities, and built tunnels from which to steal copper cables from nearby businesses.
Even inner-city champion Neil Fraser said it was described as "one of the harshest living spaces in Johannesburg where the filth alone could drive away the most incessant compassion".
After a prolonged spell of squalor, there were spurts of hope. The building received a new roof and its cathedral-like windows, which were broken, were replaced. Music filled its hollowed structures as it took on the mantle of intermittent venue for concerts, raves and even a launch of the BMW Coupe.
Then AngloGold Ashanti set up home, imploding the north boiler house in 2005 to make way for a four-storey office building, which seamlessly connects to the Turbine Hall and south boiler house. In 2007 they moved in.
It was around that time that work also began on the Turbine Hall, said Hyslop, a former MD for a Dimension Data company.
She saw the building up close five years ago, after a friend had suggested it to her as another facility for The Forum Company, which has a conference venue and catering operation in Bryanston.
One cold Saturday morning, she strolled through the Turbine Hall. She had always been fascinated by it, often glancing at it from the highway while driving past.
"When I walked into this tall building, I knew immediately that this was me. It reflects who I am," said Hyslop.
The smell of urine and graffiti slashed across the walls in the basement wasn't a deterrent. "The building just had a great feeling, and it was different."
Together with TPS architects and Tiber Bonvec Construction, which owns the building, Hyslop was determined to make her vision come to fruition. But it was very difficult, she admitted.
The cost of refurbishment was prohibitive. "We had to go back to the drawing board and cut our cloth according to the cash we had," said Hyslop.
The fact that it is a national heritage site added further complications. "We tried to find ways to touch the building lightly. We wanted to keep the character of the building and its structure, so we had to think very carefully about it before doing something."
The cross beams were kept, old bricks were integrated, the original pillars were left standing and the rusted steel coal hoppers were left alone to add charm to the building.
However, there were some elements that had to be changed, such as the stairway in the basement that didn't go all the way down to the floor. And, using the architectural concept of building "a box within a box", a "glass house" was installed on the upper level of the south boiler house.
"Downstairs, we have the bar, a private dining room and a chef's table. And the basement is where the fashion shows were held," said Hyslop.
Modern and industrial, Turbine Hall couldn't be more different to The Forum's more corporate venue in Bryanston, said Hyslop.
"I like modern things but not sterile. I like the blend of the old and the new. We can live with modernity but we shouldn't throw out what we had before," she added.
From the way Hyslop spoke, it is clear the building's rebirth has fed her soul. "Some people say that this is like a New York space. But I don't think so - it's a Jozi space. Being here feels like a slick city without the frenetic pace.
"I look out of the windows and see the slow movement of cars and nice trees. Newtown is a great part of the city, thanks to the Johannesburg Development Agency which has done a great job."
- Jabulile Ngwenya contributed to this report