Who Are We
HALLMARK A HISTORY
Located in the heart of South Africa’s pulsing African metropolis on the doorstep of bustling Maboneng, Located in the heart of South Africa’s pulsing African metropolis on the doorstep of bustling Maboneng, Johannesburg, likes a 66-metre-high modular Modernist structure Hallmark House. Originally designed in the early 1970’s to house a growing diamond-polishing industry, it was later repurposed and designed by renowned Ghanian designer David Ajaye.
In May 2021, Hallmark House
reopened its doors with a solid bang!
2020 – 2021
Hallmark’s most recent refit and re-branding, launched in early 2020, are warm, modern, evocative and just a touch flamboyant. The design recalls the building’s industrial origins, with a sandblasted, exposed structure setting the scene for a contemporary, urban look that complements the lustrous, rich textures and colours of the sophisticated interior architecture, offset by striking contemporary art.
Towards the end of 2020, the hotel took the decision to temporarily close its doors for a short period due to the ongoing effect of the Covid 19 pandemic, with the aim to re-open in the new year. In May 2021, Hallmark House reopened its doors with a solid bang! The first quarter of the year saw the reopening of the Rooftop venue, followed by a hugely successful reopening of The Marabi Club and exciting new artwork and upgrades throughout the building.
2016 – 2019
The building was repurposed as an upmarket stay, work, play mixed-use development in 2016, making a bold statement about Johannesburg’s inner city by introducing a chic and trendy dimension to the surrounding city fabric. The design was carried out by internationally-renowned Ghanaian architect, Sir David Adjaye:
“I saw this as a transformative opportunity to combine an African aesthetic with a contemporary vision, and also to show that the relics of the old mode of the city had the capacity to adapt and to change.”
Johannesburg ultimately became known as the “City of Gold”
2015 & EARLIER
In the mid-1920s, diamond cutting and polishing took off in South Africa as the country had become a significant source of this stone. While much mining was done in Kimberley, the trade eventually moved to Johannesburg given that this was where the money was, following the Gold Rush and subsequent development in the region.
Indeed, Johannesburg ultimately became known as the “City of Gold”, but it had, at this time, become a world centre for diamond polishing. As a result, a number of diamond factories opened in the region. In keeping with the demand, a gentleman by the name of Greg Cohen was responsible for designing a building which would become a diamond polishing centre. And, it is this building, with origins in the early 1970s, that is now known as Hallmark House.