The old picture today features what was then known as Ambassador Court, on the corner of Pine and Prince Streets, today Monty Naicker and Florence Nzama streets.
It appeared in the “Daily News” on August 13, 1973, with the caption: “Saved from demolition, Ambassador Court and Dunraven Court are being converted from flats to offices at a cost of about R75 000. It would have cost R200 000 to restore them as flats.”
Today called Ambassador House, the block was built in 1930 and designed by Scottish architect Stanley Nelson Sercombe. Originally a residential building, it went on to house businesses.
Now part of the Urban Lime portfolio, restoration has seen this iconic building return to its former architectural glory while maintaining the original Neoclassical-style architecture, with its decorative embellishments and crafted detail. It now houses four floors of modern offices, ground floor retail units and a boutique backpackers lodge.
The backpackers has 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor and advertises a wide range of premium en-suite private rooms and shared dormitories, including yoga facilities, outdoor cinema, chill-out lounge, co-working space, an urban spa and bar. It has featured in some of the city’s top budget accommodation lists.
The picture shot this week by Shelley Kjonstad shows a building in better condition than it was in the original 1970s photograph.
The Independent on Saturday