{"id":821576,"date":"2025-04-27T16:06:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T14:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=821576"},"modified":"2025-04-27T16:06:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T14:06:40","slug":"iconic-91-year-old-building-in-south-africa-gets-multi-billion-rand-restoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/821576\/iconic-91-year-old-building-in-south-africa-gets-multi-billion-rand-restoration\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic 91-year-old building in South Africa gets multi-billion-rand restoration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The United Building in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, has been given a multi-billion-rand restoration by the Church of Scientology and is now open to the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 10-storey building, erected in 1934, is situated on one of the city’s most prominent business sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Florida-based church said its multi-million-rand investment ushered in a new era for the city by inviting investment, growing community pride, and helping rediscover the city’s historic heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard created Scientology in the 1950s as an evolution from his earlier self-help system, Dianetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church has seen strong growth over the last half-century and is well-known for its connections in the film industry. Well-known Scientologists include actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gqeberha building anchored the city\u2019s CBD for decades, and was home to Boland Bank, the Consumer Credit Bureau and the United Building Society, which became part of Absa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, by 2008, the building was in a state of neglect and disrepair. The church then acquired it in a deal worth millions. Guided by heritage specifications, the project revived the tower\u2019s 1934 splendour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building\u2019s original black granite was reinstated, while two dozen intricately carved lion-head medallions beneath exterior windows were refurbished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building\u2019s interior was also improved, with the historic flooring complementing updated facilities. It now serves as the church\u2019s Eastern Cape headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The restoration of the United Building also aligned with the Mandela Bay Development Agency\u2019s vision to restore its commercial and cultural vitality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church\u2019s investment created jobs for local artisans, stonecutters, and contractors and drew visitors, boosting nearby cafes, shops, and historical sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe United Building\u2019s revival is a beacon for Gqeberha\u2019s future,\u201d said Graham Taylor, Chairman of the Historical Society of Port Elizabeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt shows how preserving our past can inspire a thriving present, uniting us to rebuild the CBD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public members can visit the building on 12 Govan Mbeki Avenue, with doors opened to the community earlier this month. Free tours take place on all days of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientology roots in South Africa <\/h2>\n\n\n
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The lit up and revamped United Building in Gqeberha<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Scientology has strong roots in South Africa. L. Ron Hubbard lived in Johannesburg in the early 1960s. His former house on Linksfield Ridge is now a museum open to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his stay in South Africa, Hubbard authored the \u201cone man, one vote\u201d constitution. A controversial move given that the nation was in the height of apartheid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his stay, he also introduced a bill of rights and a penal code for equality and justice and toured South African prisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also developed introductory routes into Scientology organisations and established new types of organisations, centres, and City Offices, to accommodate fledgling Scientology groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Hubbard\u2019s death in the 1980s, the church has expanded in South Africa, acquiring several significant buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to purchasing the United Building, the church acquired the Kyalami Castle in northern Johannesburg from Planet Hotels in 2008. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the United Building, the Kyalami Castle can no longer be freely visited and explored following the church’s takeover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The castle’s lack of public accessibility is understandable, as it is one of the church’s six advanced organisations and serves as a spiritual retreat for Scientologists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kyalami Castle has a state-of-the-art auditorium, restaurant, caf\u00e9, a swimming pool, and a braai-equipped gazebo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also an observation tower where visitors can see hilltop views that extend for miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images of the old United Building in Gqeberha<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Postcard of the United Building, Source: Artefacts.co.za<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Old Postcard of the United Building, Source: Artefacts.co.za<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Architect’s impression of the United Building c1933 Source: Artefacts.co.za<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Images of the revamped United Building in Gqeberha<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The United Building in the Gqeberha CBD fell into a state of disrepair, but was restored by the Church of Scientology. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":821586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[29,14137,1390,22355],"class_list":["post-821576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-absa","tag-scientology","tag-ubs","tag-united-building"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821576"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":821973,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821576\/revisions\/821973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=821576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=821576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}