The new Gateway Hotel, attached to the Gateway Theater of Shopping Center in South Africa, shares mortar with 380 stores, 38 restaurants, more than a dozen cinemas, a science fair, a funfair, an art gallery, a fantasy forest, a theater, a rock-climbing wall, a sports arena and the biggest man-made stationary wave in the world. The Gateway Hotel is also designed to be both green and highly energy efficient.
The efficient lighting solutions are not just about using low-energy bulbs. Atrium light wells facilitate natural light penetration. This, combined with a thermal-performance glass, ensures that air conditioning loads are kept as low as possible, since direct heat-energy transmission through the glass is controlled. To stop rooms overheating, which would prompt guests to turn on air conditioners, external shading devices have also been used. The iconic “leafy” screen surrounding the hotel is a particularly efficient shading technique that ensures solar shielding of the northern facades of the building.
Some of the other green features include regeneration-drive lift systems, heat-pump technology, variable-speed drive installations that optimize motor systems, and an ozone water-treatment system that reduces the need for chlorine.