IPOA (then known as Illovo Property Owners Association) Board wanted to concentrate on the Chaplin/Fricker intersection as the main focus/ landmark of Illovo Boulevard and bring art, especially SA art, into the public space. They discovered Simon Stone’s work and decided to use his art on the obelisk. The whole design was done by Isak Bothma of Moren Williams Forsyth Lotter Architects & Charles Davis (a former employee of Kagiso Urban management) was the project manager. By 2007 Simon Stone completed the mosaic work on the obelisk, having spent a substantial time observing, researching, drawing the initial concept, creating the intricate mosaic details. The obelisk was offered as a gift to the City of Johannesburg in July 2007. By arrangement with the City, the Illovo Boulevard Management District is responsible for general maintenance of the artwork.
The obelisk is a central focal point in the Boulevard. It proudly announces one’s arrival at the Illovo destination. A skyward pointing edifice covered in mosaic work that represents icons and pictographs from the everyday.
IPOA (then known as Illovo Property Owners Association) Board wanted to concentrate on the Chaplin/Fricker intersection as the main focus/ landmark of Illovo Boulevard and bring art, especially SA art, into the public space. They discovered Simon Stone’s work and decided to use his art on the obelisk. The whole design was done by Isak Bothma of Moren Williams Forsyth Lotter Architects & Charles Davis (a former employee of Kagiso Urban management) was the project manager. By 2007 Simon Stone completed the mosaic work on the obelisk, having spent a substantial time observing, researching, drawing the initial concept, creating the intricate mosaic details. The obelisk was offered as a gift to the City of Johannesburg in July 2007. By arrangement with the City, the Illovo Boulevard Management District is responsible for general maintenance of the artwork.
A culmination of research gathered over many years, the Online Johannesburg Heritage Register is being launched on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July 2025.
Among the many heritage sites featured is Chancellor House, the downtown offices of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys in the 1950s. After having been vacant and shuttered for more than a decade, this iconic building is being revived and brought to life once again as offices for the Community Development Department, which oversees the City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Services.
