The renovations entailed a general upgrade of the interior of the building to become more modern and user friendly. A new lift was installed and the offices were given new air-conditioning systems, fire sprinkler systems, access control systems and energy efficient lighting was installed throughout the building. In addition to this, the bathrooms and kitchens were completely redone, the shops within the building were upgraded and a caretakers unit was built on the top floor.
All of this was done without compromising on the charm of the building which is possibly one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Cape Town and dates back to the early 20th century. The external façade of this historical building remains untouched.
"Equity House was originally built for the Norwich Union Insurance Company," says Sean Paul, managing director of Spire Property Management, who holds the management contract for Equity House. "It later got the name Traduna House, named after the Traduna Insurance Company who were the main tenants there at the time. Sometime in the 1970's the building became known as Equity House, named after the carving of the figurine with scales on the façade of the building.
"For many years Equity House was well known for Mark's Coffee Shop who were tenants for approximately 40 years and were one of the first coffee shops of their type in Cape Town. Another well-known tenant was Mr Cooper - a tailor who used to supply suits to parliamentarians."
