The Palms is one of those Woodstock buildings that is difficult to compare directly with a conventional office park. It began life as an early 20th-century bakery and industrial building. Today, it operates as a mixed office, retail and lifestyle destination at 145 Sir Lowry Road.
That combination is the point. Businesses get a location close to the Cape Town CBD, access to the N1 and N2, established parking and modern building services. They also get a workplace with considerably more personality than a typical office tower.
After more than a decade broking commercial property in Cape Town, my view is that The Palms works best for businesses that care about the experience of arriving at work. It suits firms that want a professional address, but do not want their office to feel anonymous.
Where The Palms fits into the Woodstock office market
Woodstock has several different commercial property environments, and they do not all serve the same tenant. There are older industrial buildings, creative conversions, mixed-use destinations and more conventional office developments. The right choice depends on how a business uses its space.
A tenant comparing The Palms may also look at the broader Woodstock and Salt River market, including creative environments around the Woodstock office node and nearby areas such as Salt River. The Old Biscuit Mill is another familiar reference point in the area, although it has a different retail and office mix.
The Palms sits somewhere between a formal commercial building and an industrial creative conversion. It has the scale and character of its former bakery use, but it is not simply a raw warehouse with offices inserted into it. The building has established security, fibre connectivity, lifts, parking and backup power.
That middle ground is useful. Some companies find CBD towers too corporate and expensive to fit out. Others find smaller converted industrial buildings too limited in terms of parking, access or services. The Palms offers a practical alternative without losing the character that makes Woodstock attractive.
From Baumann’s bakery to a commercial destination
The history of the building is not just a marketing detail. It explains why the offices feel different from newer developments.
During the first quarter of the 20th century, baker William Baumann built a factory to house Baumann’s Biscuits and Dunes Bread. The original building needed large floor plates, strong construction and generous internal volume for industrial production.
The premises later became The Palms Décor and Lifestyle Centre, which opened to the public in 2000. The redevelopment retained much of the building’s old-world character while adding a contemporary retail and business use.
For office tenants, the result is a building with high ceilings, natural light and larger, less uniform spaces than many modern offices. Those features are difficult to recreate in a new development. They are also increasingly valuable to businesses that want their workplace to reflect a creative or design-led brand.
What is it like working at The Palms?
The Palms is a working building, but it does not feel like an isolated office block. The décor and lifestyle centre brings a steady mix of businesses, showrooms, visitors and clients into the property.
That can be an advantage for client-facing companies. A meeting at The Palms feels more like arriving at a destination than walking into a generic office reception. The building’s design gives a business something to work with before it has added its own branding, furniture and finishes.
The tenant mix includes architects, fabric houses, designers, photographers, recruitment businesses, consultants, property specialists and travel or destination service companies. The Palms website also identifies creative businesses and professional firms among its office occupiers.
There is a natural fit between those businesses and the building. An architecture practice, design studio or media agency can use the existing character of the space as part of its identity. A consultancy or recruitment firm can benefit from a central location and an environment that is more memorable than a standard office park.
The practical side of the lifestyle offering
The retail and lifestyle component is useful, but tenants should still assess it in practical terms. The key question is not whether the building looks attractive on a viewing. It is whether the amenities support the way your team and clients actually work.
The Palms has food and lifestyle offerings on site, and its Saturday market operates in the atrium from 9.00am to 2.30pm. The market includes food, craft beer, wine, crafts and décor, with undercover parking available on Saturdays.
For some tenants, that creates useful energy and convenient meeting options. For others, the busier public-facing activity may be less important than quiet work areas and controlled access. This is why we recommend viewing the actual office, not just the common areas.
Location and access from Cape Town’s main routes
The Palms is at 145 Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock, close to the edge of the Cape Town CBD. The building’s official information places it approximately two minutes from Cape Town, although actual travel time will depend on traffic and the time of day.
Its location is one of its strongest leasing advantages. Staff travelling from the Northern Suburbs can approach via the N1 and Lower Church Street. The N2 connection via Searle Street helps commuters from the Southern Suburbs and the airport side of the city. Sir Lowry Road also gives the building a clear, recognisable address.
This edge-of-CBD position works well for companies that need access to the city centre but do not need to be inside a high-rise tower. It can also be a sensible option for businesses with staff travelling from different parts of Cape Town.
Public transport access should be assessed according to the team’s commuting patterns. Prospective tenants can check routes and current service information through MyCiTi, while the City of Cape Town remains the appropriate source for municipal transport and area information.
Parking, security and building services
Parking is often where attractive Woodstock office options become difficult for larger teams. The Palms provides approximately three parking bays per 100m² of leasable area, according to the building’s leasing information. Exact allocations and costs must be confirmed for each unit.
There is also pay-on-exit parking for visitors, which matters if your business receives clients regularly. A client who can find the building, park securely and reach reception without a complicated arrival is already having a better first impression.
The building offers 24-hour security, controlled access, CCTV, lift access, fibre infrastructure and backup generator power. These are not luxury extras. In the current leasing market, they are part of the basic operational checklist for a serious office tenant.
We would still ask specific questions before signing. Confirm what the generator supports, how after-hours access works, which parking bays are allocated to the premises, and whether fibre installation is already active in the selected suite. Building-level features do not always answer unit-level questions.
Who we think The Palms works best for
In our view, The Palms is particularly well suited to businesses looking for a workspace with more personality than a conventional corporate office.
Creative and media agencies that need collaborative, open-plan space.
Architectural, interior design and décor businesses that benefit from the surrounding lifestyle environment.
Professional firms that want a central, client-friendly address without moving into a CBD tower.
Technology and digital businesses that rely on fibre connectivity and backup power.
Recruitment, consulting and training businesses that need accessible meeting space.
Larger firms looking for a substantial headquarters with a distinctive setting.
The building can accommodate both smaller fitted offices and larger floor plates. It is therefore not only a home for small creative studios. The available 1,616m² office shows that The Palms can also accommodate a sizeable team or headquarters operation.
That said, the building is not automatically right for every company. A business that needs a highly formal corporate campus, extensive staff parking or a completely quiet office setting should compare it carefully with other nodes. The best property decision is not about choosing the building with the most attractive photographs. It is about matching the building to the daily operation.
Current office space to rent at The Palms
Brightwave currently markets office opportunities at The Palms, subject to availability. The two most relevant options in our portfolio are a fitted office of approximately 133m² and a larger office of 1,616m².
Approximately 133m² fitted office
The smaller office is suited to a professional firm, agency, consultancy or satellite team that wants a ready-to-occupy workspace. Fitted offices can reduce the time and capital required to move, although the condition of the fit-out and any landlord contribution should be checked during negotiations.
This type of space is generally a good fit for a business that wants a recognisable Woodstock address without taking on a large footprint. The office should be assessed for reception requirements, meeting rooms, kitchenette facilities, natural light and the number of dedicated parking bays included in the lease.
Approximately 1,616m² office
The larger opportunity provides a substantially different proposition. It spans two floors, includes an existing fit-out and has a private balcony. Brightwave’s listing indicates that 30 parking bays are available.
This size is worth considering for a corporate headquarters, media operation, larger technology business or team that needs room for collaboration and growth. A large office can look efficient on paper but still be expensive if the fit-out does not match the occupier’s workflow. We would advise a measured test fit before committing.
Other sizes have appeared in the wider leasing market, including offices and commercial spaces in the region of 76m², 124m², 151m², 214m², 340m², 534m², 942m² and 1,616m². Availability changes, so tenants should not rely on an old portal listing. Ask for the current schedule, floor plans and full occupation costs.
Leasing points tenants should check
The advertised rental is only one part of the decision. Before signing a lease at The Palms, ask for clarity on:
Base rental and any annual escalation.
Operating costs, rates, utilities and parking charges.
The exact number of parking bays included.
Generator coverage and backup power costs.
After-hours access and security procedures.
Fibre providers and installation timelines.
Condition of the existing fit-out.
Permitted signage and branding rights.
Lease term, renewal options and expansion opportunities.
Tenant installation obligations and reinstatement requirements.
These details vary by unit and lease. They should be confirmed in writing rather than assumed from the building brochure or a property portal.
How The Palms compares with other Cape Town office options
The Palms is best compared by use case, not by a simple rental rate per square metre.
A Cape Town CBD tower may offer a more formal corporate image and direct proximity to financial services, but it may involve a different parking and access experience. Century City offers a more planned office park environment, while smaller Woodstock and Salt River conversions may provide strong character at the cost of fewer shared amenities or less predictable infrastructure.
Businesses that want to compare several nodes can browse available commercial properties or review our market insights before arranging inspections. The important comparison is between total occupancy cost, staff access, client experience, fit-out requirements and the building’s suitability for the company culture.
For market terminology and broader commercial property information, tenants can also refer to SAPOA. For a specific decision, however, local building knowledge and a physical inspection remain more useful than a generic ranking of office nodes.
Frequently asked questions about The Palms Woodstock
Where is The Palms in Woodstock?
The Palms is located at 145 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. The published GPS coordinates are 33°55'39.2"S, 18°26'22.5"E.
Are there offices at The Palms?
Yes. The Palms includes office space alongside its décor, retail and lifestyle uses. Available sizes change as leases are concluded and new space becomes available.
What size offices are available?
Brightwave currently has opportunities of approximately 133m² and 1,616m², subject to confirmation. Other sizes have also been marketed at different times.
Is there parking at The Palms?
Yes. The building’s leasing information refers to approximately three bays per 100m², with visitor pay-on-exit parking also available. Confirm the allocation for the specific office.
Is The Palms suitable for creative businesses?
Yes. The historic architecture, generous proportions, natural light and décor-focused surroundings make it a strong fit for creative, design, media and architectural businesses.
How far is The Palms from Cape Town CBD?
The building is described as approximately two minutes from Cape Town CBD, although travel times vary with traffic and route.
How do I arrange a viewing?
Contact Brightwave through our commercial property team. We can confirm current availability, provide floor plans and arrange a viewing of the relevant office space.
The broker’s takeaway
The Palms is not simply an office address in Woodstock. It is a character building with a genuine industrial history, a mixed-use setting and the infrastructure required by modern occupiers.
It works particularly well for businesses that want a professional workplace with a little more atmosphere. The smaller fitted offices suit agile teams and professional firms. The larger floor plates give established occupiers room to build a proper headquarters.
My advice is to view the actual unit, test the commute at peak time, confirm the parking ratio and request a complete schedule of occupancy costs. If the space works operationally as well as visually, The Palms deserves a serious place on your shortlist.
