Maintower of South Africa
Johannesburg-based architects @126 have released designs for the tallest building in Africa. The 110-storey structure is part of triple-tower development in Tshwane, South Africa, collectively known as Centurion Symbio-City. Destined for completion in 2018, the project was announced by Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa and has been met with mixed reaction from locals. The mixed-use facility is planned to include residential units, office space, retail facilities, and hotel and conference spaces, however its close proximity to existing commercial venues is something of a concern. Local publication IOL News reported that: “Businesses around the Centurion lakeside mall, where [the project] is expected to be built, said Centurion was going through an economic slump and would not be able to handle the influx a project of this nature could bring.” Renderings from @126 show a 447 m tower reaching skywards with a vertical column of wind turbines embedded in its form. Several layers of mass complete the structure which is flanked by two smaller towers (336m and 210 m) which mirror the central building’s multi-layered form. If completed, the main building would surpass the current tallest building in Africa, the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, by a staggering 224 m. @126’s proposal does not only include the triple tower cluster, but looks to invigorate the surrounding area by the Centurion Lake with soft landscaping and a series of arching pedestrian bridges. Located in and around the Lake itself, the development will stretch over 10 hectares of land. A new monorail system has also been suggested to link the residents and users of the Centurion Symbio-City development with Gautrain rapid rail station. Mayor Ramakgopa commented: “The development is a reflection of the range of economic opportunities, cultural experiences, safety and a quality physical environment that Tshwane offers. The availability of a variety of effective and efficiently provided public services, as well as affordable and green commuting options and amenities are all important factors in creating a high quality living experience. The construction of this development will also assist towards job creation, by generating in excess of 10,000 jobs during construction and in excess of 4,000 sustainable jobs postconstruction.”
@126 Architects