Africa’s Tallest Building Set To Officially Open Next Month

Africa’s tallest building, the Leonardo is set to be officially unveiled in October reports indicate.

Seated walking distance from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the 234m skyscraper whose construction works began On November 2015.

Johannesburg has for a long time been known for its high robbery levels and for being the most dangerous metro in Gauteng. But recent developments show that the city is growing to be a suburb hosting high rising contemporary structures.

Leonardo which is situated in the middle of Sandton’s business was developed by South Africa’s Legacy Group and Nedbank Group. It will house about 254 apartments, a three-floor penthouse and five floors of office space with restaurants and shops as well.

“These things tend to be islands is quite a big market so they tend to be successful,” said Peet Strauss, Johannesburg developments sales manager at Pam Golding Properties.

“At the top end, we are dependent on purchases from north of our border buyers from elsewhere in Africa who have children in university” for instance, he said.

When the weather is clear, aeroplanes can be seen taking off from OR Tambo International Airport which 30km away.

Leonardo not only boasts being Africa’s tallest building but also a predominantly women designer team. It was designed by Johannesburg’s Co-Arc International Architects led by the director Catharine Atkins and architect Malika Walele.

The fact that women made up the majority of the team came as a surprise since architecture is a male-dominated industry; only 21 percent of South Africa’s registered architectural professionals are women.

“I love being on-site, and the growth trajectory is huge. So much more than being in an office. I’d encourage any woman to do this. Unfortunately, many women architects don’t believe they can, because it is so male-dominated,” Leonardo’s resident site architect Malika Walele said recently.

She added, “I’ve never understood why architecture needs to be a male-dominated industry. Women are more than capable of doing this. It’s frustrating that more women in the industry aren’t doing it.”

Featured Image Courtesy: Co-Arc International Architects