The Tallest Building In Africa Is Officially Open & Most Of Its Spaces Are Sold Out

After several months of teasing, the new tallest building in Africa, The Leonardo, has finally been opened.

Known as the Sandton Skyscraper, this projects beats the Carlton Centre in the Johannesburg CBD, which has prided itself on being the tallest building in Africa for the past 40 years.

The property is located on 75 Maude Street, approximately 100 meters from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton, South Africa. It is just a walking distance from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

Last year, the United Nations named The Leonardo one of the most anticipated buildings in the world.

The building is set to be the headquarters of some of Africa’s biggest companies. It is also to be a landmark of Sandton City, which is one of the continent’s most premier shopping malls. 

The the Carlton Centre, initially opened in 1972 as a hotel owned by Anglo American, now serves as the headquarters of state port and rail company Transnet.

This is perhaps the reason all the offices in the projects have already been taken, while 90 percent of the apartments have been purchased. Legacy Hotels & Resorts, a South African hotel chain, has bought 10 floors, where they plan to establish a luxury hotel.

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50 Floors up! ?223 metres high! What a view ? Highest rooftop in Africa #Carltoncentre ? If you want a bird’s-eye view of Johannesburg, the 50-storey Carlton Centre is the place to go. Visitors to the centre can enjoy a panoramic view of the City of Gold from the Top of Africa. . A must-see Johannesburg attraction, best to visit with a guide. _____________________________________________ Fact – The Carlton centre is the tallest building in Africa, it stands 223m high – about 40m shy of featuring on the world’s top 100 skyscrapers list. . ? credit @bobseele.

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The Leonardo stands 768 feet tall on a 3200 meters square piece of land. Above its development floors, there are 8 penthouses and the Leonardo suite, which goes from the 49th to the 55th levels.

The 55-storey structure is a mixed-use development which offers a luxurious spread of residential units and over 15,000 square metres of premium office space.

The Leonardo has a business and conference center among other amenities such as gym, spa, restaurants, recreation zone and a Montessori pre-school.

In downtown Joburg, the reach of this building sends out a multiplicity of cost ideas. Though the actual spend on the project is not known, it had been made common knowledge that The Leonardo swallowed about USD 202.8 Mn (ZAR 3 Bn). Its predecessor, the Carlton Centre, cost over ZAR 88 Mn.

Featured Image: Architect Magazine