TOWER OF TERROR?
You cannot visit Johannesburg and not notice the tall residential building
which is Ponte City, and its colourful history and uncertain future simply
add to the mystery which surrounds it.
P
onte City is a skyscraper in the Hillbrow neighbourhood of Johannesburg, South Africa.
It was principally designed by Mannie Feldman, working in a team together with
Manfred Hermer and Rodney Grosskopf and was built in 1975 to a height of 173m,
making it the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa. The 54-story building is cylindrical,
with an open centre allowing additional light into the apartments. The center space
is known as “the core” and rises above an uneven rock floor. When built, Ponte City
was seen as an extremely desirable address due to its views over all of Johannesburg
and its surroundings. The sign on top of the building is the largest sign in the southern
hemisphere.
The following three videos give a different view of this iconic, yet troubled building, which dominates the
horizon in Johannesburg. AD
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africandesignmagazine.com