2017 SAPOA
Innovative Excellence in
Property Development Awards
JUDGES
Pieter Engelbrecht
Growthpoint Properties
Andries Schoeman
Delta Property Fund
Anthony Orelowitz
The Paragon Group
Beata Kaleta
DSA Architects
Christian Roberg
Abland
Corné de Leeuw
DelQS Quantity Surveyors
and Property Valuers
Craig Sutherland
Sutherland
Multidisciplinary Engineers
Dean Narainsamy
AECOM
Hashim Bham
BTKM Quantity Surveyors
Itumeleng Mothibeli
Vukile Property Fund
John Truter
WSP Group Africa Structures
John Williamson
MDS Architects
Ken Reynolds
Nedbank
Nonku Ntshona
Nonku Ntshona & Associates
Quantity Surveyors
Queen Mjwara
Eris Property Group
Rudolf Nieman
Sterikleen
Sam Silwamba
Development Manager,
G5 Properties
Sandi Mbutuma
Azzaro Quantity Surveyors
Stuart Gibbs
Zenprop Property Holdings
Wessel van Dyk
Nsika Architecture and Design
Zinon Marinakos
DSA Architects International
68
OVERALL WINNER | CORPORATE OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS | INTERIORS
Sasol Place, Sandton
A
rguably the most impressive and ambitious commercial building project
undertaken in South Africa in the last 10 years, the new Sasol building is a
testament to the vision of the developers and skill of the entire professional team
appointed to this iconic structure. The 11 storey, 47m tall office complex has 67,000m 2
of rentable area, almost 100,000m 2 of basement parking for over 3,000 cars, and more
than 3,000m 2 of landscaping.
The building concept for this state-of-the-art development was inspired by Sasol’s logo
which represents various business units surrounding a nucleus. The architects studied
this distilled essence closely to interpret it as built form and the company structure was
used as the departure point for the conceptual design of the building. The concept was
initially set up as a straight line linking the various units. However, this was seen spatially
as too linear and thus the form evolved into something more serpentine.
A central core of circulation and services ties the building together and the various
areas are linked by a series of bridges. The major challenge was the site, which is on a
curving edge of Katherine Street, and to ensure a large building of 68,000m 2 could be
accommodated and well connected both vertically and horizontally. The building leaps
the boundary of the commercial edge of Sandton to sit as a floating glass box hovering
above an indigenous parkland.
The glass façades were carefully engineered to ensure that this design satisfied
performance and aesthetic requirements. The glazing is a combination of reflective
glass spandrels and vision glass, which combine to form a unified crystal façade. The
external façade comprises floor-to-floor unitised double glazed panels of vision glass
and spandrels. The shapes and glass variations are encapsulated in each panel.
In addition to glass performance, the building volumes have impacted on the design.
Where sections of the building cast shadows on itself, the size of the spandrels reduce
to allow more light. It was important for the architects to push boundaries in this design,
which is characterised with light volumes externally and two dramatic skylights articulated
with acoustic baffles, internally. These elements drive a light and airy concept.
The concept of open, transparent and remote workspaces is extended to embody the
mores of Sasol to include interactive facilities such as restaurants, canteens, auditoriums,
art galleries and coffee shops. The building offers a ‘palette of places’ to both staff
and visitors. The interior architects have achieved a timeless, elegant design aesthetic
with seamless transitions between base-build and fit-out.
While currently housing 2,500 employees, along with 300 auxiliary staff, the
building can accommodate more employees as the company grows. The building
is extremely flexible in terms of its design. There is room to densify quite comfort-
ably and to reconfigure space quite quickly, so should there be a requirement,
the building allows for it.
SAPO v&G