Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 82

Embassy Towers, Sandton
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS
Situated in the prestigious suburb of Sandhurst
and enjoying unencumbered views is the magnificent
apartment building, Embassy Towers.
Embassy Towers sits on the crest of the Sandhurst
Ridge, occupying a position on the southern edge of the
Sandton CBD. The building itself is positioned as close
to the street frontage on Empire Place so as to provide
large, lush private gardens with many of the mature
trees retained from the original residential property. This
large gardenscape and the small residential scale of the
surrounding properties ensure that views are unimpeded,
thus creating the sense that one is occupying a large
parkland property, but with the convenience of being
within the Sandton CBD.
The sparkling lights of Sandton are juxtaposed with the
ample privacy and greenery of the garden, reminiscent of
the great apartment buildings of Central Park, New York
or Hyde Park, London. The natural fall of the site allowed
for the entrance floor of the building to be situated at
street level while the elevation of the site allows for the
ground floor public area to look out over the neighbouring
properties. This allows for the view of Sandton to
unfold as one enters through the large glass doors of
the reception while also retaining a human scale on the
street frontage.
The 12-storey apartment building is a blend between
contemporary and timeless design. The timelessness of
Embassy Towers is amplified by the sleek and simple
proportions of the building ensuring that the architecture
will age gracefully, while the large window expanses allow
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ample light into the. The apartments all have large glazed
windows to the north and south, ensuring that the units
enjoy the range of different light offered at different times
of the day and the different seasons of the year.
The extensive Volakas marble cladding creates a sense
of grandeur and timelessness while the large expanses
of glass give the building a more modern look. The two
seamlessly work together to create a building with the
classic proportions that are offset by the contemporary
elements such as the large overhanging horizontal
concrete pergola roof which give the building a distinctive
presence and typology within the city.
Oriented to maximise the northern aspect, the 90-unit
apartment building enjoys full benefit of the sun as well
as views over Sandton in the foreground and the rest
of the city in 360º. Apartments are arranged around five
central observation lift cores with two apartments per
core, creating an exclusive entry from basement levels
directly to apartments. Biometric access control on the
lifts gives residents maximum privacy and security.
While the building is comprised of 63 two-bed units, 18
three-bed units, four simplex units and five penthouses,
all apartments are sizeable, and the open plan allows
the occupant enjoyment of ample living spaces and
large bedrooms. The apartments have been specifically
designed to ensure natural light penetrates deeply into
the apartment from north and south. The interconnected
lounge, living room and kitchen are bathed in light due to
the large flush glazing elements that bound the apartment
on the north and south façades.
SAPOA Awards