Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2014 | Page 18

The built footprint
is 98,800m2 and the
development rests on nine
stories of basement parking

SITE
The site is bounded by Rivonia Road to
the north, Johann Street to the west and
Katherine Road to the south, as well as the
newly introduced mid-block connector to the
east that is shared by the eastern neighbours,
Alexander Forbes.
The site is ideal in its location directly
adjacent to the Gautrain station along Rivonia
Road, providing direct access to Oliver Tambo
International Airport as well as excellent
transport connections for staff working in the
building. Rivonia Road is also earmarked to
carry the Rapid Bus transit lane in the median,
thus adding to the convenient pedestrian
access of the site from the new established
public transport infrastructure.

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THE DESIGN
The development is made up of three distinct
elements, namely a nine level parking and
basement structure with two buildings
on top of an accessible podium. The EY
building, Tower Block 1, is located along the
eastern boundary of the site comprising 7
levels totalling 21,716m2. The multi-tenanted
building, Tower Block 2, is located on the
western boundary, comprising 14 floors
totalling 15,394m2.
The building responds analytically and
fluidly to the organic interior and exterior
space planning, blurring the interface
between the active and passive, public and
private as well as building and landscape.
The design consists of a 7 storey building
with an active atrium space, animated by
transecting stair and bridge links, together
with a 13 storey office tower connected by
a 5 storey high link bridge which allows for
future flexibility. The visibility and legibility
of the building afforded by the site, is further
enhanced by the two storey podium upon
which it sits.
The built footprint is 98,800m2 and
the development rests on nine stories of
basement parking including service areas,
cold rooms, electrical plant rooms and water
storage tanks. There will be a total of 1 051
staff parking bays and 100 visitors parking
bays in the EY block, with an additional 527
staff and 55 visitors parking bays for Tower
Block 2.
Vehicular and pedestrian access onto the
site is controlled within the boundaries of this
podium, with separate vehicular entrances
for the office buildings and their services off
the midblock connector and Johan Street. A
102 Rivonia Road