Architect and Builder November/December 2015 | Page 45
Enclosing the atrium in
glass allows the viewer to
engage the building from
the outside
high glazed entrance atrium that fronts onto the
busy De Villers Street.
While the building generally represents
an interpretation of its earlier more traditional
industrial cousins as a robust enclosed box
form, the architects wanted to offer something
back to the street. This takes the form of the
triple volume, glazed entrance atrium. Here,
instead of continuing the solid stone base
around to the front of the building, it returns
before the edge of the building and continues
under the bulk structure, defining a portion of
the lower level as part of the streetscape. As
it penetrates this area, it diminishes in height
to reveal some of the inner workings of the
ETV operations.
Security, reception and the communal
canteen areas can all be seen in the atrium from
within. Enclosing this atrium in glass allows the
viewer to engage the building from the outside
and, thus, the very front door to the ‘people’s
favourite TV station’ becomes an interactive part
of the environment it occupies.
At the very top level, the architects have
introduced a more playful element in the cranked
form of the floating Rheinzink roof. Enjoying the
best 360° views, the 6th floor is fully glazed all
round and is setback to allow the roof to float
above the massing below. The center of the roof
form is eroded and lowered to accommodate the
station’s satellite dishes that remain concealed
from view but retain their required lines-of-sight
to the source of the digital signals.
Intended as a contemporary expression
of the more traditional roof forms, the folded
shapes mimic the undulations of the iconic white
cloud ‘table cloth’ over the majestic mountain
ETV Head Office
which forms the backdrop to this building
and has become a recognisable symbol of the
building itself.
Planning
The building has 4 basement parking floors
below ground level and can accommodate over
500 cars. The uppermost parking level, accessed
from Strerling Street, contains all visitors parking,
and is contiguous with the ground floor security
zone and entrance foyer.
The public entrance to the triple volume
entrance foyer is on De Villiers Street enclosed
with a 12m high flush glazed curtain-wall. Visitors
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