plates that could occupy different positions in each section . Dividing the building with logically placed service floors , staged at strategic heights within the building , allowed for efficient servicing and provided structural connectivity . As the height of the building changed these floors moved up or down to ensure maximum serviceability . This approach allowed the developers and the professional team to respond to the market forces and adjust the height and form of the building as sales progressed . The taller the building became the more powerful the architectural statement and as the building rose under construction , interest from the market grew and the buildings needed to be adjusted .
Construction Construction on the Leonardo started in November 2015 , with Aveng Grinaker-LTA being appointed as the Main Contractor . In what was known at the time as Sandton ’ s ‘ Big Hole ’, the first phase of the project was the construction of the basement structure , designed to house parking and services required for the potential full scope of work . Despite the initial phase only encompassing the basement , the architects were instructed to prepare the Site Development Plan for Council Submission on a 40 Storey development and to include the podium in its building drawing submission to council for the basement .
Phase 2 of the project included the tower portion of the building and as the market took up the offering the design was amended and subsequently approved as a 43-storey building and ultimately to the final 55-storey building ; Africa ’ s Tallest .
Walkthrough The basement comprises 4 floors , housing the parking facilities , storage for tenants as well bulk services for the tower . The podium , made up of 9 floors from the street level , houses the public facilities , additional parking , back of house servicing and offices as well as services . The public facilities are made up of retail , reception areas , conferencing facilities , bars , a café , a restaurant with its own playground adjacent to a half Olympic sized pool , a Montessori pre-school outdoor playground , a private dining area , a wine cellar , a chef ’ s garden , a gym , a spa and a main bar with a sunset terrace . The podium creates
40 The Leonardo