The new Sasol global headquarters that is under construction in Johannesburg will be jointly leased by the Alchemy Properties and the Sasol Pension Fund. The building’s design takes the shape of ‘s’ and is expected to house up to 4,500 employees and visitors In as few floors as possible.
The S-shape connects the central to two atriums that allow for maximum natural light in the heart of the building and also reflects the linked particles of the Sasol logo. The arms and core of the building are interlinked by a series of bridge links that make a spectacular interior design feature.
According to Alchemy’s CEO Greg sacks, Sasol’s design was to stimulate the sense of collaboration among its employees. This is clearly brought out by the interior openness combined with the bridge links.
The bridge links are also meant to provide additional structural support enabling the weight and counter weights of the various parts of the building to be held together without the use of straight columns. The building is designed to conform to crucial environmental issues in accordance with the Green Building Council of South Africa according to Tershia Habbitts, the project architect at Paragon Architects.”
The building is embedded in a special form of class imported from Germany and of which the manufacturer started producing last year. The building could therefore not have been possible to build at the time it was designed in 2013. “The glass is so cutting edge that it is only now becoming available to the local market,” Habbitts says. “So, the building as it currently stands may not have been possible when it was designed in 2013 and is well ahead of the curve.
Glazing is crucial In Johannesburg due to the fact that the city has three times higher glare factor and a higher heat gain capacity compared to cities in the Northern hemisphere. Glazing is therefore important as it helps a lot of money in terms of energy consumption in addition to promoting occupants comfort and productivity.
Additionally, glazing enables reflection of the sky and the natural landscape hence the building contributes in the beauty of the surrounding ecosystem.
The architectural design of the top floor makes the building easily integrate with its surrounding as opposed to the being imposed on its environment and people.
The building will have a range of natural habitats on certain decks and in the surrounding grounds. They will be incorporated with individual indigenous biomasses that will help some species of small wildlife like insects and birds.
