Construction World December 2019

Category: Architects

THE LEONARDO The first major tower building to be constructed in South Africa in decades, The Leonardo, is a complex mixed-use high-rise building which in these troubled times, has been termed a beacon of hope. It epitomises the success possible when a strong vision of a potential future drives collaboration and energy in the construction industry. Remarkably, the 55 storey building was built on the brownfields site

of a previously failed development. T he design and construction of the fast track project had to account for existing excavations and IRXQGDWLRQV IURP D SUHYLRXV IDLOHG GHYHORSPHQW SURMHFW 7KH H[FDYDWLRQ KDG EHHQ DEDQGRQHG IRU VHYHUDO \HDUV exceeding the temporary design life of the lateral earth VXSSRUW V\VWHP The geology of the site also proved to be SUREOHPDWLF ZLWK D GLDEDVH G\NH WUDYHUVLQJ WKH VLWH DQG JURXQGZDWHU VHHSDJH WKURXJK URFN ͤVVXUHV The Leonardo design accounted for the retention of WKH H[LVWLQJ EDVHV OLPLWLQJ WKH GHPROLWLRQ RI H[LVWLQJ foundations and where possible incorporating these LQWR WKH VWUXFWXUDO DQG DUFKLWHFWXUDO GHVLJQ 7KLV SURYLGHG VLJQLͤFDQW FRQVWUDLQWV 7KHUHIRUH WKH FRUH RI 7KH /HRQDUGR LV RULHQWDWHG LQ DQ HDVW ZHVW direction and is designed to straddle the relic core IRXQGDWLRQ WKDW ZDV RULHQWDWHG QRUWK VRXWK The solution enabled a largely column free tower SODQ ZLWK SHULPHWHU FROXPQV RQ WKH SUHGRPLQDQWO\ QRUWK DQG VRXWK IDFLQJ IDFDGHV 7KH QRUWKHUQ ID©DGH of the tower is carried by transfer columns which were designed to be the key architectural feature within the PDLQ SXEOLF VSDFH DW WKH WRS RI WKH SRGLXP ƒ

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: &R $UF ,QWHUQDWLRQDO $UFKLWHFWV ,QF • Client: 75 On Maude • Start date: 1RYHPEHU • End date: End 2019 • Main contractor: $YHQJ *ULQDNHU /7$ • Architect: &R $UF ,QWHUQDWLRQDO $UFKLWHFWV ,QF • Principal agent: Legacy Development Management • Quantity surveyor: SM Schneid Quantity Surveyors • Consulting engineer: Richie Midgley Consulting Engineers

B E S T P R O J E C T S 2019

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