Lighting in Design August-September 2017

Sasol headquarters: a sense of lightness P etrochemical giant Sasol has taken occu- pancy of its new headquarters on Katherine Street in Sandton, in the heart of the busi-

that the cantilevering of the top floors over the lower ones gives the building a sense of lightness and integration with its surroundings. The building comprises seven parking levels, a ground floor and ten office floors. The workspace includes a restaurant, coffee shop, wellness centre, art gallery and a sculpture garden. Atriums, two skylights and glass façades provide an abundance of natural light and create a healthy and comfortable work environment. The Sasol head office has been awarded a 5 Star Green Star Design V1 rating from the GBCSA and incorporates a range of sustainable practices, including water recycling, LED lighting and indig- enous biomes in the grounds and on the top of the roof. The glass façade, comprised of high-perfor- mance glass made in Germany, was engineered to reduce energy consumption and maximise user comfort levels. Lighting Innovations Africa (LIA) was awarded the contract for the illumination of the new head office. The brief was to provide an innovative, energy efficient lighting solution – designed with staff comfort in mind – with maximum use of natural light and including a full light management

ness hub of South Africa. Created to replace 17 of its former buildings in the Johannesburg area, the new building is able to accommodate up to 7500 employees, though at this stage there are about 3500 members of staff in a largely open plan envi- ronment. Described as a floating glass structure, its design creates a powerful image and, as the sun sets against the backdrop of the illuminated offices, a lasting impression. Representing the linked particles of the Sasol logo, the 70 000 m 2 head office is in the shape of an S. To encourage collaboration and teamwork, the internal structure of the building is designed as a central core of circulation and services, inter- linked by a series of bridges. The bridge links also provide structural support, enabling the weight and counterweight of the various components of the building to be held together without the use of straight columns. Main contractor Aveng Grinaker-LTA, explains

LiD AUG/SEP 2017

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