A project which was recently completed in Sandton, the economic hub of Johannesburg, which was highly anticipated by Laurence Grigorov, is the 140 West Street commercial project.
140 West Street is a new commercial development in central Sandton developed by Zenprop Property Holdings. The 27,000m2 of P-grade office space is housed in two linked towers constructed on a landscaped podium. The project is situated diagonally opposite the Gautrain Station and directly opposite the entrance to the Michelangelo Hotel, Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square.
Designed by Paragon Architects, the project consists of a 10-storey North Tower and 14-storey South Tower which will be targeting a 4-5 Star Greenstar Rating and houses a prominent international legal practice in approximately 50% of the building, along with one or more other tenants. This development offers 1,400 parking bays within its eight basements, seven of which are below ground.
The development not only aims to enhance the internal and external environment for the tenant and visitor, but also to enrich its urban environment. The two towers are coupled by a clear glass roof which appears to wrap over the point of arrival and seamlessly envelope both the atrium and the podlike structure which houses the five linked floor plates. The edge of this seemingly floating pod is open to the atrium, with the intention of activating this zone with pause areas and collaborative work spaces.
Sculptural bridges crossing the atrium fan away from one another and alter in form from one level to the next. These make the floor plates efficient and facilitates future flexibility.
140 West’s signature winged design adds a contemporary edge to an already established part of Sandton, and creates a precedent for future design language in the precinct.
vLaurence Grigorov and his team use such cutting edge designs and projects as inspiration for their future projects.
Words and image courtesy of Architect & Builder magazine.