HEAD OFFICE COMPETITION, JOHANNESBURG
THE CONCEPT COMPRISED LINKING FIVE EXISTING BUILDINGS IN THE MAIN STREET PRECINCT BELOW GROUND TO MAKE ONE SHARED ARRIVAL CONCOURSE WITH SUNKEN GARDENS AND LIGHT WELLS. THIS WAS DONE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF LEGIBILITY FOR VISITORS AND SECURITY ISSUES FOR THE CLIENT WHEN STAFF MOVE FROM ONE BUILDING TO THE NEXT IN THE PRECINCT. EQUALLY IMPORTANT WAS TO AVOID IMPACTING NEGATIVELY ON THE HISTORIC 44 AND 45 MAIN STREET BUILDINGS THAT WERE THE SIGNATURE BUILDINGS OF ANGLO AMERICAN. THE BELOW-GRADE CONCOURSE ASSURED US OF THIS LIMITED IMPACT.
THE ADDITIONAL SPACE REQUIREMENTS HAD TO BE ADDED IN A SENSITIVE MANNER. THE NEW ADDITIONS TO THE SANDSTONE-BLOCK BUILDINGS WERE DESIGNED AS GLASS BUILDINGS THAT CAREFULLY MAINTAINED THE LINE OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND FITTED A GLASS-BLOCK STRUCTURE INTO THE SANDSTONE STRUCTURE LIKE A PUZZLE PIECE. THIS IDEA IS BASED ON THE HERITAGE CONCEPT THAT IF YOU ADD A NEW STRUCTURE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT LATER AND STILL FIND THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE INTACT.
THE OTHER DESIGN DRIVER WAS TO BRING THE MINING IMAGERY OF STEEL HEADGEAR INTO THE DESIGN. THIS IDEA WAS APPLIED AT THE LINE LIFTS FORMED IN PLATE-JOINED I BEAMS WHICH WAS THE STRUCTURAL MINING SYSTEM OF THE TIME. A VIEWING BOX FORMED IN GLASS WITH A STEEL INNER FRAME WAS ADDED TO THE SOUTH TO OVERLOOK THE SUNKEN GARDENS AND THE HISTORIC 44 MAIN STREET ELEVATION. THE SCHEME IS UNDERSTATED AND HISTORICALLY SENSITIVE, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THIS IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL PRECINCT.
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