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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-
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
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
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LiD
AUG/SEP 2017