James Ball

In November 1982, Harry Oppenheimer presided over the opening of a landmark fountain in the heart of the Sandton CBD. The fountain, located on the corner of 5th Street and Rivonia Road in front of the Sandton Civic Centre, was donated to the town by Kay Barlow in memory of her husband Charles Sydney (Punch) Barlow.

Kay Barlow and Harry Oppenheimer at the opening of the fountain (Rand Daily Mail)

Punch Barlow passed away in 1979 and is remembered today as one of South Africa's most successful businessmen. He took the company his father started and grew it into one of the world's largest enterprises (Barlow Rand - known today as Barloworld). Click here to read a 1982 New York Times article unpacking the complexity of the company.

Barlow used his considerable wealth to help preserve South Africa's built environment and natural heritage. He was passionate about birds and made a great contribution to ornithology over the decades. According to various sources published after his death, he even had a few sub-species of birds named after him. This is why Kay Barlow commissioned the talented sculptor Robin Lewis to create two large bronze Fish Eagles to be placed...

In November 2018, the Legacy Living website announced what many South Africans had been hoping for... that the Leonardo in Sandton will be Africa's tallest building on completion (it probably won't hold the record for long with the Pinnacle under construction in Nairobi). Assuming the announcement is accurate, the building will reach 234m into the sky. This will be 11m higher than the 223m Carlton Centre completed in the mid 1970s.

The update on the Legacy Living website. Some concern has been voiced with the estimate of 60m higher than the Michelangelo Towers. This building is 140m tall so the Leonardo would have to be 94m higher.

Following on from a previous article on The Heritage Portal (click here to view), here are photos of the building at various stages of construction from the same position. I will keep adding photos until the building is finished.

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Johannesburg has dozens of remarkable staircases inside its houses, hotels, offices, churches, fire stations and apartment buildings. Some are well known while others are more obscure. Below are ten of my favourite. Enjoy! Feel free to send through pics of your favourites.

Stewarts and Lloyds Building / Marshdale House

This building never fails to intrigue visitors to Johannesburg. It was once part of a larger building that was demolished in the 1990s. I assume the plan was to incorporate the corner tower and dome into a larger building but this never materialised. I was lucky enough to get inside a few years back. The staircase dominates the tower and is spectacular!

View of the staircase from above (The Heritage Portal)

Staircase from below (The Heritage Portal)

The remaining tower and dome (The Heritage Portal)

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Anyone that has travelled in and out of the Joburg CBD recently will have noticed the massive MTN adverts covering Old Park Station, one of Joburg's priceless heritage structures. Not only has this been done illegally but it has shown an acute disregard for Johannesburg's heritage. The Provincial Heritage Resources Authority Gauteng (PHRAG) has been alerted, the owners (Transnet) are investigating how this could have happened and the team that uses the site as an events venue has been contacted by various groups and urged to remedy the situation (it appears as thoughthe team has committed to remove all the branding).

Another angle showing the MTN adverts all over Old Park Station (The Heritage Portal)

MTN is currently enjoying the benefits of a massive billboard visible to tens of thousands of customers but I wonder if the marketing team and its agency gave any thought to the reputational risk involved. Old Park Station has national and even international significance so splattering ads all over it is a massive no-no. If the mainstream media gets hold of the story it could be incredibly embarrassing and damaging to the MTN brand. There are overseas examples where advertising on a heritage site has even led consumers to boycott a company's product.

The entrepreneurs running Old Park Station must take responsibility for their part in...

She is the daughter of the City of Gold and she is gorgeous. Sandton is definitely coming of age with landmark buildings around every corner. If you love her during the day, you should see her at night! Property owners and their lighting experts have created quite a show when the sun goes down. Below are a few photos taken by The Heritage Portal team to encourage you to explore the city at night.

Sandton City and the Michaelangelo Towers. Note the two lovebirds on the bottom right. (The Heritage Portal)

The iconic Sandton City (The Heritage Portal)

When Sandton City was reclad a few years ago it received some brilliant lighting and a wonderful spire (The Heritage Portal)

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The last week of April 2018 will be remembered by Sandton enthusiasts for many years to come. It was the week that the Leonardo surpassed the Michelangelo Towers (140m) and then the Sandton City spire (141m) to become the tallest building in Sandton.

The 'Big Three' from Katy's Palace in April 2018 (The Heritage Portal)

The Leonardo is a multi-billion rand development by the Legacy Group. It is located on Maude Street a short stroll from the JSE in one direction and Sandton Square and the Gautrain in the other. Once finished, the Leonardo will consist of apartments, prestigious office space and what is being billed as the most exclusive and expensive suite in the country. Those lucky enough to call the building home will enjoy their own concierge service, gym, spa, rooftop restaurant, garden, coffee shop and business centre. They will also be at the centre of a brand new precinct which will include a buzzing new square. The project is a massive boost to what is already South Africa's premier business node.

Artist's...

Earlier this year I wrote a piece highlighting a few amazing places to see the Joburg skyline (click here to view). Since then I have received several requests to do something similar for Sandton so here it is. If you know of any great places not mentioned, please add them in the comments section.

St Stithians School

Saints is one of the places that most Sandtonites will identify as having great skyline views. In my opinion the best spot is above the dam a short walk from Higher Ground (the restaurant - click here to view location). The combination of the dam, sports fields, school buildings and then the skyline is iconic.

View from above the Saints dam (The Heritage Portal)

Bryanston Shopping Centre

This is one of my favourite views of Sandton. I love how the buildings rise from the green of the urban forest and River Club golf course. I've been taking photos from the same spot for some time and will continue to do so for years to come (click here to view location). The plan in a few decades time is to create a very cool time lapse video showing the growth of Sandton.

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In 1889, just three years after the founding of Johannesburg, the finishing touches were being put on a building that would become one of the city's landmarks for seven decades. It rose almost 30m into the sky and was the tallest building in town until the Markham's Building claimed the title in 1897. Considering it dominated the skyline, it is no surprise that it gained the nickname the 'Eiffel Tower of the Rand'.

The structure I am talking about is, of course, the Palace Building (or Palace Buildings) located on the prime corner of Rissik and Pritchard Streets. It was designed by John Stanislaus Donaldson and was Joburg's first three storey building. Retail dominated the ground floor, offices were on the first floor and the top floor was used for accommodation. Real estate developer, William Gwynne Evans certainly showed immense confidence in the future of Johannesburg by erecting such a commanding structure at a time when most people believed the gold rush would not last.

The Palace Building under construction 1889-89 (Seventy Golden Years)

If you look closely you can see the date 1889 on the facade (Lost Johannesburg)

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A few weeks ago I noticed a post in the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation's facebook group highlighting the neglect of 12 Park Lane - Parktown's oldest surviving house (built circa 1895). The comments by concerned members of the community resonated with me as I have watched the historic property deteriorate over the past few years. The garden has been left to grow wild, windows are broken, cracks in the walls continue to spread and a portion of the balcony appears to have collapsed. Even the iconic blue plaque has been stolen highlighting an incredibly sad state of affairs.

Windows are broken and cracks in the walls are growing (The Heritage Portal)

Doors are missing (The Heritage Portal)

Peeling paint and plaster (The Heritage Portal)

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Important editor's note: The initiatives mentioned in this article are only proposals. A thorough consultation phase with a spectrum of stakeholders still needs to take place before any plans are approved. The article was unpublished on 13 December 2017 following a request from the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP). On 24 December 2017 it was republished after the release of a similar article on BusinessTech.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership’s (JICP) forum connecting the Mayor and his team to various stakeholders in the private sector. One of the talks that got me excited was ABSA's presentation of its bold plans for its precinct and surrounding area in the east of the city. If this vision can be realised the impact on the city could be huge!

Transforming the ABSA Tower

Arguably the most eye-catching part of the project will be the cladding of the ABSA Tower. Enthusiasts on the ground have known about this for a while and can't wait to see the results. The new facade is part of a much larger plan to convert the building to mixed use. Modern offices, a potent retail offering and a mix of residential units will be introduced to serve the growing community.

ABSA Tower (The Heritage Portal)

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