Johannesburg Landmarks


Hillbrow Tower

Hillbrow Tower The Hillbrow Tower is the highest structure in Johannesburg, and is probably the city's most recognisable landmark. The Hillbrow Tower (previously known as the JG Strijdom Tower) was built over three years, between June 1968 and April 1971, and is 269m high. It is owned by Telkom (previously by the Post Office) and is used as a microwave tower. It used to boast a revolving restaurant, but was closed in January 1981 for security reasons. The tower had a blue illuminated Telkom sign installed on 31 May 2005, and was renamed as the Telkom Joburg Tower.

It is interesting to note that the height of the Hillbrow Tower is virtually the same as the length of the Titanic (269m).


Sentech Tower and SABC Radiopark

Sentech Tower and SABC Radiopark The Sentech Tower (also known as the Brixton Tower, and previously as the Albert Hertzog Tower) was built in 1962, and is 239m tall (other sources say 234m). The tower is used by the SABC and Post office as a transmission tower, and is situated on a hill in Brixton.


Carlton Centre

Carlton Centre The Carlton Centre is the tallest building in Africa. (Note that the towers above are not strictly 'buildings'.) It was the tallest building in the southern hemisphere when originally completed. It has 50 floors, and is 223m tall, about 3m short of featuring in the world's top 100 skyscrapers. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the bedrock, 30m below street level. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46 per cent of the floor area below ground level.

Excavations for the Carlton were started in January 1967, and took two years to complete. Although occupation of the Centre began in 1971, it was not until 1974 that most of the construction was completed - at a cost of over R88 million.

(Other sources say that the Carlton Centre was built in 1972 or 1973, has 50 floors or 52 storeys), and has a height of 220m or 223m, or is 203m above the pavement.)

It is possible (for a small cost) to take a lift (elevator) to the 50th floor, where there is a very good observation deck.


Ponte City Apartments

Ponte City Built in 1976, the Ponte building has 54 floors, and has a height of 173.0m to the roof, and 185.0m to the pinnacle of the building.

Recent article: http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-20-pontes-fourth-coming-an-urban-icon-reborn



KwaDukuza Egoli Hotel (ex Johannesburg Sun)

Johannesburg Sun The Johannesburg Sun Hotel was re-opened in 2002 as the KwaDukuza Egoli Hotel. The name means 'Gathering Place in the City of Gold'.


Standard Bank

Standard Bank Standard Bank The Standard Bank building is unique in Johannesburg, in that it was built from the top down. After the central core was built, the floors were suspended from three cantilevered arms, with the top floors added first, followed by each lower floor. The building is organised into three hanging volumes of nine office floors each, with air conditioning plants housed between the sections.

Photograph on right courtesy of www.joburg.org.za.


Carlton Hotel

Carlton Hotel The Carlton Hotel is 32 storeys high, has 602 rooms, and had 6 restaurants. The hotel has closed and the building is currently 'mothballed'.


Schlesinger Building

Schlesinger Building


Ansteys Building

Ansteys Building Ansteys Tower, located at 59 Joubert Street is now a national monument. This building was once the home of Cecil Williams (actor, playwright, and member of Umkhonto we Sizwe). Nelson Mandela was disguised as Cecil Williams' driver when he was captured on 5 August 1962.


Johannesburg City Hall

Johannesburg City Hall The old City Hall now houses the Gauteng Legislature.


Johannesburg Post Office

Johannesburg Post Office This is Johannesburg's oldest public building. It was built in 1897, during the time of President Paul Kruger. The post office clock-tower in Rissik Street dates back to around 1900.


Museum Africa

Museum Africa


Nelson Mandela Bridge

Nelson Mandela Bridge At 294 m in length, this is the longest cable-stayed bridge in southern Africa. It was officially opened on Sunday 20 July 2003, with a road race to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 85th birthday. The bridge links Braamfontein to Newtown.


Sandton

Sandton


Sandton City

Sandton City


Merchant Place

Merchant Place


Fedsure Towers

Fedsure Towers


Sandton Square

Sandton Square


Village Walk Shopping Centre

Village Walk


Northcliff

Northcliff Northcliff Ridge is believed to have been inhabited by human beings for over 250 000 years. At 1807 meters above sea level, the ridge is only 1 metre lower than the highest point (Observatory Ridge) in the Johannesburg municipal area. The ridge has three unique vegetation zones, and is inhabited by numerous species of birds, small mammals, and reptiles.


Bryanston Water Tower

Bryanston Water Tower


Dome at Northgate

Northgate Dome


Randburg Waterfront

Randburg Waterfront The Randburg Waterfront was relaunched in October 2003 as Brightwater Commons.


Piazza

Piazza


Mintek

Mintek Mintek Tower


Skyscrapers of Johannesburg

Johannesburg's tallest

270m       Hillbrow Tower, Goldreich and Banket Streets, Hillbrow (1971, 6 floors)
234m       Sentech Tower, Symons Road, Brixton (1962)
234m       The Leonardo, 75 Maude Street, Sandton (2019, 55 floors)
223m       Carlton Centre, 150 Commissioner Street (1973, 50 floors)
173m       Ponte City Apartments, 1 Lily Avenue, Hillbrow (1975, 54 floors)
165m       Marble Towers (was Sanlam Centre), 208-212 Jeppe Street (1973, 33 floors)
153m       Michelangelo Towers, Maude Street, Sandton (2005, 34 floors, residential)
141m       Sandton City Office Tower, 5th Street & Rivonia Road, Sandton (1973, 22 floors)
140m       Kwa Dukuza Egoli Hotel (ex Johannesburg Sun), 84 Smal Street (1985, 40 floors)
140m       Trust Bank Centre, Eloff and Fox Streets (1970, 31 floors)
140m       Absa Building, 169 Main Street (31 floors)
139m       Standard Bank Centre, 5 Simmonds Street (1968, 34 floors)
138m       Southern Life Centre (Southern Life / African Eagle), 45 Commissioner Street (1973, 30 floors)
128m       UCS Building (ex Total House), 209 Smit Street and Rissik Street, Braamfontein (1976, 30 floors)
123m       Kine Centre, 141 Commissioner Street, cnr Kruis Street (1974, 27 floors)
119m       Carlton Hotel, Main Street (1973, 30 floors)
115m       Old Mutual (Exchange Square, M & F Centre), 69 President Street (and Simmonds) (1975, 29 floors)
115m       [Dept of Housing (ex Bank of Lisbon), 37 Sauer Street (1967, 26 floors) - Imploded 24 Nov 2019]
110m       Schlesinger Building, 222 Smit Street (1965, 21 floors)
105m       Highpoint, Kotze Street, Hillbrow (1972, 28 floors)
  95m       Logistics House, (Courtieston House), 39 Wolmarans Street and Rissik Street (1974, 25 floors)
  91m       IBM Building, 124 Main Street, cnr Kruis Street (1976, 22 floors)
  80m       11 Diagonal Street (1984, 20 floors)
  78m       Penmor Tower, 1 Rissik Street (1974, 20 floors)
  ??m       Mariston Hotel, Claim and Koch Streets, Hillbrow (1973, 32 floors)
  ??m       Radiopark, Henley Road, Auckland Park (30 floors)
  ??m       Hekro Towers (now UCKG Towers), 122 Eloff Street (30 floors)
  ??m       Tygerberg, Tudhope Street (29 floors, residential)
  ??m       120 End Street, Doornfontein (28 floors)
  ??m       Darragh House, 13 Wanderers Street, Hillbrow (27 floors)
  ??m       Splendid Place, 102 Pritchard Street (25 floors, residential)
  ??m       25 Owl Street, (Metal Box Centre), Milpark (1976, 24 floors)
  ??m       Parktonian Hotel (1984, 23 floors)
  ??m       Albert Luthuli House (ex Shell House), 51 Plein Street (Klein and De Villiers) (22 floors)
  ??m       Kwa Dukuza Egoli Hotel Second Tower (ex Johannesburg Sun), 84 Smal Street (22 floors)
  ??m       University Corner Building, 11-17 Jorissen Street, cnr Bertha Street (22 floors)
  ??m       African Life Building, 111 Commissioner Street, Eloff, Market, and Joubert Streets (21 floors)
  ??m       Majestic Towers & Gate, 38 Empire Road, corner Clarendon Place, Parktown (~22 floors)
  ??m       The Sentinel, 28 Van der Merwe Street, cnr Twist Street, Hillbrow (22 floors, residential)
  ??m       Mutual & Federal Centre, 75 President Street, Harrison and Pritchard (1989, 21 floors)
  ??m       Rand Inn International Hotel, 294 Bree Street (21 floors)
  ??m       Ten Sixty Six, 35 Pritchard Street (Kerk, Loveday, Pritchard, Harrison) (1989, 21 floors)
  ??m       One Merchant Place, 1 Fredman Drive, Sandton (2000, 20 floors)
  ??m       Ansteys Tower, 59 Joubert Street, cnr Jeppe Street (1937, 20 floors, office, residential)
  ??m       Noswal Hall, 3 Stiemens Street, (and Bertha Street), Braamfontein (20 floors)
  ??m       Devonshire House, 49 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein (20 floors)
  ??m       Protekon, Union Square, 80 Plein Street (20 floors)
  ??m       The Gardens Hotel, O'Reilly & Tudhope Streets, Hillbrow (20 floors, residential)
  ??m       Nedbank Plaza, ~18 Pretoria Street, Hillbrow (~20+ floors)
  ??m       Preston Place, 30 Alexandra Street, Hillbrow (~20+ floors)
  ??m       Eastway Towers (20 floors)
  ??m       Sable Centre, 41 De Korte Street, Braamfontein (22 floors)
  ??m       Protekon, Union Square, 80 Plein Street (20 floors)
  ??m       CCMA House, 20 Anderson Street (20 floors)
  ??m       Glencairn, Department of Agriculture, 73 Market Street (20 floors)
  ??m       Anchor Towers, 4 Plein Street (20 floors, office, residential)
  61m       Eskom Centre, 204 Smit Street, Braamfontein (1955, 19 floors)
  ??m       The Franklin (previously Ernst & Young House), 4 Pritchard Street (1990, 19 floors)
  ??m       His Majesty's Building, 22 Joubert Street (West), 53 Eloff Street (East), Commissioner Street (1944, 19 floors)
  ??m       JCI Building, 28 Harrison Street (19 floors)
  ??m       112 Main Street, corner Eloff Street (19 floors)
  ??m       Sandton Sun Intercontinental Hotel, 5th Street & Alice Lane, Sandton (1993, 18 floors)
  ??m       Anglo American Platinum, 55 Marshall Street, cnr Maclaren Street (1994, 18 floors)
  ??m       Chamber of Mines Building, 5 Hollard Street, Marshall and Sauer Streets (1936, 18 floors)
  ??m       Schreiner Chambers, 94 Pritchard Street (18 floors)
  ??m       Landrost Apartments (previously Landdrost Hotel), corner Plein and Twist Streets (18 floors)
  ??m       Rennie House, 19 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein (18 floors)
  ??m       Johannesburg Licensing Department, 79 Loveday Street (~18 floors)
  ??m       Diamond Corner, Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment, 68 Market Street, corner Eloff (18 floors)
  ??m       6 Plein Street (18 floors)
  ??m       87 Rissik Street (18 floors)
  ??m       Chaplin House 86 Commissioner Street, between Simmonds and Harrison Streets (~18 floors)
  ??m       Spoornet, 138 Eloff Street (Wolmarans), Braamfontein (17 floors)
  ??m       Municipal Building (17 floors)
  ??m       76 Juta Street, Braamfontein (~17 floors)
  ??m       Lister Building, 195 Jeppe Street, on Smal Street (~17 floors)
  ??m       Highrise, Primrose Street (near Kapteijn Street), Hillbrow (~17 floors)
  ??m       The Metropolitan, 39-55 Alexandra Street (backs onto Barnato Street), Hillbrow (~~17 floors)
  ??m       29 Kerk Street (17 floors)
  ??m       Corner House (Development Planning & Local Government), 25 Sauer Street (Fox and Commissioner) (17 floors)
  ??m       Standard Bank House, 20 Albert Street, corner Eloff (17 floors)
  ??m       Traduna, Jorissen Street, Braamfontein (~17 floors)
  ??m       Civic Towers, 41 Stiemens Street, corner Biccard Street, Braamfontein (~17 floors)
  ??m       The Forum, Maude Street, Sandton (1996, 16 floors)
  ??m       Jorissen Place, 66 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein (16 floors)
  ??m       Libridge, 25 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein (16 floors)
  ??m       Peoples Bank Building (Nedcor), 100 Main Street (16 floors)
  ??m       RSA Centre, Jorissen Street, corner Melle Street, Braamfontein (~16 floors)
  ??m       Umjantshi House (Spoornet), 30 Wolmarans Street, Braamfontein (1965, 16 floors)
  ??m       Ridge Plaza, (between Ponte and Tygerberg), Hillbrow (~16 floors)
  ??m       Herdershof, Police residence, Gold Street, Triomf (~16 floors)
  ??m       Persam House, 73 Loveday Street (Harrison, Bree, and Jeppe Streets) (~16 floors)
  ??m       Glazco Centre, 58-64 Anderson Street (between Loveday and Harrison Streets) (~16 floors)
  ??m       Clifton Heights, De Korte Street, corner Biccard Street, Braamfontein (~16 floors)
  ??m       RAU (University of Johannesburg) Students Residence, Auckland Park (1975, 16 floors)
  ??m       Sandton Towers Intercontinental Hotel, Rivonia Road & Grayston Drive, Sandton (1983, 15 floors)
  ??m       Joburg Roads Agency, 66 Sauer Street (1979, 15 floors)
  ??m       Imbali, cnr Tudhope Avenue and Louis Botha Avenue, Berea (15 floors)
  ??m       Edura, 40 Commissioner Street and 41 Fox Street (15 floors)
  ??m       Nedbank Place, 35 Sauer Street, corner Market Street (15 floors)
  ??m       Metropolitan Life Building, 108 Fox Street, corner Rissik (15 floors)
  ??m       Rand President Apartments, 340 Pretoria Avenue, Randburg (15 floors)
  ??m       Profurn House, 66 De Korte Street, Braamfontein (15 floors)
  ??m       Computershare, 70 Marshall Street (15 floors)
  ??m       Bridgeport, 28 Biccard Street, corner De Korte Street, Braamfontein (15 floors)
  ??m       Nedbank House, 81-85 Main Street (15 floors)
  ??m       Kelhof, 112 Pritchard Street (~15 floors)
  ??m       Samro House, 73 Juta Street, cnr De Beer Street, Braamfontein (~14 floors)
  ??m       1 De Villiers Street (14 floors)
  ??m       Anglo American Life Towers, Sauer Street (14 floors)
  ??m       Conlyn House, 156 President Street (14 floors)
  ??m       Samancor House, 88 Marshall Street (14 floors)
  ??m       Auckland House, 185 Smit Street (and 18 Biccard Street), Braamfontein (14 floors)
  ??m       Trust Bank Centre, Randburg Mall (14 floors)
  ??m       Metro Centre, 163 Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, Randburg (14 floors)
  ??m       Braamfontein Centre, Bertha Street, Braamfontein (14 floors)
  ??m       Westpoint, Grayston Drive and West Road South, Sandton (2004, ~14 floors)
  ??m       Insurance Towers (was Auto & General Building), Queen Street, Richmond (1989, 13 floors)
  ??m       Sage Life Centre, 10 Frazer Street (and President) (13 floors)
  ??m       Atkinson House, Albert Street, corner Eloff (~13 floors)
  ??m       Longsbank, 197 Bree Street (13 floors)
  ??m       1 Biccard Street (13 floors)
  ??m       JCI House, (Consolidated Building), Fox Street (13 floors)
  ??m       33 Sauer Street (Avril Malan Building) (~12 floors)
  ??m       Constantine Apartments (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       Girton Hall, Highfield, Wits (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       St Mary's Building, bordering Eloff Street (12 floors)
  ??m       Reith Hall, Highfield, Wits (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       North City House, 28 Melle Street, Braamfontein (12 floors)
  ??m       268 Jeppe Street (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       Lancet Hall, Jeppe Street, corner Von Wielligh Street (12 floors)
  ??m       Jubilee Hall, Wits University (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       Medhurst Hall, Highfield, Wits (12 floors, residential)
  ??m       Intec House, 130 Marshall Street (cnr Eloff) (12 floors)
  ??m       The Grace, 54 Bath Avenue, Rosebank (11 floors)
  ??m       Fredman Towers, (previously Fedsure Towers), 13 Fredman Drive, Sandton (1992, 11 floors)
  55m       Giant Wheel, Gold Reef City (2001)
  50m       Nelson Mandela Bridge (2003)
  46m       Mintek, 200 Hans Strijdom Drive, Randburg (~1976, 11 floors)
  ??m       Randburg Square (was Sanlam Centre), Pretoria Avenue, Randburg (1978, ~11 floors)
  ??m       Nestle, Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, Randburg (~11 floors)
  46m       Astor Mansions, Jeppe Street, corner Von Brandis Street (1932, 10 floors)
  43m       Barbican, 89 President Street (1932, 11 floors)

Skyscrapers of Sandton (included above)

230m       The Leonardo (2019, 50+ floors)
153m       Michelangelo Towers (2005, 34 floors, residential)
141m       Sandton City Office Tower, 5th Street & Rivonia Road, Sandton (1973, 22 floors)
  ??m       One Merchant Place, 1 Fredman Drive, Sandton (2000, 20 floors)
  ??m       Sandton Sun Intercontinental hotel, 5th Street & Alice Lane, Sandton (1993, 18 floors)
  ??m       The Forum, Maude Street, Sandton (1996, 16 floors)
  ??m       Sandton Towers Intercontinental hotel, Rivonia Road & Grayston Drive, Sandton (1983, 15 floors)
  ??m       Westpoint, Grayston Drive and West Road South, Sandton (2004, ~14 floors)
  ??m       Fredman Towers, (previously Fedsure Towers), 13 Fredman Drive, Sandton (1992, 11 floors)

Not yet included:
100m       Bowmans Building, 11 Alice Lane, Sandton (2017, 18 floors)
  65m       Alice Lane Towers, Alice Lane, Sandton (2010, 18 floors)
  50m       Sunset Towers, Benmore Road, Sandton (2008, 13 floors)
  46m       The Regent, West Road South, Sandton (2008, 12 floors)

South African Cities

Hotels of Early Johannesburg

Tallest buildings and other structures

Building height is measured from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the structural top of the building. Television masts, radio antennas, and flagpoles are not included. Although the Hillbrow Tower and Sentech Tower have been included in the list above for comparative purposes, they are not strictly 'buildings', as they are not habitable.

For more information on skyscrapers around the world, see:

The tallest free standing structure in Southern Africa is claimed to be a smoke-stack. Very tall industrial structures include:
301m       Secunda - SASOL Synthetic Fuels Steam Plant 3
300m       Witbank - Two smoke-stacks of the New Duvha power station
                  (each has a lift and staircase inside, used twice a month for cleaning)
275m       Kendal - Kendal Power Station (1988)
275m       Kriel - Matla Power Station


Copyright © 2002-2019, Rodney Jones, rtjones@amethyst.co.za, Randburg, South Africa (Last updated on 28 November 2019; previously 12 September 2007)