Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa January/February 2015 | Page 32

The ends of the building
are softened with the
curved glazed ends
generating an inverted
trapezoidal form

Design
The long narrow atrium opens the east
and west cores to accentuate the vertical
circulation provided by two scenic elevators.
The ends of the building are softened with the
curved glazed ends generating an inverted
trapezoidal form. This contrasts with the
concrete which flanks the main entrance, the
construction of which was also complicated.
Together, it complements the plan which
is, in itself, a parallelogram, necessary to
accommodate all the geometric conflicts.

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Façade
The building form is further softened and
layered with the addition of perforated
aluminium screens, suspended off the full
height glazing on the east and west elevations,
to shade the building from the morning and
afternoon sun.
The perforation pattern has an opening
percentage of approximately 30% to 35%,
which means that a minimum of 65% to 70%
of sunlight is blocked from the face of the
western and eastern façades.

15 Alice Lane South