This building in the South African city of Johannesburg is set to become the tallest in the continent after it opens its doors at the end of 2019
Known as the Leonardo, the 55-storey building which measures 745 feet (227 meters) in height will take over the title from Carlton Centre, which has held the record since 1973.
Aside the remarkable feat as Africa’s tallest building, it was designed by a team made up of 11 architects with 9 of them being women who belong to South African firm Co-Arc International Architects.
Located in the financial hub of Johannesburg, the Leonardo will house a number of office space, shops, apartments and eve hotel rooms. According to CNN,the architects opted for thin sheets of Dekton, a super-strong material, for its exterior cladding rather than the usual.
However, Leonardo’s dominance in the African skylines will be short-lived when buildings like the Pinnacle in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Mohammed VI Tower near Rabat, Morocco are completed.
Patrick McInerney, director at Co-Arc International Architects described the development as “interesting”.
“Being the tallest [building] in Africa at this time is quite interesting, because we know of several other buildings that are being built that far exceed the one that we’ve just completed.” he told CNN
