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
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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.
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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.
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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