Bridging the expansive, vertical volumes
of Rosebank Towers’ three main atria, the
sculpture - Transpiration I - echoes the
organisational structure of the building
pedestrian access through an inviting multi-volume
entrance atrium. This five-storey street entrance
atrium contains the first line of security in the form
of a security desk which deals with both vehicular
and pedestrian access. After the first security line,
pedestrians take the shuttle lifts to the two main atria
which distribute people to the different major tenants.
All of the building’s entrances are mobility-impaired
accessible, ensuring principles of universal access are
carried throughout the building fabric.
Vertical Circulation
In section, the building comprises eight parking floors
(one basement and seven above ground), one retail
floor housing a popular gym well used by visitors
and building occupants alike, and seven office floors.
Once people have entered the building either via
vehicles or on foot, they then travel up to the offices
above. A separate lift lobby is provided for access to
the gym floor.
A feature set of glazed shuttle lifts transports users
of the building, stopping at the street entrance lobby,
all visitor parking levels, and the two atria levels of the
building. The atria offer generous waiting areas at the
points of departure from the scenic shuttle lifts that
complement the energy of the movement of people
up and down the building.
The Atria
Rosebank Towers is a multi-tenanted building, with
two human-scaled office atria at different levels
mediating between arrival, visitors’ common areas,
and working spaces. The first four-storey multi-
volume atrium sits nine floors above the street level,
overlooking the Johannesburg and Rosebank CBDs
and giving access to the first group of tenants. A
further smaller three-and-a-half storey atrium, also
with spectacular views, is stacked above, giving
access to the higher floors’ tenant. The shuttle lifts
stop at the bottom of each atrium.
The building’s H-form is designed around the atrium
space supported by the two courtyards. The central
core of the building sits in the middle of the H-form,
and houses lifts, stairs, service risers, and ablutions.
From the street below, the glass link of the entrance
atrium presents itself as a threshold to the views into
the spaces beyond. The southern exposure ensures
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that the atrium will never be over-exposed to sun,
and can therefore have clear glazing overlooking the
street and to the Johannesburg skyline beyond. This
façade emphasises the open nature of the building
to its surroundings.
At the ground level of both atria, a canopy of trees
mediates between the activity at the ground level
and the open collaborative spaces on the office floors
above. This vegetation brings an organic softness to
the structured environment around it, and establishes
a sense of a peaceful and productive environment
around, that is in tune with the leafy neighbourhood
of Rosebank beyond.
Detailing in the bridges, balustrades, and the scale
of material choice such as the timber backdrop of the
reception, further enhance the feeling of belonging
in a people-centric and appropriately scaled space.
The Courtyards
The main morphology of the building from the office
floors and higher is an H-shaped configuration with
wing depths of up to 12m in order to gain as much
natural light as deep as possible into the floor plates.
This configuration creates two open courtyards
between the east and west wings of the building.
The west courtyard will have long views all the way
up to the Northcliff water tower.
The indoor planting at the heart of the building
and the external courtyards acts as a green lung
to the building. It provides a space for contact and
integration, and ensures that nature and a direct
relationship with the environment is prioritised at the
centre of the scheme.
The Office Floors
The office floors are organised around the
central core and the open atria spaces. The lift bank
is centrally located ensuring that