52 Katherine Street makes best use of its central, sloping site
 | 52 Katherine Street makes best use of its central, sloping site | 43.5 KB | Download |
 Preview | Paragon Group Director Anthony Orelowitz | 1.22 MB | Download |
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 Preview | Large porcelain tiles that resemble Blanco and Nero marble differentiate the design from Sasol Place | 5.22 MB | Download |
The 5251m2 P-grade office development is located at the corner of Katherine Street and Albertyn Avenue in the Sandton CBD, which gives it the advantage of a strong street-facing presence. An integral part of the rapidly-developing Katherine Street Development Node, it enjoys close proximity to Sandton City, the retail floor at Discovery and several significant arterial roadways and highways.
The corner is dominated by Sasol Place, which has a high basement both to the west and south. “We had to create a design that was very different from Sasol, bearing in mind that 52 Katherine Street itself was only three storeys and has Sasol basements as it backdrop. Hence the main challenge was to design a building that did not, on the one hand, obstruct or take away from Sasol Place, but was able to have its own distinct identity,” explains Paragon Group Director Anthony Orelowitz.
“It is a difficult piece of land to develop because it is quite a sloping site. We selected a pallet of materials which were quite different from the complex glass façade of Sasol Place. We chose to clad the façade with large porcelain tiles which were 3000x1500mm in size. These tiles look like Blanco and Nero marble, creating a contrast against the Sasol basements and differentiating the design,” adds Orelowitz.
The marble and aluminium over-clad structure weaves at each storey, undulating and creating balconies and overhangs. Three landscaped courtyards allow light and air to penetrate the floor plate. Large openable full-height windows allow user-driven habitation, natural ventilation and abundance of light into the workspace.
“The courtyards were planned specifically to maximise the light on the western and southern aspects,” highlights Orelowitz. The result was a building that is quite distinctive from many of Paragons designs.
The project is currently on hold as the construction industry itself has ground to a halt due to the national lockdown imposed for the Covid-19 crisis. Completion is now tentatively scheduled for early next year. The professional team includes Leadcon Civils, Orion Project Managers and Trencon Construction.
Ends
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Notes to the Editor
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About Paragon
Paragon, established in October 1997, is an internationally-active design business, based in Johannesburg. We deliver commercial architecture, masterplanning, interior design, and space planning to visionary clients in all property sectors, from retail to residential and education.
We are committed to global urban development. We are able and agile. Paragon is flexible and diverse in its approach to design. Each project is unique and not driven by style, but by lifestyle and a response to user needs. Elegant and efficient planning form the core of our designs. We understand the needs of our clients, and know how to generate ever new architectural forms in a competitive property market.
We are known for hands-on engagement with all opportunities present in the modern global building industry. The true measure of our skill is our ability to engage at all levels and with all players that make up the colourful world of construction and property development. Our buildings look forward. We embrace the future, because we will be a part of it – part of its problems and responsibilities, and part of its great freedoms and achievements.
Paragon Group Contact
Cindy Faux
Director
Phone: (011) 482 3781
Email: cindyf [at] paragon [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.paragon.co.za
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NGAGE Public Relations
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