Paragon Group wins GIfA Award of Excellence 2019 for 140 West Street
 | Paragon Group wins GIfA Award of Excellence 2019 for 140 West Street_approved | 39 KB | Download |
 Preview | 140 West Street consists of two linked towers on a landscaped podium | 6.11 MB | Download |
 Preview | Anthony Orelowitz and David Cloete receive the GIfA Award of Excellence for 140 West Street | 5.94 MB | Download |
 Preview | The main architectural feature is the curved-glass atrium connecting the two towers | 6.07 MB | Download |
There were 38 entries, with a wide range of building types. Only seven awards were made, which will be forwarded to the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA), the national body, for evaluation in 2020. The team was led by Paragon Group Director Anthony Orelowitz, who received the award together with Project Architectural Technologist David Cloete, a member of the design team.
Developed by Zenprop, the 27 000 m² of P-grade office space comprises two linked towers on a lush landscaped podium, namely a ten-storey North Tower, a 14-storey South Tower, and eight parking levels. The project achieved a 4 Star Green Office Design V1 from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
“This is a complex building that has been designed to look really simple,” Project Architect Kay Hausler comments. Taking four years in total, of which the construction phase was two years, the aim was for an iconic building that would function as a head office, while still being considerate of its inhabitants and context.
This was achieved by incorporating natural elements, planting, designing for human scale, creating a landscape deck on the ground floor, landscaped roof terraces, break-out spaces, and spaces that encourage interaction and the awareness of others in the building.
The main architectural feature is the angled, curved-glass atrium enclosure connecting the two towers, allowing for breathtaking views from inside and outside. Effectively an internal street, the atrium connects the pavement, entrance, and landscape deck. The internal space hosts large trees, planting, sculptural lighting, and informal canteen seating.
The bridges fan away from one another, so that each is lit naturally from the glass roof above. These are large concrete beams that structurally tie together the two shear structures of the towers. The cladding and elongated lighting makes them appear slender and elegant. The long, narrow floor plates curve away from one another. Orientated north to maximise light into the work space, they also maximise views from each floor.
By using post-tensioned slabs and larger perimeter columns, all of the internal columns on the floor plates could be removed, creating large open spaces to maximise tenant flexibility. The east and west ends incorporate impressive cantilevers, allowing the building to ‘lean’ outwards. This is enhanced by the façade wings extending past the ends of the building.
Paragon Group Director Henning Rasmuss highlights that the award is testament to the company’s ethos of designing iconic buildings that take their surroundings into account. “The best designs maintain a careful balance between the internal user experience and the urban environment, and 140 West Street is a prime example of this.”
Established in 1900, GIfA is one of the oldest architectural organisations in the country. It is affiliated to the South African Institute of Architects, and endorsed by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession. With almost 500 members, it aims to promote a better built environment and a greater awareness of architecture.
Ends
Connect with Paragon on Social Media to receive the company’s latest news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParagonGroupZA
Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/ParagonGroupZA
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ParagonGroupLinkedIn
Instagram: paragongroupza
Notes to the Editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Paragon Group link to view the company’s press office.
About the Paragon Group
Paragon, established in October 1997, is an internationally-active African design business, based in Johannesburg. It delivers commercial architecture, masterplanning, interior design, and space planning to visionary clients in all property sectors.
We are committed to Africa, and believe in the future of its cities. Our roots are here. We have much to offer. We are able and agile, and actively participate in the continent’s urban and human development. 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
Hugh Fraser
Media Manager
Phone: (011) 482 3781
Fax: (011) 482 3784
Cell: 083 309 4275
Email: media [at] paragon [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.paragon.co.za
Media Contact
Renay Tandy
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867 7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 082 562 5088
Email: renay [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za