Mega project with a value greater than R1 billion
The Leonardo by RMCE for Legacy Group, Sandton, Gauteng
COMMENDATION
T
he 56-storey Leonardo building was completed in 2020 and at 234 m tall is now Johannesburg’s and
Africa’s tallest skyscraper, comprising retail, office, residential and hotel accommodation. This is a R2 billion investment in Sandton, the hub of the
PROJECT TEAM
Client: Legacy Group Holdings Architect: Co-Arc International Consulting Engineer: Ritchie Midgley Consulting Engineers Contractor: Aveng Grinaker-LTA Quantity Surveyor: SM Schneid Quantity Surveyors Façade Engineer: Arup
African economy. Since the early 1990s, The Legacy Group, financed by Nedbank, has
Towering 44 storeys above the podium-
developed six notable mixed-use
level pool deck, the northern façade
buildings within Africa’s richest
columns located on a mid-column grid
square kilometre, including Nelson
terminate on to an 11 m high ‘keyhole
Mandela Square, The Michelangelo
wall’ that transfers the superstructure
Hotel, DaVinci Hotel and Raphael
loads on to the regular column grid
penthouse suites, the 34-storey
below. This feature has enabled the
Michelangelo Towers and, lately, the
architect to have column-free floor
Leonardo complex located at 75 Maude
space surrounding the central core,
Street, Sandton. All these impressive
which is suited to different spatial
buildings have been engineered by
requirements for offices, residential
Ritchie Midgley Consulting Engineers,
accommodation, and the hotel. This
in collaboration with the developer’s
feature increases sustainability of
team of architects, quantity surveyors,
the building since future occupancy
MEP and related services engineers and
remodelling is ensured.
project manager. The Leonardo broke ground in an existing basement excavation on
main shaft, connecting the perimeter
17 November 2015. Four basement
columns to the stiffer core structure.
levels of prestressed flat slab parking
These structures accommodate both
top out at ground level. A podium,
the compression and tension load
rising seven storeys above Maude
effects from wind-induced deflection,
Street incorporates additional
thereby stiffening the structure to
parking, retail stores, a reception area,
achieve a plumb lift core and sway that
conference halls, restaurants, health
is limited to well below conventional
spa and gym, pool, terrace with a bar
design limits.
service, as well as a Montessori school for the convenience of office workers and residents of the building. There are 1 300 parking bays, 7 200 m2
The tower block was constructed over a seven-day cycle per floor, lagging the lift core by three floors. During the 42 months of construction, 56 000 m3 of
office accommodation, 232 apartments
concrete was cast at an average of
and duplex units, eight penthouses, the
45 m3 per day, limited mostly to night-
1 900 m2 Leonardo Suite and a hotel.
time pours to alleviate traffic congestion.
The iconic architectural design of the
6
A feature of this building are out-rigger walls cantilevering off the
The core topped out on 9 April 2019
building is complemented by more
followed by the top-most viewing
than 800 original art pieces showcasing
deck slab on 25 May 2019, and a
emerging and established South
Certificate of Completion was issued
African artists.
on 26 July 2019.
C E S A A o n E n g i n e e r i n g E x c e l l e n c e Aw a r d s 2 0 2 1
