Yesterday I went to the roof of the Sandton City Office Tower to take photos for the SandtonPlaces book. Those of you familiar with Joburg know the building I’m talking about – the office block in the middle of Sandton City mall with the pyramid-shaped cap on top.
This is what the cap looks like from underneath. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of the building from below, but they are easy to find on Google. The Sandton City Office Tower has 21 floors labeled in the elevator, but is actually a few storeys taller than that.
I was really lucky to get the opportunity to go to the top of this building. The roof is undeveloped and not open to the public. The view is – of course – amazing.
John, one of the security guards in charge of the Sandton City roof, looks out over Joburg to the southeast. I had to beg John and Brian, the manager from Liberty Properties who organized the visit, to let me climb down onto the scaffolding below where John is standing. They finally relented.
Looking due south toward the Joburg city centre. The top level of the Sandton City parking garage is in the foreground. Climbing down onto the scaffolding paid off – it was the only way I could get a wide shot without the orange scaffolding poles in the frame.
The Michelangelo Hotel, to the northwest of Sandton City. We got up there just as a rainstorm was ending.
Instagram of the Michelangelo.
Giant Sandton sign.
Liberty Properties owns much of the real estate in Sandton City and they are embarking on a major revamp of the area, which will include Nelson Mandela Square. Hopefully they decide to build a restaurant on this rooftop. As I’ve lamented before, this city needs more public rooftops to showcase its beautiful skyline.
In the meantime, I’m sure I’ll keep weaseling my way into places like this. Thanks to Brian and Gerald from JoburgPlaces for indulging me last night.
Jozi, from 24 storeys above Sandton.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.