The Leonardo in Sandton, Africa’s tallest building, will open its doors later next month.

With an estimated R3-billion worth of investment and a five-year construction period in conjunction with Nedbank CIB, the building will become the ‘baby’ of the Legacy Hotels and Resorts family.

Bart Dorrestein, the man behind the construction project, did not plan to build the tallest building in Africa. In the original plans, the building was set to be a mere 33 floors at 150m tall. Fast forward almost five years later it is estimated to take the average person 6 050 steps to get to the top of the 55-floor building which stands at 234m.

According to Legacy, the building’s construction contributed to 2 000 direct jobs and an estimated 18 000 to 20 000 indirect job opportunities through materials supply chains, manufacture and industry.

Throughout the building are art installations created by an estimated 800 local artists. Each piece depicts an array of elements based on Leonardo da Vinci’s curiosity about the four elements – earth, air, water and fire.

The building was certified as the ‘tallest building in Africa’ by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat International. The Carlton Centre in Johannesburg at 223m was previously categorised as the tallest building in Africa while the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 829m.

This historical space will house retail tenants on the ground floor as well as the Leonardo lounge, bar, deli kitchen and conference centre on the third floor. Apart from the Aurum Restaurant, outdoor pool, gym and spa area, the seventh floor will house the Nature and Nurture Montessori Pre-School.

“The Leonardo has not only redefined the city’s skyline but also how we view the concept of sustainable urbanism with options to work, live and play in one place,” Leonardo PR consultant, Nicci Mitchell said.

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