Name of the Project
The Leonardo.

Location
Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Legacy Group.

Project Description
The Leonardo high-rise building will eclipse the 50-storey Carlton Centre, in downtown Johannesburg, as South Africa’s tallest skyscraper, with 55 storeys.

The development comprises several major public-level areas off the street, with retail and hotel lobbies linked by escalator to an interactive mixed-use lobby space, which serves the large conferencing venue and will be the reception area for the apartments, penthouse suites and offices, along with a coffee shop and bar.

A total of 254 apartments will rise up to the thirty-eighth level, with the next ten floors earmarked for a luxury hotel to be established in the future, depending on the demand and conditions in the hospitality sector.

The forty-ninth to fifty-fifth levels comprise the Leonardo suite. The 3 200 m² Leonardo suite will feature 1 900 m² of under-roof living space and 1 300 m² of outdoor patios and gardens, with a 20 m lap pool and gym area.

There are 1 300 parking bays linked by shuttle lifts directly to the seventh floor podium, which features landscaped gardens and restaurants, as well as a bar, creche, gym and spa.

There are also 7 200 m² of sectional-title offices.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project cost is estimated at R3-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The principal contract for the project was signed in October 2015. Construction started in January 2016. The exact opening date has still not been revealed.

Latest Developments
The Leonardo is only a couple of weeks away from being officially unveiled.

More than 100 000 t of concrete has been used in its construction. The tower features a range of amenities, including a spa, preschool, restaurant, conference centre and 25-m-long swimming pool.

To ensure ease of access, the full-length elevator is capable of traversing the full height of the tower, from ground level to the fifty-sixth storey, in 57 seconds.

The Leonardo is also supported with electrical back-up generators capable of meeting 100% of the building's power requirements, as does its air-conditioning system, thereby ensuring that tenants, guests and visitors enjoy uninterrupted convenience.

The Leonardo houses retail tenants on the ground floor, as well as The Leonardo Lounge, bar and deli kitchen, in addition to the Leonardo Conference Centre on the third floor.

Level 7 encompasses the tower's recreational facilities, which include the Aurum Restaurant, the Nature & Nurture Montessori preschool, an outdoor pool and deck with a gym and a spa, five daybeds and a wood-fired themed restaurant – the Octo Bar.

Rising above the seventh floor is the tower, housing offices on the lower section and residential units midway.

The upper seven floors accommodate eight duplex penthouse suites each with its own garden, while the top three floors house the luxurious Leonardo Suite. The suite will be allocated to a single tenant willing to pay about $18-million to $19-million for one-of-a-kind accommodation featuring 360° views and a private pool.

The roof is reserved for a private bar and entertainment deck to accommodate a small group of guests.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Aveng Grinaker-LTA (construction contract); PERI (form and scaffolding); Co-Arc International Architects (architect); RMCE Consulting Engineers (structural engineer); SM Schneid Quantity Surveyors (quantity surveyor); Arup (façade engineer); MNS Engineers (electrical engineer); WinConsulting (mechanical engineer); Watsol Design Technology (wet services engineer); Specialist Fire Technology (fire services consultant); Cairnmead Industrial Consultants (occupational health and safety consultant); Linspace (acoustics consultant); Landmark Studios (landscape designer); Stephen Falke (interior designer); Varoom! Interiors (interior designer); Santo & Santo (main kitchen consultant) and The Trinity Session (artwork and curator consultant).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
Legacy Group development director Mark Havercroft, tel +27 (11) 234 1823 or email mhavercroft@legacygroup.co.za.