15 ALICE LANE
15 ALICE LANE
CORPORATE HEADOFFICE
Norton Rose Fulbright’s headquarters at 15 Alice Lane turns a 16-storey brief into a skyline marker without exceeding Sandton’s 20-storey limit. The programme is split into two towers on a six-level basement; by visually “weighting” the south block and sweeping both volumes into asymmetric curves, the composition reads taller than it is. A dark glass plinth wraps the first two floors so the upper mass appears to hover, signalling a crisp, contemporary identity.
Environmental performance drives the sculptural envelope. The north and south façades bulge three metres beyond the east–west gables and are composed of clear, dark grey, and translucent glass, erasing floor lines and pulling daylight deep into the plates. The gable ends clamp diagonal strip windows between hand-formed aluminium “pillows,” their deep reveals cutting glare while chiselling the towers’ edges. South Africa’s first fully double-glazed, unitised curtain wall features a baked-on ceramic frit, balancing transparency with low cooling loads. The curved skin cantilevers up to five metres, serviced by a custom-tracked gondola concealed within the mullions.
A canyon-like atrium separates the twin stacks, its bridges spiralling upward in a gentle helix from the lobby to level 18. Glass balustrades fade from clear to opaque to ease vertigo, turning circulation into an experiential spine. Daylight, column-free plates and a future-proof core support flexible tenancy, while high-efficiency systems and orientation-specific shading earned the project a 4-Star Green Star SA rating—proof that disciplined engineering and sculptural ambition can deliver a standout corporate address without relying on sheer height.
Location: Sandton, South Africa
Size: 24,000 m²
Completion Year: 2010
Sector: Commercial Offices