SASOL PLACE
SASOL PLACE
CORPORATE HEADOFFICE
Sasol Place was designed as a forward-thinking corporate headquarters that seamlessly integrates spatial efficiency, environmental performance, and long-term adaptability. The building combines workplace functionality and architectural expression in a purpose-built environment that supports flexible tenancy, promotes occupant well-being, and reflects Sasol’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.
The building features an expansive 6,700-square-meter floor plate designed for optimal spatial and operational efficiency. A single, centralized core—integrating one bank of lifts, escalators, and toilet facilities—is designed to be future-proof. The layout supports subdivision into flexible pockets of 300–400 square meters, each with direct access to the core and a maximum travel distance of 15 meters, ensuring adaptability for multi-tenant configurations.
Two large atria cut through the building’s mass, bringing natural light deep into the interior spaces. Skylights and acoustic baffles mitigate heat gain while optimizing the distribution of indirect daylight across the floor plates.
The building’s façade is designed to be responsive to its orientation, with spandrel-to-glazing ratios carefully adjusted for efficiency. Specifically, the south façade features 90% glazing, the north façade 60%, the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest façades 45%, and the east and west façades only 25%. These parameters, determined through advanced environmental modelling that accounts for self-shading, informed a complex design incorporating numerous double-glazed curved panels—with some panels slumped to achieve curvature in two directions.
Material selection reinforces the overall façade concept. The basement façade is clad in hand-laid slate with variegated patterns, anchoring the building to the ground, while dark grey glass is interposed between the slate panels, giving the structure a floating appearance at its base. The upper levels employ reflective glass, which helps control heat gain and creates an effect of the building fragmenting and melting into the sky.
On the ground floor, internal communal spaces are paired with outdoor counterparts that extend their functions—for example, the gym connects directly to open-air training areas and equipment.
The surrounding landscaping areas are divided into eight distinct biomes, each specifically designed in response to its orientation relative to the building. Planting strategies were tailored to microclimatic conditions, carefully selecting trees and plants in each biome to attract a diverse range of insects and bird species, enhancing both ecological value and long-term sustainability.
Location: Sandton, South Africa
Size: 69,000 m²
Completed: 2016
Sector: Commercial Offices