15 Alice Lane/ Norton Rose Fulbright Towers | Paragon Architects

Located at the western edge of the bustling Sandton Central area, the glass and aluminium towers of 15 Alice Lane rise as statuesque architectural statements on the skyline of Johannesburg’s north-western suburbs. This 24,000 square metre double tower structure provides office space for the legal firm, Norton Rose Fulbright. Set atop a six-storey basement the two towers rise 16 storeys into the Johannesburg sky. The project employed cutting edge glass technology that had not been used in South Africa before. North and south facades are wrapped in a patterned ‘skin’ of seemingly random planes of clear, dark grey and translucent glass. The east and west facades eliminate direct sunlight with sculptural hand-formed aluminium boxes set around deeply incised glass lines. These unique facades alter dynamically according to light and atmosphere changes due to their highly patterned and abstract surfaces. The towers hug a dramatic canyon-like atrium space connected by walkways arranged in a fan-like pattern below its generous skylights. Paragon Interface, the space planning and interior fit-out business in the Paragon Group, undertook the sophisticated interior fit-out of the towers. Use of low-energy glass, good orientation and functional detailing contribute to minimising energy usage, which are imperative goals amongst responsible developers and tenants. Commissioned and built entirely during the hardest economic recession that the world has seen, this building is a statement of faith in the future of Johannesburg and a measure of what can be achieved when well-integrated teams meet around singular challenges.