Cape Town’s tallest skyscraper

Cape Town’s tallest skyscraper, Portside, achieves green rating

Recently completed, the Mother City’s tallest skyscraper is first to get green rating, but still only ranks as 6th tallest building in South Africa

Cape Town’s tallest skyscraper

Glittering in the sun, the 139-meter Portside is Cape Town’s tallest skyscraper and has recently been completed, achieving a 5 Star Green Star SA rating. Portside is the first tall building certified with a green rating. Compared to South Africa, it only ranks 6th – with the 223-meter Carlton Centre Office Tower in Johannesburg taking top place.

Compared to London’s skyscrapers

London’s tallest skyscraper, The Shard, is 306 meters and almost twice as high as Portside. A skyscraper is defined as any building taller than 100 meters – and UK’s capital city is heading for the top. London boasts 202 completed skyscrapers, while Cape Town falls behind with only 9.

Green features

Portside is the first skyscraper in South Africa to be awarded with the Green Star SA rating, similar to the United Kingdom’s BREEAM or LEED ratings for buildings. It is the first commercial building in South Africa to be entirely lit by LED lighting, electric car charging points are provided, has ample bicycle racks and changing rooms. It sits against the spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain and the city, its glass façade animated by the changing light and surrounding cityscape.

Both buildings feature a glass façade. However, Portside’s façade has been designed for total disassembly for later reuse or recycling as part of its green initiative, also understood to be a first for a tall building in South Africa.

Portside was designed as a benchmark of integrated sustainability and to raise the standards of design, indoor environmental quality as well the reduction of energy, potable water consumption, storm water run-off, waste production and negative emissions.

Statistics

The 32-floor development towers over the panoramic views and the Atlantic Ocean. The gross construction area is 114,547 meter square.

As a joint development between FirstRand Bank and Old Mutual situated in the emerging financial district of Cape Town’s CBD, it houses a vibrant mix of cafes and restaurants have occupied the ground floor of the building along with a new FNB branch, revitalising the street life in this rapidly evolving part of the city.

Portside: dhk architects/ Wieland Gleich