Deryl Jan creates a tower of light for PwC
Over the past few years, commuters between Johannesburg and Pretoria have been witness to one of the most ambitious infrastructure development projects ever to be undertaken in South Africa. Situated between the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane, Waterfall City spans some 2,200 hectares and is home to the largest mixed-use property development ever to be undertaken as a cohesive project in the country.
The newly built Waterfall City has been thoughtfully designed to facilitate optimal modern living and features a mix of commercial, retail and residential spaces, all of which are connected through a world-class fibre-optic network. The 1,88-million square meters that have been earmarked for commercial development will accommodate a number of commercial parks, warehouses and headquarters for some of the country’s largest corporate entities. In addition, the city is home to the Mall of Africa, the largest single-phase retail centre to be built on the continent, and is set to become a key residential area for thousands of South Africans over the next few years.
At the heart of Waterfall City stands the newly erected headquarters for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a majestic 26-story high-rise building that will likely become as intrinsically linked with the identity of Waterfall City as the Nelson Mandela Bridge is to the Johannesburg CBD. Owned by Attacq, developed by Atterbury and constructed by WBHO, the PwC Tower comprises 40,000m2 of modern office space, created to house 3500 employees in an efficient and optimally designed workplace.
The PwC Tower has been designed by LYT Architecture and features a dramatic twist that stretches throughout its’ height to create a truly breath-taking façade. According to developers, the PwC Tower is currently the tallest structure on the corridor between Sandton and the Tshwane CBD and is visible from every point within a 30km radius. As such, the manner in which the façade of the building is lit will have a far-reaching and dramatic effect on the surrounding areas.
Atterburry contracted noted South African lighting designer, Deryl Jan of PPA Lightco to deliver the external lighting to bring this phenomenal engineering feat to life. Jan is no stranger to the Waterfall City precinct, having developed the lighting design for the Mall of Africa in 2016. To achieve his ambitious design for the retail centre, Jan turned to leading South African distributor DWR Distribution for support.
Jan specified Anolis LED fixtures for the Mall of Africa, sighting the unit’s excellent quality, proven reliability as well as the manufacturer’s willingness to deliver outstanding after sales support as reasons for this decision. The successful collaboration between PPA Lightco, DWR and Robe’s architectural lighting division resulted in 900 Anolis ArcLine Optic fixtures being installed at the mall.
In addition to the interior lighting, Jan provided a lighting design for the public park that lies adjacent to the mall, and at the foot of the PwC Tower, known as the City Park. To maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the precinct, Atterbury called on PPA Lightco to design an external lighting scheme for the PwC Tower, and Jan once again turned to DWR and Anolis to execute his design for PwC.
