1 Thibault Square
1 Thibault Square is located in Cape Town
1 Thibault Square
Location in central Cape Town
General information
TypeCommercial
Architectural styleModernist
Address1 Thibault Square, Long & Hans Strydom Street
Town or cityCape Town
CountrySouth Africa
Coordinates33°55′08″S 18°25′24″E / 33.91889°S 18.42333°E / -33.91889; 18.42333
Construction started1969[1]
Completed1972
OwnerZenprop
Height
Roof126.5 meters[1]
Technical details
Floor count35,[2] 32 above ground[1]
Floor areaover 36,000 m/sq[2]
Lifts/elevators12[1]
Design and construction
Architecture firmFox Revel and Partners[3][4]
Structural engineerOve Arup & Partners[3]
Main contractorMurray and Roberts

1 Thibault Square, formally known as the LG Building and originally known as the "BP Centre", is a 126.5-metre (415 ft) modernist skyscraper on the European-style Thibault Square at the end of St George's Mall, Cape Town, South Africa.[2][5][6]

Work on the building began in 1969 and was completed in 1972. As of 2019 it is the second tallest building in Cape Town. The 34-degree diagonal twist, which puts it on a north–south axis, reduces sun loads on the façades, thereby reducing pressure on the air-conditioning system. To further shield the façades, a pre-cast screen is mounted on every floor, allowing good air flow and cutting off direct sun rays. This unique orientation also means that all the offices have views of either the mountain or the harbour, and that none stare straight into the façades of the surrounding buildings.[7]

At 11:55pm in October 1989 a bomb exploded outside the building causing no casualties or injuries.[8][9]

In 2006 the building was sold along with two other office buildings in Cape Town for R300 million and was at the time the largest Grade A commercial property in the city.[4]

Flanked by John Skotness' Mythological Landscape steel-and-bronze sculpture, the piazza below is a popular public space for office workers and visitors to the city. The building provides a focal point for Thibault Square.[1]

In 2008 the building was acknowledged in a national survey by the South African Institute of Architects to be one of the country's "good buildings".[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "1 Thibault Square, Cape Town". Emporis. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "R25 million facelift for 1 Thibault Square". South Africa Property News. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b "1 Thibault Square". The Skyscraper Center. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Powell, Anél (8 November 2006). "Cape Town landmarks sold in 'largest' deal". Cape Times. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. ^ Zen Property Holdings. "Case Study – 1 Thibault Square, CT" (PDF). City of Cape Town. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Thibault Square". Cape Town Partnership. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Refurbished 1 Thibault Square fetches high rental renewals". Eprop. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  8. ^ KNEEN DON HOLUDA, DALE; MORE, GRAEME L (October 1989). "Woman Clue" (PDF). The Argus.
  9. ^ "BP in SA in the final decade of apartheid - OPINION | Politicsweb". www.politicsweb.co.za. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
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