The Sentech Tower, previously named the Albert Hertzog Tower and commonly known as the Brixton Tower,
is a
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
television tower
Radio masts and towers are typically tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two main types: guyed and self-supporting structures. They are among the tallest human-made ...
in the
Brixton suburb of
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
, South Africa, near the top of the Brixton Ridge.
It is a well-known and easily identifiable landmark in the city, alongside its "architectural cousin", the
Hillbrow Tower
The Hillbrow Tower (formerly JG Strijdom Tower) is a tall tower located in the suburb of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it has been the tallest structure and tower in Africa for 50 years, and it was also the tallest structure in t ...
.
Although always intended for both radio and television transmission, it carried only FM radio transmissions until the 1970s.
History
The tower's construction commenced in 1961, and was completed in 1962. The tower was designed by
Ove Arup and Partners
Arup (officially Arup Group Limited) is a British multinational professional services firm headquartered in London which provides design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services across every aspect of the built environment ...
and built by Christiani and Nielsen SA. Upon completion, the Brixton Tower was the tallest man-made structure in Africa in its time until it was overtaken by the
Hillbrow Tower
The Hillbrow Tower (formerly JG Strijdom Tower) is a tall tower located in the suburb of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it has been the tallest structure and tower in Africa for 50 years, and it was also the tallest structure in t ...
.
It cost R300,000 to construct.
The first transmission took place 22 December 1961. Presently, Sentech broadcasts 18 FM programmes and seven TV stations. Backup power to the tower is 1 MW using two 500 kVA Volvo generators. Towards 2001, naming rights for the tower were sold to
Sentech
Sentech is the signal distributor for the South African broadcasting sector.
Background
Sentech began operations in 1992 as the signal distributor of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Sentech's mandate also included providi ...
, the TV and radio signal distributor in South Africa that is owned by the South African Government. Up until 1982, an observation deck affording panoramic views of the city was open to the public, but was closed due to security fears. The tower viewing deck has not re-opened to the public since then.
Construction and structure
In architectural terms, the Sentech Tower is a vertical
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
structure with a
reinforced concrete shaft. On windy days, the tower has been known to lean up to , as measured from its uppermost mast. In addition, the tower was built to withstand winds of and gusts of up to . The tower's foundation is circular, possessing a diameter of , and it is wide and deep.
The tower's full height is , although some sources state that it has a lesser height of .
Geography
The Sentech Tower is situated in the
suburb of
Brixton, in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
,
Gauteng
Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'.
Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...
, South Africa.
See also
*
Hillbrow Tower
The Hillbrow Tower (formerly JG Strijdom Tower) is a tall tower located in the suburb of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it has been the tallest structure and tower in Africa for 50 years, and it was also the tallest structure in t ...
*
Brixton
*
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
*
List of tallest towers in the world
Several extant building fulfill the engineering definition of a tower: "a tall human structure, always taller than it is wide, for public or regular operational access by humans, but not for living in or office work, and are ''self-supporting' ...
References
External links
*
Johannesburg LandmarksSentech Tower {{! Buildings , EMPORISSentech Tower - South Africa :: Plak.co
Buildings and structures in Johannesburg
Towers completed in 1962
Towers in South Africa