Ponte City in Johannesburg is the southern hemisphere’s tallest residential building. Measuring 173 meters, Ponte is located in Hillbrow – a notorious crime-ridden part of downtown Central Business District. Built in 1976, it was developed as a spectacular, high-class living location. The fairly simple round outside face of the building hides a unique and surreal architectural feature which can only be seen from the inside – a gigantic cylindrical shaft piercing the building’s 54 floors.
During the 1980s and 90s, time of the Apartheid collapse, and the subsequent demise of the CBD, both Ponte and its surrounding areas became exceptionally dangerous places, run by hardened criminals and ruthless drug dealers. Today, the spirit of change is in the air once again for Ponte City, as it tries to overcome the haunting past and challenging present. With improvements in services and security introduced by current building managers, Ponte is battling the odds and the limitations of its neighborhood.