6 Parks Boulevard, for Intaprop, formed part of the first phase of the new Oxford Parks precinct in Johannesburg. Our brief was to design a striking headquarters building within the new commercial development. At just three storeys, and with only a portion of the façade facing Oxford Road, the design needed to be unique and eye-catching to make an impression on passing foot and vehicle traffic. Arup, a multidisciplinary planning, design and advisory consultancy, was the primary tenant at completion, occupying the 1 300m² office space.
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Our solution was to establish a distinctive façade of fritted glass featuring a pattern of trees inspired by Johannesburg’s urban forest, reflecting Arup’s focus on sustainable development. We applied a specific focus on the contrast between light and dark frames surrounding the glazed area, creating interest and maintaining focus and energy on the façade.
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The Oxford Parks urban design framework emerged from our 2015 project to develop the Dunkeld Design Manual. This was conceived to extend the vibrant, pedestrian environment of Rosebank along the Oxford Road corridor and link it to the emerging retail and office node of Illovo. We have also completed two other buildings in the precinct – Radisson RED and 203 Oxford, and another, One Rosebank, will be completed in 2025. We also created the entire basement and podium to prioritise a pedestrian friendly precinct environment at Oxford Parks.
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Sean Gibson - Photographer