Ponte City: One of the most luxurious skyscrapers in the world experienced a sad fate – life

When it was built, Ponte City was the concept of luxury and prestige. With its cylindrical shape, he immediately became a distinctive point on the Johannesburg horizon, and the neon inscription at the top of the building is the largest on the southern hemisphere, writes Punkufer.hr.

Ponte City – « City in the city »

Ponte City, skyscraper Designed as a « city in the city, » Manny Feldman, Manfred Hermer and Gender Comeopp, which is credited with his unusual form. Namely, it was the answer to the then housing policy of the city that applied to the kitchen and bathrooms in the apartments in new construction – they have windows.

The building hides the hollow center called « core », which is actually a huge skylight. But from a desirable location for life with good apartments, panoramic city and surroundings, parking, shops and other facilities within the building, Ponte City soon became a ghetto 173 meters high.

From a preferred location for life to get

The building was taken by gangs, life in it became extremely unsafe, and since communal services were bad – « core » quickly became a huge trash can. The stench was unbearable, and in addition to removing waste, the center was convenient and that gangs free some corpses. Trash arrived up to 14th floor.

At the beginning of 2000, Ponte City changed the owner, so the building was renovated several years ago and loudly and obviously successfully advertised as « new » and « safe », and now it is for sale again.

Ponte City entered culture and art through photography, several documentaries and literary works, and is probably the most famous in popular fans of films « District 9 » and « Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ».