The Emperor

The Sandton Emperor is an executive apartment scheme, situated in Morningside, barely 200m north of the Sandton CBD box. The site is a wide rectangle, orientated slightly west of north, creating the ideal situation and proportion for a long rectangular apartment block to enjoy excellent views and solar orientation. The classically-inspired building lends itself to the formally planned site, with arrival and parking to the south, and bold landscaped gardens including an open-air amphitheatre to the north of the apartments.

The Emperor consists of 101 apartments in eleven storeys over two levels of basement parking, with caretakers unit and staff units. Typical apartments range from 150–280m², and the twelve penthouses average 400m². The ground floor common area amenities include a gym, wellness centre, business centre, coffee shop and reception / concierge service, allowing residents to work, live, and socialise all in their own building. Biometric access systems provide security control.

Apartments are arranged two per core with a central lift serving units directly, allowing complete dual aspect throughout the building. Together with terraces, balconies, and generous glazing throughout the building, this ensures light and views to all units. Apartments are predominantly open-plan in nature contributing to the airy interior spaciousness.

The aesthetic language was developed in response to the client’s intent to create a prestigious icon that would nevertheless represent timeless appeal. A modern classicist approach to elevational design defines the architectural expression. The building is a largely symmetrical composition. The rhythm of columns and solid-void relationships enabled by scale-manipulating curtain walls, builds to a central focal crescendo marked by a generous entrance canopy and crowned by an impressive dome, echoed by two smaller cupolas on each end of the roofscape. Muted render, marble cladding, and gunmetal grey metalwork combine to create a sophisticated elegance.