Sentech Tower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sentech Tower is the name of a 234 metre high TV tower in the Brixton suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a well-known and easily identifiable landmark in the city, alongside its architectural cousin, the Hillbrow Tower.
[edit] History
Originally called the Brixton or Albert Hertzog Tower, building started in 1958 and was completed in 1962. Towards 2001, naming rights for the tower were sold to Sentech, one of South Africa's first wireless internet service providers. Up until 1982, an observation deck affording panoramic views of the city was open to the public, but was closed in due to rising fears of insurgent fighting by black South African political activists. The tower has not re-opened since.
[edit] Construction
In architectural terms, the building is a vertical cantilever structure, the shaft of which is made of reinforced concrete. On windy days, the tower has been known to lean up 2m, as measured from its uppermost mast.
