Sentech Tower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sentech Tower is a 237 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, construction started in 1961 and was completed in 1962. The Tower was designed by Ove, Arup and Partners and built by Christiani and Nielsen SA. The tower is built to withstand winds of 186 Km/h and gusts uf up to 200km/h.The tower is 772 feet or 237 meters high. The first transmission took place 22 December 1961. Presently Sentech broadccast 18 FM programs and 7 TV stations. Backup power to the tower is 1MW using two 500kVa Volvo Generators. Towards 2001, naming rights for the tower were sold to Sentech, one of South Africa's first wireless internetservice providers. Up until 1982, an observation deck affording panoramic views of the city was open to the public, but was closed due to rising fears of insurgent fighting by South African anti-Apartheid activists. The tower viewing deck has not re-opened to the public since then.
[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. The foundation is 26m in diameter, 6 meters wide and 2 meter deep.
[edit] External links
- Sentech Tower in the Structurae database
- Johannesburg Landmarks
