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| Telkom Joburg Tower (Hillbrow Tower) |
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| Hillbrow Tower (right) with Ponte Apartment building and the skyline of Hillbrow. | |
| Information | |
| Location | Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 26°11′13″S 28°2′57″E / 26.18694°S 28.04917°ECoordinates: 26°11′13″S 28°2′57″E / 26.18694°S 28.04917°E |
| Status | Complete |
| Groundbreaking | 1968[1] |
| Constructed | 1968-1971[1] |
| Opening | 1971[1] |
| Use | Radio tower |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 269 m (882 ft) |
| Top floor | 131 m (430 ft) |
| Companies | |
| Owner | Telkom (South Africa)[2] |
The Hillbrow Tower is a tall tower located in the suburb of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. Construction for the tower began in June 1968 and was completed three years later in April 1971. Construction cost Rand 2 million[1] (USD 330,000, though at the time around four million USD) and produced the 269 metre (882 feet) tower that stands today. The tower was initially known as the JG Strijdom Tower after JG Strijdom, the South African Prime Minister from 1954 to 1958. On May 31, 2005 it was renamed the Telkom Joburg Tower.[3]
The tower was constructed for what became Telkom, South Africa's largest telecommunications company. As the general height of buildings rose in the central business district, it was necessary that the new telephone tower had to stay above the general height of the tallest building.
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Tourist attraction
The Hillbrow Tower has been closed for visitors since 1981 for security reasons. However, before the closure, the tower was one of the largest tourist draws in Johannesburg. At the top of the tower, above 131 metres, there were six public floors. One of them housed a revolving restaurant named Heinrich's Restaurant. There was another, non-rotating restaurant known as the Grill Room.
There is another TV tower in Johannesburg, the Sentech Tower.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Davie, Lucille (2004-01-06). "Hillbrow Tower - symbol of Joburg". http://www.southafrica.info/travel/cities/hillbrowtower.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ "Telkom lights up Jozi's night skyline". Telkom. 2005-05-31. http://www.telkom.co.za/common/aboutus/mediacentre/pressrelease/articles/article_789.html. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ "Hillbrow Tower renamed". City of Johannesburg. http://joburgnews.co.za/2005/june/jun1_tower.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
External links
Media related to Radio towers in Johannesburg at Wikimedia Commons- Hillbrow Tower
- Hillbrow Tower in the Structurae database
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