From its time the biggest hole in Johannesburg was dug. That’s how the story of Eskom Centre began. Today, we stand before this office tower in the Central Business District of Johannesburg. But its story stretches back to a time when power itself was transforming South Africa.
Eskom Centre was completed in 1958. It quickly became a symbol of progress. The building was the headquarters of Eskom. Eskom provided about 95% of South Africa’s electricity. Also Eskom provided approximately 45% of the electricity used in Africa.
Before this building, there was Escom House. That building had been built in 1937. But as Eskom expanded, it needed more space. The location of Eskom Centre is in Braamfontein. It sits on a block surrounded by Smit, Harrison, Loveday and Wolmarans Streets.
Imagine this area back then. It was the site of an old dairy and some homes. Eskom purchased the land for R522,441. Construction of Eskom Centre cost R3,709,241. The architects R C Rinaldi & Partners.
The construction took twenty-seven months. When finished, the building had 17 floors. Eskom Centre reached a height of 61.24 metres. It also had an underground area 13.6 metres below ground.
When Eskom Centre was finished, it became the tallest building in Johannesburg. People could see it from far away. One area, now called Kensington B, only had a view of this building. One staff member called Braamfontein “the wilderness.”
In the middle of the sixties, Eskom had outgrown Eskom Centre. Staff were spread out to other buildings. The company decided to buy land north of Sandton. This was for a future headquarters site.
The transfer to Eskom Centre was completed in October or November 1958. One official said, “If moving a single organization two miles entails so much fuss and bother, he fully understood why the Israelities stayed in the desert for forty years.”
The planners hoped Eskom Centre would be enough “for a long time to come”. But South Africa’s economy grew rapidly. This put pressure on Eskom. The need for more power led to more buildings. Eskom head office staff was distributed over twelve different buildings.
Computers also changed things. They needed space and people to operate them. Eskom Centre had outgrown itself again. In the middle sixties the Sandton site, named Megawatt Park was acquired. Eventually, Eskom relocated to Sandton in the mid-1980s.
Even though Eskom is no longer here, Eskom Centre remains. It stands as a reminder of Johannesburg’s growth. It reminds us of Eskom’s role in powering a nation.