NAME: Armadillo
USE: Offices
FLOORS: Not yet confirmed

I will contact paragon again and request further details from them about this development. The last time they said that construction will start in May 2008.

http://www.paragon.co.za/img/prtflio/2Towers_Armidillo/images_lg/Armidillo%201.jpg

http://www.paragon.co.za/img/prtflio/2Towers_Armidillo/images_lg/Armidillo%202.jpg

http://www.paragon.co.za/img/prtflio/2Towers_Armidillo/images_lg/Armidillo%203.jpg

are u sure its a proper development and not a concept design to show their design style and ability? cos i could not see that being a office building, suited to a museum or something

i really love this one! hope they don't stick it in some closed off office park though! another Jozi icon me thinks

are u sure its a proper development and not a concept design to show their design style and ability? cos i could not see that being a office building, suited to a museum or something

As I have said before when I first found out about this, I phoned the guy from paragon and he told me that construction will start sometime in May. I also mentioned that fact that its a Call Center building and he said he will later send me further details.

looks awesome

CALL CENTRE??? lol u must be joking

Peehk up teh phoun!

Seriously though, I hope it's not just a concept!

I phoned's Henening's office yesterday and he's been out. Can someone please contact him on his cell. PM me to get his cellphone numbers.

Reply from Paragon by Henning Rasmuss

Is Armadillo still on the pipeline > YES THE ARMADILLO PROJECT IS IN THE PIPELINE FOR 2009. THE POTENTIAL TENANTS ARE STILL WEIGHING UP THEIR OPTIONS ABOUT THEIR NEXT LOCATION, WHICH IS BY NOW BOTH TRAFFIC IMPACT-DRIVEN AND ELECTRICTY AVAILABILITY-DRIVEN. THEIR LEASE DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL EARLY 2011 SO THIS IS IN THE PIPELINE FOR NOW.

This is actually the latest update from Paragon.

Dear Pule,

To update you on the 'Armadillo': it is a Call Centre project located in Johannesburg in the Urban Development Zone (UDZ) - near the Inner City.

The height of the building is aboput eight to ten floors - the composition is quite flexible and the model can be adapted for buildings from 8.000 to 28.000 square metres with the same benefits and working circulation models. The pictures you have are of a building of about 15.000 square metres.

The idea is that this building deals specifically with the felxibilit and high staff churn rates needed / experienced in the Call Centre industry. The building's facade is designed as a strongly sculptural object, to counter the almost complete absence of windows in the working areas.

The working areas are designed to minimise glare on screens, and the staff wellness / chill areas are designed with maximum light and views to give people a break from the working environment.

I hope this helps you.

It would be great if you could profile this on the skyscrapercity.com website as a positive jo'burg thing. as I have a emailed you before, we have profiled Johannesburg as a World City at varous international exhibitions, using our own funds, since 2000. see www.sharpcity.co.za

I look forward to hearing from you again.

regards,

Henning Rasmuss
Paragon Architects

Well done Pule! And three cheers to Paragon/Sharp City :)

well its located in milpark near the garden court so is it really part of the innercity??

I can't get over it. It's so bold and beautiful.

AWSOME PULE! so glad that its going to be close to the CBD. hell yeah!

Awesome news, good fishing Pule!

I wonder where in Milpark it'll be? Hoping it's close to 44 Stanley as it will bring more life to the area. And as hsark says, it's not in the inner city, but I guess it's close enough. It could so easily have been stuck in Sunninghill.

I really hope they build this one

so whats the deal here guys?

Will have to check with the architect,

I hope it isn't scrapped, as I love this one.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if it is canned.

I got an email today from Mr Henning Erasmuss from Paragon to check the update on theier website but onfortunately some pics are not showing but according to his email we are about to see some interesting projects in the near futures.


This is the updated information on Armadillo.


'THE ARMADILLO': Call Centre project, Johannesburg: 2006Known in our office as 'The Armadillo', this project for an insurance company's Call Centre is intended for construction from late 2009 / early 2010 on an inner-city brownfield site. The design is generated from first principles, based on knowledge gained from working on the call centre components of the head office for Discovery Health in Sandton Central.

The form of the Armadillo is generated from the extreme flexibility of floor plate configurations required by Call Centre operators. With constant churn and rapidly changing teams and business needs, a building with repetitive and geometrically limited floor plates would never by fully suited to the speed of change.

The egg-shaped 'pods' offer a vast variety of space planning configurations, based around two central cores. The pods could be adjusted prior to construction to any configuration between about 12.000 and 42.000 sqm, without deviating from the essential concept. The pods are linked by 'bridges' containing social spaces, wellness areas, and shared support facilities. Both pods are placed in reflective water ponds, with staff canteens spilling out into islands at the base of the building.