The Carlton Centre is the tallest building in Africa. It was the tallest building in the southern hemisphere when originally completed. It has 50 floors, and is 223m tall, about 3m short of featuring in the world’s top 100 skyscrapers. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the bedrock, 30m below street level. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46% of the floor area below ground level.

Excavations for the Carlton Centre were started in January 1967, and took two years to complete. Although occupation of the Centre began in 1971, it was not until 1974 that most of the construction was completed - at a cost of over R88 million. It is possible to take a lift to the 50th floor, where there is a very good observation deck. The idea for the Carlton Centre, comprising the 50-storey office tower with its subterranean retailing and parking areas, and 30-storey hotel, was presented by Hoffe and Ted Sceales, then managing director of South African Breweries, to Anglo American Chairman Harry Oppenheimer, in 1962. “The scale was something never attempted before,” says Hoffe. “We needed to close off four streets, buy up and demolish all the buildings, but we had to buy out all the leases too. Some of those little shops had leases for 10 years”.

On the 50th floor, now known as the Top of Africa, handfuls of tourists admire what is still the most astonishing panorama in Gauteng. Despite the unfortunate political timing of its creation, the Carlton has become the dynamic melting pot it was always intended to be. For the people working, eating and meeting there, and those just there for the view, it is an extraordinary place. Currently the retail centre has a good tenant mix which includes national tenants like Pick ’n Pay, Lifestyle Living, Juta Bookstores, Reliable Music Warehouse, Clicks, Foschini, Bears, Furniture City CNA, SARS and many more.The retail centre is also a proud location of the four major banks namely ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank. The Carlton Centre has 2,200 secure parking bays.

Access ramps to the parking levels lead off Main, Marshall and Kruis Streets.