Anstey’s Tower

Anstey's tower, which was completed in 1935, is situated at 59 Joubert Street (on the

corner of Jeppe Street) and stands 20 stories tall. It was designed by the firm Emley

and Williamson (Frank Emley and Frederick Williamson) which had become quite

prolific in Johannesburg having designed many other significant buildings throughout

the area.

Its design holds strong resemblances to the ziggurats of the ancient world, which

emphasise the building’s height and creates a sense of imposition on the surrounding

urban landscape. These similarities are seen in the stepped design of the tower which is

emphasised by the situation of the building on a corner. This contributes and

emphasises the effect of the stepped element of design as the steps are seen on two

axes. The curve of the base of the building softens its appearance at ground level and,

through contrast to the sharp edges of the steps above, further emphasises this

prominent design motif. This curvilinear base also contributes to setting the building in

context as it mirrors the curves of the Manners Mansion which is situated opposite and

which was built earlier that same decade.

The original vision of the building (as seen in the appendix****) created a sharp divide

between the curved motif with horizontal strips of windows as seen at the base and the

hard edges with vertical strips of windows above. This conveys a sense of a design with

two ideas which are not linked together. In the final design one can see that this division