Portside is a 139-meter tall, green-rated skyscraper in Cape Town that serves as the headquarters for FirstRand Bank and other divisions. It consists of 57,000 square meters of office space spread across 34 floors, and cost a total of R1.6 billion to develop. The building was designed to be environmentally friendly and sustainable, with features like energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning, rainwater recycling, and space for electric vehicles and bicycles. It has been praised by architects as an iconic landmark that engages with the public while providing a superior work environment.

1. FNB gives the media an
exclusive tour of
Portside
in Cape Town.
Fin24’s Matthew le Cordeur
takes the tour
August 2014

2. Tallest
“green”
building
in Africa
Tallest
building in
Cape Town

3. Portside is the Provincial head
office in the Western Cape,
accommodating all the divisions
of FirstRand Bank (FNB, RMB,
Wesbank and Ashburton), while
the Old Mutual section is
available to lease.
Total investment by FirstRand
into the project was R800m
(R1.6bn between FirstRand and
Old Mutual)
The Portside project offers
57 000m² of office space and
1444 parking bays.
It is 139 metres high
R1.6bn
invested
into
building

4. The Portside architectural vision was to create a landmark green star-rated
skyscraper for two major corporate institutions, FirstRand Bank
and Old Mutual, on a prominent site in the emerging financial district
at the north-west corner of the CBD in Cape Town.
The co-development vision is underpinned by commitment
to sustainable and responsible development.

5. The top of Portside building has been designed for functions and entertainment
with 360 degree views of Cape Town, including this one of the Bo Kaap.

6. More views on the 8th floor outside the canteen, which feels more like a cafe.
The Portside building accommodates 1 100 staff.

7. FirstRand has a strong presence in the Western Cape: it employs 2500 people in
the province, has 94 retail branches and 900 ATM’s.
This is the main
reception room,
where FNB will
host lunchtime
concerts and art
exhibitions.

8. • Portside is situated at a key nodal & arterial intersection
• New office and retail space of 27 000 square metres for FirstRand
• The building has 34 floors including the basement & podium parking.
• Situated on the main MyCiTi bus route for easy access
• Located within the Urban Development Zone that was created to
attract investors
• 44 professional firms worked on the project
• Total construction period was 2.5 years
• 3000 jobs were created during the construction period

9. There are
“decompression”
rooms like this
library on many
of the floors.

10. Derick Henstra from dhk architects describes Portside as a "timeless 21st century
building - a modern classic". He told Property24 that the City of Cape Town is set within an
extraordinary landscape and Portside was designed to become a landmark while being
considerate to its immediate surroundings. "It engages with the public realm at a
human scale and provides a superior working environment for its occupants,” says Henstra.
To say it is a truly "spectacular" building is not an understatement and for those who work
there, it must surely lift their spirits every day as they take in the wraparound views,
which are some of the best the Mother City has to offer.

11. The games
room and wine
room make for
quality time, where
guests can taste
wine or play
pool.

12. Green features of Portside
- The first 5 Star Green Star SA rated high rise building in Africa
(there are other lower 5/6 star buildings)
Grey
water
recycling
- 227 bicycle spaces are provided for staff and visitors, with a clear cycle route. Change
rooms with showers (21) and 170 lockers have been provided for people cycling to work –
There are also community bicycle racks provided on the pavement at street level
- 70 parking spaces are dedicated for the use of hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles and there
are 70 motorcycle bays.
- 16 parking bays are equipped with electric
car chargers and a further 26 wired for
future electric car chargers.
-Double glazed windows for light and
reduction in heat load
- Motion sensors for all lights and air-conditioning
- Energy centre at podium level
with a second at roof level

13. Portside is clad with a fully glazed curtain wall facade, which typifies the nature of
the building as an AAA grade office environment as well as a corporate head office.

14. Daylight harvesting was maximised
as far as possible. The lighting
system consists of low energy LED
luminaries and has both light and
movement sensors resulting in an
anticipated overall energy saving of
between 20% - 30% compared with
a normal building.

15. Ventilation
Portside incorporates an energy efficient air-conditioning system making
full use of outside air when the ambient conditions are compatible.
Water use, reduction and waste water technology
Low flow water fittings were installed throughout the building and rain
that falls on the building footprint will be captured, filtered and reused
for toilet flushing.
Waste management
Adequate storage space is
provided for recycling of waste
generated by the building
operations. In addition, during
construction, significant focus
was on recycling up to -70% of
the construction
generated waste.

16. The Portside
project
observes best
practice in
terms of
sustainability,
visual impact,
public space,
green building
principles and
climatic
control,
easy access,
security
and social
responsibility.
Focus was on the specification of materials that have a high recycled
content, and low detrimental health effect on building users.

17. Future Considerations:
- The building is future proof and will cater for FirstRand’s needs for the next 30+ years
- The building is in line with the future growth and directional development of the city
- It is iconic and compliments the Cape Town skyline
View
from the
gym

18. The gym
Disassembly: The façade has been designed for total disassembly with each component of the
unitised facade panels marked in accordance with a disassembly plan, which identifies
the sequence of removing each panel for later reuse on another building or recycling.
This is also understood to be a first for a tall building in South Africa.

19. The benefits created go beyond the site - the new Portside tower is not only a key addition
to the emerging financial precinct, but is also intended to generate economic stimulus and
provide a significant, sustainable and attractive addition to Cape Town’s dramatic skyline
from an urban, architectural and visual point of view.

20. The end.