Ansteys Building

Anstey's Building is an art deco building in the city of Johannesburg. The building took its name from the original owner of the building, Norman Anstey, founder of one of the best known department stores in the city (and mayor from 1913 to 1915). The Norman Anstey and Company department store was housed in the four-storey podium of the building, which features a curved facade to address the street corner.HistoryThis is the 3rd Anstey's building. The first was demolished, and the 2nd is still standing, directly across the road on the corner of Kerk and Joubert Streets.Anstey's Building was designed by architectural firm Emley & Williamson and was built in 1935, completed in 1937. It is situated in stand 118/9/20 on the corner of Joubert and Jeppe Streets in Johannesburg. Standing 20 storeys high, the building is one of Johannesburg’s landmark high-rise buildings from the Art Deco era.DesignThe building is designed in a dramatic ziggurat style, recessing the top from the street. The building consists of two stepped wings, set at right angles to each other, with corner flats featuring bay window balconies.The stepped, right angle design necessitated by the 59 degrees bylaw had resulted in the beautiful large terraces for which Anstey’s was well known, while the cylindrical glazed windows at the re-entrant level had provided interesting, unusual detail.Constructed in reinforced concrete, Anstey's Building features Crittal-Hope steel windows and doors. Decorative bronze and chrome grilles were fabricated by Frederick Sage & Co (SA) Ltd. The building was painted with ‘Snowcem’ paint in the early 1950s.The Anstey's department store featured large plate glass windows to the ground floor street frontage, and their window displays were renowned. Internally, the building was designed to have a minimal number of structural pillars so as to provide good views through the store. The interior featured high quality parquet flooring, traditional timber doors and timber detailing such as picture rails.