Home › History › Building facts
Building facts
Carlton Centre Building
How tall is Carlton Centre, and how many floors does it have? Here are the verified facts about the 223-metre, 50-storey tower in the Johannesburg CBD: its height, design, construction, lifts and where it ranks today.
At a glance: 223 m tall (222.5 m) · 50 floors · designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with Rhodes-Harrison Hoffe & Partners · built 1967–1974 · opened 1 September 1973 · Africa’s tallest building 1973–2019 · now South Africa’s second tallest
Historical overview
Carlton Centre was conceived in the 1960s as a showpiece mixed-use complex for Johannesburg’s CBD, developed by Anglo American with South African Breweries. The New York firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed it with local architects Rhodes-Harrison Hoffe & Partners. Its 50-storey office tower rose above a hotel, a shopping podium and a large parkade, and for 46 years it was the tallest building in Africa.
Key dates and facts
- Height: 223 metres (732 ft), with an unrounded figure of 222.5 m in some databases.
- Floors: 50 storeys above ground. The 50th floor housed the Top of Africa observation deck.
- Construction: started 1967, officially opened 1 September 1973, complex completed 1974.
- Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with W. Rhodes-Harrison, Hoffe & Partners.
- Main contractor: Murray & Roberts Construction, according to Wikipedia.
- Lifts: 23, according to Wikipedia. In 2013 a lift took about 45 seconds to reach the top floor.
- Structure: poured-in-place reinforced concrete with a sandblasted grey granite finish.
- Foundations: taken down to bedrock, about 35 m below street level, according to Wikipedia.
- Cost: over R88 million for the complex at the time, according to Wikipedia.
- Parking: the original complex included a parkade for about 2,000 cars.
- Owner: Transnet, since buying it from Anglo American in 1999.
Floor-area figures vary widely between sources (for example 68,055 m² or 75,355 m² for the tower), so we don’t quote a single number.
Design, use or role
The design combined a slender concrete office tower with a hotel (the Carlton Hotel), a shopping podium originally planned for about 160 shops, exhibition space and a multi-level parkade. The tower later served as Transnet’s head office. Today the shopping centre is the busiest part of the complex; see Carlton Centre shops and Carlton Centre restaurants.
Why is Carlton Centre called a skyscraper?
There is no official height threshold for the word “skyscraper”. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) says a building of 14 or more storeys, or over 50 metres, can typically be considered a tall building. It calls buildings of 300 m or more “supertall”. At 223 m and 50 storeys, Carlton Centre is clearly a tall building, commonly called a skyscraper, but it is not supertall.
What changed over time
- 1973–2019: Africa’s tallest building for 46 years, and briefly the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere after completion.
- 1997–1998: the Carlton Hotel closed. See Carlton Centre hotel history.
- 1999: Transnet bought the complex from Anglo American.
- 2016–2017: the Sky Rink ice rink on the parkade was converted into Sky Rink Studios, a TV production facility.
- 2018: Transnet staff moved out of the tower to Midrand.
- April 2019: The Leonardo in Sandton (234 m) overtook it as Africa’s tallest building.
- March 2020: the Top of Africa deck was reported closed.
- 24 August 2026: Transnet put Carlton Centre up for sale.
What remains today
The tower still stands as South Africa’s second-tallest building, after The Leonardo (234 m) and ahead of Ponte City (173 m). Newer towers in Egypt, Algeria and Morocco have pushed it to about sixth tallest in Africa, depending on the list you use. The shopping centre below still trades, while much of the office space is reported to be empty. The Top of Africa deck is reported closed.
Want to see it? Use directions to Carlton Centre and browse Carlton Centre photos.
Sources and FAQs
Sources: Wikipedia (Carlton Centre; tallest buildings in Africa and South Africa), Artefacts.co.za, VISI Magazine (2023), SAnews (2013), SAHO (2020), CTBUH Height Criteria, BusinessDay and BusinessTech (2026).
What is the history of Carlton Centre Building?
Carlton Centre was built between 1967 and 1974 to a design by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, opened on 1 September 1973, and was Africa’s tallest building until 2019. Transnet has owned it since 1999.
When did this part of Carlton Centre operate?
The complex has operated since 1973. The shopping centre still trades, the Carlton Hotel closed in 1997–1998, and the Top of Africa deck has been reported closed since 2020.
What happened to it?
The tower still stands and the mall still trades. Transnet put the centre up for sale in August 2026.
How many floors does Carlton Centre have?
Carlton Centre has 50 floors above ground.
How tall is Carlton Centre?
Carlton Centre is 223 metres (732 ft) tall.
Is Carlton Centre the tallest building in Africa?
Not any more. It held the title from 1973 until 2019, when The Leonardo in Sandton overtook it. It is now South Africa’s second-tallest building.
Last checked: 13 September 2026. CarltonCentre.co.za is an independent visitor guide. It is not operated by, or affiliated with, Transnet, Transnet Property, Carlton Centre management or the brands listed. Details were checked against the sources named on each page on 13 September 2026; confirm time-sensitive details with the store or organisation before you travel.