Ponte City is a 54-storey cylindrical residential skyscraper, completed in 1975, that has become one of the most iconic images of Johannesburg. The hollow central shaft — visible from large parts of the city as a distinctive circular silhouette — was designed to bring light into the building's interior. From the outside, it is simply remarkable: a Brutalist monolith that dominates the Hillbrow skyline with absolute confidence.
The building was originally marketed as upmarket city living, but as Hillbrow declined through the 1980s and 1990s it became associated with crime, overcrowding, and urban decay. It has been partially renovated and is now inhabited again, but it remains in a rough neighbourhood. Viewing it from a car or Uber is easy — it is impossible to miss from the elevated freeways around it. Visits to the interior are possible as part of organised tours. The building has been extensively photographed and filmed; seeing it in person, it is every bit as striking as the pictures suggest.