The newest addition to the skyline of the West Rand of Johannesburg is the long awaited office development that houses WesBank and FNB HomeLoans. On a hillside and highly visible from the N1 highway, the Fairland office development represents a fundamental shift in the stereotypical image associated with banks.

The design concept was composed by Continuum Architects and was underpinned by a six part story. The exterior evokes the earthy colours of Africa through green glazing and earthy exterior paint finishes. Vertical sunscreens adorned with potato prints are a prominent feature along the eight facades of the building in grey, green, yellow and red.

The development comprises a three-storey structure with canted concrete columns, supporting corner pod office units and sweeping elliptical features. The pods at the outer corners of each building are placed at a 6 degree pitch with triple volume glazing carefully fitted between the columns.

The building can accommodate over 5,000 people. A shared facility with a footprint of 3,000 m² is situated between the two office buildings. It houses a clinic, facilities management offices, security offices, canteen, two kitchens with the capacity to produce 2,000 lunches each day, training facilities and a 600-seater multi-function conference centre.

The entire building is perched on top of two super basements that can accommodate 1,600 cars, with an additional 1,250 on-surface bays. The two-level basement contains vast storage facilities, a gymnasium, computer and electrical rooms and back-of-house facilities for the kitchens and pause areas. The third basement level accommodates the centralised and shared HVAC room.