Rand Water Board Building, Neo-Classical administrative building in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Rand Water Board Building is a four-story neo-classical administrative structure in downtown Johannesburg with granite and marble facades. The detailed stonework and proportions create a formal appearance typical of institutional architecture from that era.
The Rand Water Board, founded in 1903, moved from rented rooms to its own offices on Commissioner Street in 1925. After selling that building in 1939, it erected this Fraser Street headquarters, where work began in 1940 and finished two years later at a cost of £166,785. The building was extended in 1965 with an additional floor.
The building represents how Johannesburg grew and invested in essential services like water management during the 20th century. Its presence in the city center shows the role these institutions played in the city's development.
The building sits on Fraser Street in central Johannesburg and is easily accessible by public transport and on foot. As a heritage-protected structure, viewing is best done from street level to appreciate its architectural features.
In 1983 the board built a pedestrian bridge linking the Fraser Street building to the neighbouring Sanlam Building on stand 4779, because several heads of its head offices were then housed there. It was the last expansion step before the headquarters moved to Rietvlei.
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