Ponte City, in the heart of Johannesburg, is easily the city’s most notorious building. The hollow cylindrical structure was first opened in 1975, as luxury apartments for white residents, and remains the tallest residential building in Africa.
By the 1990’s, however, the tower had become the poster child of urban decay as the apartments were overrun with drug dealers and gangs. It also gained a nasty reputation for the number of people choosing to end their lives by hurling themselves off the tower.
Today, Ponte is the focus of an urban regeneration plan, seeing more middle class families and young professionals choosing to live in the tower.
Vocativ recently visited the tower and shared this video:
For a more in-depth documentary on Ponte City check out Africa Shafted.