Spectacular Solar Trees

At first glance, the massive tree structures at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Bedfordview, Johannesburg appear as impressive works of art. But visit the centre at night, and these structures transform into awe-inspiring lights. Lifting Africa sought to uncover more about these solar trees and their journey to the shopping centre’s rooftop piazza.

Inspired by Baines’ Baobabs in Botswana’s Nxai Pan National Park, the solar trees at Eastgate are among the most iconic steel structures in South Africa. These structures evoke what a baobab tree might look like if crafted from steel.

For Andrew Kirkland, Director of Anchor Enginuity and the project’s main contractor, this work is a source of pride for him and his team. “Anchor is known as architectural steel specialists. When we heard of this project, we knew that this was exactly the type of work we wanted to do,” Kirkland said.

Moving these structures to the site posed significant challenges. According to Kirkland, the trees were divided into three main components for construction: the trunk, the arms, and the infill slices.

Steven Hasselbach, Eazi Access General Manager: Gauteng, who was contracted for the lifting work, explained that an in-depth site inspection was essential to fully understand the project’s scope and ensure the correct equipment was chosen. “For this project, moving structures was extremely sensitive, with safety being a crucial focus from multiple perspectives,” Hasselbach noted.

The Maeda MC305 mini crane was employed for this purpose. Specialising in confined spaces, it offers a compact form with high lifting capacity and low noise, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor work. This crane also enhances safety with four supportive outriggers.

For the complete article, refer to pages 32-33 in the Latest Lifting Africa Mar-Apr 2023 edition on Issuu.