BLUE PLAQUES

One of the first high-rise buildings in Johannesburg, “Astor” referred to an extremely wealthy American family whose fortune came from real estate in New York, thus linking it to the grand apartment buildings and skyscrapers of Manhattan. In 1932, with the name emblazoned on glass between the twin towers, the architects, Obel & Obel, were able to meet their brief to make it the tallest building in town.