Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building
| alternate_names = Attorney General's Chambers Building
| status = complete
| image =
| image_alt =
| image_size =
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| map_type = Botswana
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location within Botswana
| altitude =
| building_type = Office building
| architectural_style = Futurism
| structural_system = Curtain wall, made of concrete
| cost = 42 million United States dollars
| ren_cost =
| client =
| owner = Botswana government
| current_tenants = Botswana Department of Taxes, Attorney General's Chambers
| landlord =
| location = Nelson Mandela Drive, Gaborone, Botswana
| coordinates = {{coord|-24.654998|25.908561|type:landmark_region:BW-SE|format=dms|display=title}}
| groundbreaking_date =
| start_date = {{Start date|1999}}
| completion_date = {{End date|2007}}{{efn|Sources give differing completion dates. The {{harvtxt|Fitzwilliam|2012}} page says the building was completed in March 2002 while the {{harvtxt|Sunday Standard|2007}} article shows that the building was still under construction in 2007.}}
| opened_date =
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| height = {{convert|176.77|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| architectural =
| tip =
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| roof =
| top_floor =
| observatory =
| other_dimensions =
| floor_count = 15
| floor_area = {{convert|38000|m2|sqft}}
| seating_type =
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| architect =
| architecture_firm = Pramod Patel Architects
| other_designers = The Fitzwilliam Partnership Botswana
| references = {{sfn|Emporis1}}{{sfn|Denbow|Thebe|2006|p=99}}{{sfn|Fitzwilliam|2012}}
}}
The Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building (sometimes shortened to Attorney General's Chambers Building) is currently the tallest building in Botswana{{sfn|SkyscraperPage.com}} and one of the most expensive buildings built in Africa.{{sfn|Emporis2}} The building, located in the Government Enclave on Nelson Mandela Drive in Gaborone, is home to the Botswana Department of Taxes and the Attorney General's Chambers.
History
Miscommunication and financial mismanagement caused construction of the building to grossly exceed both the deadline and budget. The part of the building originally for the Attorney General's Chambers was assigned to three other departments (i.e. the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications; and the Department of Architecture and Building Services) before being assigned to the Attorney General once again. Lesego Motsumi, Minister of Works and Transport, reported that "the project had a time delay of 544 days which resulted in an additional cost of P11,734,464.27" (US$1.9 million in July 2007).{{sfn|Sunday Standard|2007}}
Architecture
The building's design has been criticised for its glass windows, which can cause high energy costs in a hot climate.{{sfn|Boidus|2011}}
Notes
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Citations
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite web|title=Attorneys General Chambers Building|url=http://www.fitzwilliam.co.bw/ag%20chambers.html|publisher=The Fitzwilliam Partnership Botswana|access-date=24 July 2012|year=2012|ref={{harvid|Fitzwilliam|2012}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315040036/http://www.fitzwilliam.co.bw/ag%20chambers.html|archive-date=15 March 2012|url-status=dead}}
- {{cite book|last1=Denbow|first1=James Raymond|last2=Thebe|first2=Phenyo C.|title=Culture And Customs of Botswana|year=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313331787}}
- {{cite web |title=Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/department-of-taxes-and-attorney-general-s-chambers-building-gaborone-botswana |publisher=Emporis |access-date=24 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307023335/http://www.emporis.com/building/department-of-taxes-and-attorney-general-s-chambers-building-gaborone-botswana |archive-date=7 March 2016 |ref={{harvid|Emporis1}} |url-status=usurped }}
- {{cite web|title=Gaborone |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=6234 |access-date=24 July 2012 |publisher=SkyscraperPage.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723064117/http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=6234 |archive-date=23 July 2012 |ref={{harvid|SkyscraperPage.com}} |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite web|title=Greening Our Energy Guzzling Buildings for the 21st Century |url=http://boidus.co.bw/blog/?p=2192 |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=24 July 2012 |publisher=Boidus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074001/http://boidus.co.bw/blog/?p=2192 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |ref={{harvid|Boidus|2011}} |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite web |title=The most expensive buildings in Africa |url=http://www.emporis.com/statistics/most-expensive-buildings-africa |publisher=Emporis |access-date=24 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603124826/http://www.emporis.com/statistics/most-expensive-buildings-africa |archive-date=3 June 2013 |ref={{harvid|Emporis2}} |url-status=usurped }}
- {{cite web|title=Poor planning bleeds government of millions of Pula|url=http://www.sundaystandard.info/print_article.php?NewsID=1800|date=29 July 2007|work=Sunday Standard|access-date=24 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130408092617/http://www.sundaystandard.info/print_article.php?NewsID=1800|archive-date=8 April 2013|ref={{harvid|Sunday Standard|2007}}|url-status=dead}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120508012140/http://www.finance.gov.bw/Dept-Taxes/index.htm Botswana Department of Taxes]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120611024035/http://www.agc.gov.bw/ Attorney General's Chambers]
Category:Government of Botswana