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 5>

CONTENTS
THOUGHT LEADERS

16 > Harry Pearce’s schizophrenic road

26 > D
 esign, a viable tool for social innovation? An
interview with William Drenttel

34 > S
 umien Brink: A lifetime of creative multitasking
by a master of her craft

42 > J uxtaposing cultural identity with progress:

Mokena Makeka shares his ideas on ‘humility
design’

54 > Entropy: Mirrors of the human condition

COMMUNICATION DESIGN
62 > Anton Sassenberg: The original design guerrilla

70 > T hinking through design: Michael Bierut’s

cautionary tale on lessons learned
6>

84 > D
 esign currency: Icograda Design Week 2010,
Vancouver

94 > W
 ho is Sean Metelerkamp? A guy with two
smooth ballas

BUILT ENVIRONMENT
104 > Decorex Joburg 2010: A five-day extravaganza
112 > Conversations on architecture

119 > Glass wonders from Preciosa

124 > T ales from the African Diaspora featuring Nina

Briggs

130 > Elphick Proome Architects: 21 years in the making

140 > D
 HK Architects: One architectural firm, three
architectural designs

156 > M
 oses Mabhida Stadium: Iconography through
architectural design
 7>

172 > Cape Town Stadium: The pride of the Cape

185 > Mbombela Stadium: For the love of the ‘Game’

200 > Ellis Park: A slice of history gets a facelift

208 > L oftus spectators witnessed another Bafana Bafana

game

212 > Green Park: Work, live & play

219 > T he first step in the South African green building

evolution

241 > L egacy Corner: Joining the style hub of

Johannesburg

248 > The juxtaposition of old and new at Montecasino

8>

255 > C
 oral International Cape Town Hotel: Cape
Town, beaches and sand a perfect combination

DESIGN PROMOTION
262 > Social conscious design for a sustainable future
266 > Making sense of strategy and policy

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
270 > Rebranding: A few legal considerations

ART & CRAFT

274 > T ransforming rural villages into wealthy towns
through the industrialisation of craft enterprises

280 > Fashion art: What’s More Alive Than You?

286 > PACE: The Pan African Craft exhibition

290 > K
 udzanai Chuirai: A picture is worth a thousand
words

296 > B
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10 >

ENDORSERS > MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS >

 11 >

CREDITS
PUBLISHER > CREATIVE DIRECTOR >
Cameron Bramley Jacques Lange
cameron@designmagazine.co.za
DESIGN & LAYOUT >
GROUP EDITOR > Bluprint Design
Jacques Lange
jacquesL@iafrica.com COVER ILLUSTRATION >
Sean Metelerkamp
CONTRIBUTORS >
Nina Briggs, Eben de Waal, Reggie Dlamini, PUBLISHED BY >
Jennie Fourie, Zelda Harrison, Bev Hermanson, DESIGN>MAGAZINE
Stacey Rowan, Leonard Shapiro, Suné Stassen, T: +27(0) 82 882 8124
Sasha Strauss, Anri Theron, Geoff Vreeken F: +27 (0) 86 678 8448

SALES TEAM >

E: design.arrow.magazine@gmail.com
Geri Adolphe, Jason Bramley, François Fassler,
W: www.designmagazine.co.za
Rachel Harper, Chenesai Madzvamuse, Jeff
Malan
Blog: www.designmagazine.co.za/wordpress/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DESIGNarrow
PRODUCTION >
Charl Lamprecht and Stacey Rowan
© 2010 DESIGN>MAGAZINE
ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTS > ISSN 1814-7240
Claudia Madurai & Michelle Swart Number 17, August 2010

DISCLAIMER: No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express permission of the
publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability
of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. The pub-
lisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and
opinions expressed in DESIGN>MAGAZINE are not necessarily those of the publisher, its endorsers,
sponsors or contributors.
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PREFACE
When I think of the word ‘current’, I also think of
words like ‘flow’, ‘motion’, ‘lines’ and ‘between’. I am
overwhelmed with pride that DESIGN>MAGAZINE
encapsulates the very movement with which life
grows. Here at DESIGN> it’s about pioneering, be-
ing innovative, flexible, everlasting and so much more.
‘Current’ is the sum of our history, a history which
needs no library and no institution. It exists in our
everyday lives and minds, continuing to push and
grow our perceptions of a better life, a better design.
Our historical and current design inputs determine
the future currencies and trends. As our current–
cy [sic] grows into the future, our care for the planet
and our children’s lives have become an emergent–cy
[sic]. As much as we grow in our creativities, we
deplete our own existence; paradoxically we are
forcing ourselves to be better with less.
Now it’s about going back to zero, going back to
the basics of pioneering, innovation, flexibility,
ever-not-lasting and so much less. Our fight for ef-
ficiency has made us deficient, which will lead to
new efficiency.
13 >
Some of you may remember the Decency edition
of DESIGN>MAGAZINE. That edition is as current
then as it is now. I look forward to the new challenge
of DESIGN> presenting a new currency. I look forward
to driving thought leadership with articles that never
die and design that brings motion to our futures.
This preface is as current as your attempt to read
it. Your desire to be current relies on whether you
are fascinated with change or not. Your current–cy
[sic] is, simply put, driven by design and your every
day influences and choices are managed by your
consumerism. As consumers, we need to make the
right choices on what to accept. If our future is not
considered in our consumption, whether it be beau-
tiful award-winning design or not, we are cutting
off our own hands and those of our children’s. I am
certain that our need to preserve our planet and
futures by consuming less, has now sparked a new
future currency. It’s exciting stuff.
Enjoy our 17th edition. <
Cameron Bramley, Publisher
www.bowman.co.za

EDITOR’S
FOREWORD
This edition of DESIGN>MAGAZINE focuses on the
theme: Current. The term obviously has multiple
meanings and our contributors explore a diversity
of its interpretations.
‘Current’ can mean: belonging to the present time;
being in progress; circulating; prevalent; flowing,
steady, smooth onward movement; ebb and flow;
a general tendency, movement, or course; a flow
of electric charge, amongst others.
We believe that our cover design illustrates these
diverse issues most eloquently. The design is based
on a stick man drawing by Sean Metelerkamp, one
of the most innovative creatives of the current gen-
eration who questions, pokes and provokes whilst
also being a master storyteller and provocateur.
In most of the articles featured in DESIGN> 17, con-
tributors focus on the interpretation of ‘ebb and
flow’ rather than what is currently ‘stylish and hip’.
They address topics related to professional develop-
ment and the broad scope of social, environmental
and economic sustainability. Key concepts include
design and humanism, design citizenship, designers
as creators of beauty, humility design and thinking
through design.
Harry Pearce reminds us of the importance of con-
necting minds, enabling us to share a different,
15 >
clearer vision and facilitating social change. William
Drettel expands on this and directs the focus to
the importance of developing the design discourse
through journalism. Michael Bierut shares insights
into valuable lessons learnt while working on The
L!brary Initiative while Sasha Strauss examines our
relationships with brands and how they determine
our commercial choices. Sumien Brink talks about
her life as one of Africa’s leading magazine editors
and we also look at Anton Sassenberg’s colourful
career as a seminal publications designer. Archi-
tect Mokena Makeka shares his ideas on humility
design, while Strijdom van der Merwe explores
mirrors of the human condition and delves into the
complex world of entropy and landscape art.
We also feature project reviews on three of the sports
stadiums that were custom built for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup as well as reviews on two refurbished
stadia. Our Built Environment section also investi-
gates South Africa’s first building to receive Green
Star accreditation – Nedbank Phase 2.
These are just a few highlights from the 35 articles
featured in DESIGN>MAGAZINE 17.
We wish you a great read! <
Jacques Lange, Editor
 16 >

HARRY PEARCE’S
SCHIZOPHRENIC ROAD
By Zelda Harrison. Harry Pearce is a
man that prompts, pokes and pro-
vokes. His work touches many disci-
plines, from spatial design and identity
to print and packaging. In 1990 he co-
founded Lippa Pearce Design and in
2006 he joined Pentagram London as
a partner. He has designed for a broad
range of clients including Phaidon
Publishing, Williams F1, Kangol, Shake-
speare’s Globe, Saks Fifth Avenue, the
Science Museum and Boots, to name
just a few. To each he brought his own
brand of intelligence, elegance and
wit.

Conundrums.
Throughout his career Pearce has
been concerned with using design to
connect minds, enabling them to share
a different, clearer vision. Most nota-
bly is his work for Witness, the human
rights charity founded by musician
Peter Gabriel for which Pearce has
been the lead designer for many years RIGHT: Typographic Xmas cards. FAR RIGHT: Decipher Xmas card.
and also serves as a member of its
advisory board.

CONUNDRUMS

As diverse as his client base, so too are

his interests and passions. Since his
early childhood, Pearce has been in-
trigued by the play between type and
words. In December 2009, this pas-
sion culminated with the publication
of his first book titled Conundrums.

Pearce explains: “I grew up loving the

crazy world of Spike Milligan and Peter
Cook. I remember wonderful lines
 17 >

such as: ‘In less enlightened times,

suicide was punishable by hanging’
– Peter Cook.”

“I always loved playing games with

type, language and image. These be-
gan with doodles years ago – I made
them into a poster on delicate tissue.
They thread the thinnest line between
stupidity and grace.” In 2009, Saks
Fifth Avenue ran Pearce’s conundrums
through their Christmas catalogue
and this led to Harper Collins pub-
lishing the book.

The interaction between words and

type has been a common thread in
much, if not all, of his work. He shares
some of his most successful instances
of resolving the conundrum: “When
my partners at Pentagram gave me
the job of designing their holiday card
I gave the whole thing a twist and
expanded them into typographic
codes to be solved. The booklet itself
has hidden codes. These games have
drifted onto many other items.”

“I took a pack of playing cards and

decided that it was long overdue for
establishing a new attitude. I swapped
the suits for type – four faces for the
four suits. On the back, after contact-
ing a leading card shark, I placed 52
different cheats that your opponent
could read and either use or watch
out for and therefore neutralising
each other.”

Pearce continues: “In a more straight-

forward manner, I use type to capture
18 >
more than one thought at a time.”
He then refers to his poster designs
for Macbeth, Doll’s House, East of
the sun as examples that illustrate
his point.
TYPE AND ARCHITECTURE
Amongst his many passions, Pearce
also has an interest in the way that
typography and architecture interact.
He says: “The question of how graphic
communication relates to architecture
is important because the result of a
seamless integration can be awe-
inspiring. An example of where it goes
wrong, take a look at the average high
street. They’re a visual affront. And
this is a direct result of a clash be-
tween the two disciplines. Graphic
design can actually become part of
the structure of the building – its very
surface. When this is achieved, it
can have wonderful implications for
the space in which people live, not
just some of the objects within it.”
He highlights the work that he had
done for the Dana Centre at London’s
Science Museum as an example of
the effective integration of type and
architecture: “The Dana Centre was
built as a headquarters for the Dana
Foundation, which researches the
human brain. It is also a bar, restau-
rant and debating centre” he explains
that his task on the project was to
make science fun and engaging, whilst
making it a cool funky challenging
arena where largely controversial
scientific subjects are debated, and
Poster for Macbeth, Milton Theatre.
in this instance performed.
“I’ve always believed that typography
and buildings have a very similar
nature. An architect recently said to
me, that what matters most and is of-
ten overlooked, is the space between
buildings…the space where most
people inhabit… You could say the
same for type; often it’s the space
Poster for Doll’s House, Milton Theatre.
between forms that hold the key to its
beauty. So here is a love affair be-
tween a building and some typogra-
phy, they feed off each other.”
“The actual debating centre is encap-
sulated within the frame of a bigger
building, and I based the logotype
on this relationship. As the logo came
from the building, I felt duty bound
to give something back, so I cut up
the logo and fed it into the concrete
of the main sections running right
through the building. And so the mark
became an actual part of the structure.
This then lead to the idea, that the
mark could actually become archi-
tectural, so I pushed and pulled it in
different directions, it then became
a wall which you can see through and
walk around. And finally in it’s com-
Poster for Roy Harper East of the sun.
plete destruction. I made a pattern by
cutting the logotype into a myriad of
slices and these became a lining for
the interior walls.”
“So what goes on in this space is con-
versation, debate. And in the spirit of
that I made the wayfinding a con-
versation too. Instead of the usual
The Dana Centre.
19 >
 20 >

ABOVE: Mnikag Pfceret Snese poster.

RIGHT: Window display for Audley Shoes.

list of places within the building –
it’s a written instruction on how to
find where you want to go.”
“This is a place of science. There is a
reception area where if you’ve come
for a meeting you can wait. I wanted
this to be full of questions, questions
you could never answer. In a complete-
ly irreverent gesture I filled the seat-
ing area with rhetorical questions,
hundreds of them. Yet, this is a place
where you are supposed to get the
answers. So no matter how any times
you visit this place you will never be
able to find the answer.”
D&AD poster.
“On the tables in the restaurant/café
area I played another game – this time
slightly more surreal. Covering the
table surfaces with invented scientific
thoughts and philosophies of the
future. And finally the great glass
wall.”
“You know when a conversation takes
place, when it’s done its done – you
have the memories and you have the
effect of people’s words on you.”
“I imagine that the place/space where
this takes place has a memory of it
too. If these walls could talk…”
“And in the spirit of that idea I made
this great wall out of conversations
– this time, real conversations. These
are hundreds of snippets of conver-
sation from web chat rooms, running
inside and out of the glass. To be
21 >
able to decipher them you have to
move inside and out.”
“Again you can visit this place and
never see or hear it all. It’s just a ghost
of conversations gone before…if
these walls could talk and I hope
they do!”
SYNCHRONICITY
Synchronicity is another golden
thread that runs through Pierce’s work.
Similar to the processes that the Sur-
realists and Dadaists followed, one
often finds that in Pierce’s work, seem-
ingly unrelated experiences casually
coexist and create a conversation that
leads to new meaning. He explains:
“One can turn intuition into knowl-
edge, but one cannot produce intui-
tion out of knowledge. Often great
design is born from pure intuition and
regardless of how many facts you are
given and how deep you delve it takes
that intuitive spark to make it happen.”
“For me the best example of synchro-
nicity occurred when I had a dream
which left me with a beautiful line of
poetry: ‘until the last butterfly’ This
happened at the same time as my
friend Steve Hackett was composing
a piece of classical music for guitar,
trying to emulate the rhythm of butter-
flies flight. My dream gave him the
title for the piece.”
22 >
DESIGN IN SERVICE TO
HUMANITY
When asked if technological evolu-
tion is making people sceptical about
humanity and humanism, Pierce re-
sponds: “It all depends on how tech-
nology is used. It can help to reveal
humanity as well as exposing the more
inhuman elements of our society.
Technological advances have allowed
Witness to highlight human rights
atrocities – now that mobile phone
cameras are easily available every-
one can become a change-maker
giving the silent a voice. Eventually
there is a possibility of everyone be-
ing connected, an extraordinary mo-
ment for the human.”
Expanding on his work for Witness,
we asked Pierce how he achieves
equilibrium between commercial and
pro bono work and how he mitigates
potential conflict of conscience. “In
the early days of my first design part-
nership, Lippa Pearce, we made a com-
mitment to providing pro-bono work
for charities. While we had little mon-
ey, we hoped we could make a posi-
tive contribution to causes through
design. We saw a situation where
big money often got the best design
work, and causes without the same
kind of financial resources couldn’t
justify investing in the kind of design
that would really help raise their
profile. We used the money we made
from our commercial clients to support
worthy but impoverished projects.”
He emphatically states: “Designers
should have a place of leadership
and vision – it is not all about profit
and loss.”
In this regard, Pierce shares some
insights into his passionate and long-
standing involvement with Witness:
“I first met Peter Gabriel in 1981 at
an African art exhibition in Bath. After
he founded Witness, I was inspired
by the powerful idea behind the or-
ganisation – ‘Little brother turning
the camera on Big Brother’ – and the
amateur footage of the Rodney King
beating in Los Angeles in 1992 proved
the point. I was determined that Wit-
ness’ graphic communications should
accurately capture the significance
of the organisation’s work. I am proud
to have been associated with such a
remarkable project for more than 15
years.”
“One of the most extraordinary mo-
ments of my career occurred when I
was watching news footage of the re-
cent protests in support of the Burma
uprising. Across the world I saw im-
ages of my Burma poster being taken
onto the streets as a symbol of this
human rights struggle. To have a
piece of graphic design spontaneously
used like this is the most meaningful
thing that has ever happened to a
piece of my work.”
“I would recommend anyone to visit
the Hub – a multilingual online portal
dedicated to human rights media and
 23 >

LTR: Burma poster for Witness, Infantry poster for Witness and Making truth visible poster.

Poster for UNODC.

24 >

LEFT: Packaging for Scotch whiskey.

RIGHT: Haiti poster for Doctors Without
Boarders.
FAR RIGHT: Anish Kapoor exhibition at The
Royal Academy of Arts.
BELOW: Lippa Pearce poster.
BELOW RIGHT: Russian mugs.

action. The Hub provides the oppor-
tunity for individuals, organisations,
networks and groups around the
world to bring their human rights
stories and campaigns to global atten-
tion – rather like a YouTube for human
rights. To my mind it is one of the most
important human rights initiatives
in recent history.”
SELF-DEFINITION
AND STYLE
Much of Pierce’s work is powerful and
arresting. We asked: How you do
consistently realise such visceral,
emotive communication? His re-
sponse: “I have spent my career on
a relentless hunt to find the truth and
to create as emotional an expression
of that truth as I can. For me the poster
I have recently designed for the Haiti
poster project in aid of Doctors With-
out Boarders comes as close to reach-
ing that point as I have ever been – it
is like a silent tear.”
25 >
In conclusion, we asked: How would
you define the essence of your work
or even yourself? “Peter Gabriel did
it for me: ‘Working with Harry is a mix-
ture of great design and good Karma’,
humanity and emotional truth.”
“Art, music and even buildings fre-
quently move their audiences but an
emotional reaction is rare in graphic
design. My hope is to create pieces
of graphic design that have integrity
and emotional clout.”
“I also seek balance both between my
outer daily life and my inner world of
the subconscious and between my
commercial and humanitarian work.
For me, Witness is my balance, and my
career has become a personal journey
of self-discovery as I manage to fuse
my inner world, my interest in Jung
and dreams with my work.” <
26 >

DESIGN,
A VIABLE
TOOL FOR
SOCIAL
INNOVATION?
William Drenttel is a communication designer, Apart from practicing design as a primary day job,
publisher and industry leader who works from the Drenttel also actively engages in the fields of
picturesque mountains to the north of New York profession development and education. He is
City, USA. As a co-founder of Winterhouse, a niche president emeritus of AIGA, a senior faculty fellow
design studio that focuses on social innovation, at the Yale School of Management, and the editorial
director of the much-acclaimed Design Observer
online publishing and educational and cultural
and Change Observer, a leading Internet platform
institutions, Drenttel, with his wife and co-found-
focusing on design commentary and cultural obser-
er, Jessica Helfand, have opted to remain a small
vation.
operation and to collaborate with a select group
of clients and partners. For the past decade they
“Design Observer was started in 2002 and was a
have worked almost exclusively with universi-
personal passion and a hobby for a long time. With
ties, NGOs and non-profits. Even though their my partners Michael Bierut and Jessica Helfand,
operation might be small, their footprint is large we just kept on slogging away at publishing what
and Winterhouse now encompasses a studio, in- we considered to be great writing about design.
stitute, virtual publishing platform and citizen A few years later we woke up to the reality that
journalism initiatives, amongst others. we had managed to gather a huge audience, and

AN
INTERVIEW
WITH
WILLIAM
DRENTTEL
suddenly we were being nominated for Webby
Awards for best writing online with The New York
Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker and Wired
recognising our work. Our success is simply that
we stayed focused on the quality of the writing,”
says Drenttel.
By staying true to the trio’s original focus, Design
Observer has grown exponentially and has sub-
sequently made a massive contribution to the devel-
opment of the design discourse. Today, Design
Observer offers experienced and budding writers,
thinkers and theorists a vast virtual platform
where they can publish critical writing on design
and culture. Yet, Drenttel believes that it is only
the beginning: “A large issue facing both the de-
sign profession and the users and proponents of
27 >
By Zelda Harrison
design is simply that we do not have [enough]
real design journalism and criticism. Architecture
has a history of theory and criticism – design does
not. Design is talked about as a means to business
success, but there are few design case studies
being taught in business schools. And now design
and design thinking are supposed to be the Holy
Grail for anything and everything. How often do
you read about design failing, or design as an
integrative part of larger processes – especially
as we realise the importance of sustainability and
possibilities for social innovation? Fundamentally
design is still in its childhood.”
To further simulate the development of the design
discourse, Helfand and Drenttel initiated The
Winterhouse Writing Awards in 2006, under the
28 >

auspices of the Winterhouse Institute. A program

of AIGA, these annual awards were founded to
recognise excellence in writing about design,
and to encourage the development of new and
young voices in design writing, commentary and
criticism in the USA. Apart from being recognised BELOW: Design Observer and Teach for all
for their writing excellence, winners also receive a websites.
monetary reward, which is intended to encourage
their further development. RIGHT: Poster for A better world by design
conference, an annual event promoting globally
conscious integrative design research at Brown
Drenttel says: “The AIGA Winterhouse Writing and RISD, 2009.
Awards for Design Writing and Criticism have a
simple purpose: To encourage and recognise BELOW RIGHT: Kafka Goes To The Movies. Book
outstanding writing about design. I think we and cover design for the English edition of Hans
Zischler’s study of Kafka’s moviegoing life.
need to grow writers who can serve as critics,
observers and journalists. It will happen one writer FAR RIGHT: Aspen Design Summit 2009 website,
at a time, just as one reader ultimately reads poster and detail of Summit activities .
every book at a time.” A proof of the Winterhouse
Writing Awards’ success, Drenttel says that:
“Every writer we have recognised is still writing,
many for broader audiences than before receiving
their award. This is slow, hard work. But we have
faith and patience.”

DESIGN IN SERVICE TO HUMANITY

In addition, Winterhouse is spearheading several

citizen journalism initiatives, one of which is the
Your Polling Place Photo Project, initiated in
2006, which is a wonderful – deceptively simple
portrayal of civic action. Drenttel explains: “I live
in America. Today, we have Sarah Palin in the
news and the new Tea Party seems emergent.
But Barrack Obama is still president. American
citizens elected someone who ran precisely on a
platform of civic-engagement, and his fiercest
opponents will engage millions because they
disagree.”
29 >
30 >

FAR LEFT: Poetry magazine covers.
LEFT: Below the Fold: is published as an
occasional journal by the Winterhouse
Institute. Below the Fold: explores
topics that fly beneath the radar yet
persist nonetheless, shifting
perspectives and sparking debate.
BOTTOM LEFT: Wolfsonian Thoughts On
Democracy. Inspired by Norman
Rockwell’s Four Freedoms series, 1943.
Commissioned by the Wolfsonian
Museum for their Thoughts on
Democracy exhibition.
BELOW: Trophy for the National Design
Award, Cooper-Hewitt National Design
Museum.
31 >
“I don’t think civic-engagement is in decline – rather I
think only a percentage of our citizens are engaged. In my
own rural, small-town community, citizens are grappling
with issues of low-income housing and how to support
local farming. These issues generate broad support and
strong opposition. What we saw when we mounted the
Polling Place Photo Project is that in all 50 states, people
were proud to vote and were willing to stand in line to
vote – that just over a majority (56.8% in last presidential
election) of US citizens vote is of course a tragedy and a
challenge. But I know so many designers who are deeply
engaged in creating processes for government transpar-
ency or get out the vote campaigns – or encouraging the
elderly to get flu shots at polling places.”
“There is a movie in which a President says, ‘Democracy
is not easy. It’s advanced civics.’ I subscribe to this notion
that civic engagement is rewarding, and hard work, and
not for everyone.”
In Drenttel’s presentation at the 2010 Design Indaba Con-
ference in Cape Town, he implied that many efforts at
social innovation are failing. He explains: “I think I was
trying to suggest that many social innovation initiatives,
despite their sincerity and good intentions, will not be
successful or scalable in creating true impacts on poverty
or hunger or homelessness. We should not stop encour-
aging these initiatives, but too many of the projects written
about and celebrated are really what I call ‘weekend
projects’. Deep, systemic change will result from deep,
systemic work.“
“One example: At the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation,
where I serve on the advisory board, we have large teams
(50+ people) across multiple platforms working on
healthcare and wellness issues. Trying to solve rural
healthcare delivery in villages where there are limited or
no doctors is simply not the same scope as designing an
identity or marketing program for a large company.”
32 >

“The goal is not simply to sell someone some-

thing, but rather to change whole systems (finan-
cial, governmental, technological) as patterns of
behaviour (by doctors, patients, healthcare pro-
viders, hospitals, insurance companies). We need
expertise and experience and time to engage
deeply. It’s that simple. But it’s a daunting chal-
lenge for designers who want to think of them-
selves as problem-solvers when the problems are
‘wickedly hard’.”

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

When asked what keeps him up at night, what

gets him through the day and what would he
needs from us as industry peers to keep his vision
going, Drenttel responds: “I worry every day that I
am not doing enough, and that the challenges are
so daunting. During the past few years I have met
so many other people doing so much more – and
who know so much more.”

He concludes: “It’s so exciting that’s it’s easy to

get dazzled: What one needs instead is a steel-like
fortitude. My trip around the world with my family
this year showed us so much need, and so many
avenues for exploration and work. South Africa
was especially exciting because of its rich heritage
and stunningly complicated problems and chal-
lenges. I retuned to the United States with this
deep sense that both global and local solutions
will come with great difficulty, and with a renewed
commitment to learning and doing this work. It
was such a humbling experience.” <
 33 >

Winterhouse Polling Place

Photo Project poster,
website and exhibition.
34 >

A LIFETIME OF CREATIVE
MULTITASKING BY A
MASTER OF HER CRAFT
By Suné Stassen
UMIEN BRIN 35 >
36 >

At the tender age of 12 Sumien Brink fell in
love with the world of magazines while visiting
Cosmopolitan’s Fashion
her then best friend, Andrea Bosch, who
Directory March 1990.
showed her a copy of British Vogue. This was
a defining moment that led to Sumien pursuing
a career in publishing, which took her on many
side roads before becoming one of the most
respected, innovative and multiple award win-
ning editors in South Africa. As the current
editorial director at New Media Publishing,
VISI Spring 2001 & VISI Spring
editor-in-chief of VISI, Plascon COLOUR and
founding editor of South Africa’s leading food
magazine Woolworths TASTE, Sumien exem-
plifies the concept of inspiring leadership and
is known as a master of managing teamwork.
2002.
Like many other creatives, her road to success
was certainly the result of a colourful array
of unique creative outlooks and approaches,
multi-fuel injected and applied during a life-
time of experiences and overwhelming pas-
sion for the creative industry in whatever
form, shape or palette.
Staring out in the 1970s, she had her heart set
on a career in fashion, but due to the distance
VISI Spring 2002.
between Cape Town (then the epicenter of
fashion design in South Africa) and her home-
town, White River in the then Eastern Transvaal,
her parents felt it would be more convenient
for her to study at the University of Pretoria
where she completed a BA Drama degree,
LTR: VISI Autumn 2004, Taste
specialising in costume and prop design.
Magazine, VISI 35.
It was during these years in Pretoria when
classmates Sumien, Birrie le Roux and Johan
Engels struck up a strong bond and lasting
friendship. Engels, today is an internationally
acclaimed theatre designer responsible for
37 >
the production design of many world famous
ballets and operas, and Le Roux is an award-
winning film and theatre designer who has
been responsible for the production design
of films like Fiela se Kind, Paljas, Soweto’s
Burning and Story of an African Farm, among
others. One can only imagine what this trio
got up to during those carefree student years.
Sumien says that: “We did a couple of very
wild and experimental productions and I must
say I’d love to collaborate with them again in
the future. Today we are still very good friends
but don’t see each other often enough.”
After her studies Sumien gained extensive
experience as stylist at Fairlady and Sarie,
fashion editor at Huisgenoot, fashion director
of Cosmopolitan and editor of the bi-annual
Cosmopolitan Fashion Directory.
1965 was the year when Jane Raphaely found-
ed Fairlady and in 1984 Jane Raphaely and
Associates, that published Cosmopolitan in
partnership with Nasionale Pers, were found-
ed. Sumien continues, “Although I never
worked on the editorial team of Fairlady, I
did some collaborative styling for their fashion
shoots with photographer Mike Donnelly.
When Jane started Cosmopolitan she offered
me the position of fashion editor. To me she
was a great inspiration and mentor.”
The Cosmopolitan Fashion Directory was a
brand extension of Cosmo. “We did some
really beautiful and different fashion shoots
for it. At the time it had to compete with the
very fabulous Red magazine, which wasn’t
easy. But it was a lot of fun working on it”
says Sumien.
38 >

Sumien went on to be the founding editor of

House & Leisure magazine since its inception,
before taking the reigns at VISI for New Media
Publishing in 2001. “My initial vision for VISI
was to produce a quality publication that show-
cases 100% South African content that cel-
ebrates our unique local talent. It has changed
over the years and is about to change again
when we appoint a new editor in September.
But in this rapidly changing market we are

LEFT: VISI 46. RIGHT: VISI 48.

working in, I think change is always a good
thing, especially now that we have to consider
the future of magazines and the new digital
era we will have to embrace”.

There is also the most recent launch of Plascon

SPACES, which is really the re-launch of
Plascon COLOUR magazine that New Media
Publishing has been doing for Plascon for
some years. Especially in a tight economy it has
been determined that there is a great demand
LEFT: VISI 46. RIGHT: VISI 48.

for more practical and hands on information

about paint and colour as it is still cheaper to
paint your space rather than re-decorate. “All
the projects that we feature are real spaces
and at R14.95 very good value for money. You
can say it is the right product for the right
time. And it is beautiful!” explains Sumien.

“I have had the pleasure of working with

Peet Pienaar, one of many brilliant creative’s
in our country, on a special edition for VISI
and I like what he does. He always says that
his biggest challenge in life is to ‘Maak mooi’
and I can relate to that. Having had the oppor-
tunity to work on such a variety of publica-
tions it might be a given that each magazine
has it’s own personality and audience but
there is one aspect that is non-negotiable to
VISI 49.

me in all the work that I do – it must always

be beautiful.”
39 >
40 >
The playing field of the South Africa maga-
zine industry is very small in comparison to
its European, American or even Australian
counterparts, yet, Sumien believes that “some
of our titles compare well if you consider
how much of our material gets syndicated
to magazines all over the world but some are
really below par. Still we all feed off global
trends and adapt them to serve our local
needs. That’s why we are forever attending
trend shows and seminars all over the
world. And of course… speaking of trends, if
there is one person in the business that I
hugely respect then it is Li Edelkoort. I love
her aesthetic and the fact that she keeps on
re-inventing herself.”
When discussing with Sumien the importance
of a country’s design identity she explains
that in her opinion it is vital to develop such
an identity and that South Africa still has
some way to go. “We must develop what is
unique to us and not copy. We have been a
nation of copiers for far too long. Events like
Design Indaba has shown us that design
can truly make a difference to many lives.
We need more of this in our country”.
It is the norm for first world countries to feel
responsible for the development of second and
third world countries and almost becoming
the provider in many fields of expertise, but
lately we are seeing more and more examples
of third world countries designing for the
first world. “It is very exciting if first world
countries start embracing designs from its
third world counterparts. There are so many
examples of products locally sourced that are
marketed overseas. My favourite right now
is a project in Venda where local woman make
beautiful clay pots that are now sold in
Woolworths stores. I believe that if the design
is honest and pure it will certainly take flight
and be able to travel,” says Sumien.
When asked what parts of her working day
at New Media Publishers continue to put a
smile on her face she is quick to respond:
“Working with such a creative team of course!
It is for me an absolute pleasure and a huge
bonus. Oh and what an inspirational space!
I just love New Media’s new building at 19
Bree Street, Cape Town.”
Besides being admired by most as a very
successful pioneer in the publishing arena,
Sumien seems to have also succeeded in
finding a balance between her career and
family life. “I’ve been very lucky to work on
magnificent titles that I adore. Work for me
is an absolute pleasure but I do make a point
of making time for family. It is a balancing act
really, but luckily that is a typical Libran trait,”
says Sumien.
And just like some actors identify more with
one role than another, we were curious which
magazine best aligns with her attributes as
a person. “Lately it’s been food magazines,”
explains Sumien. “I enjoy Jamie Oliver’s
magazine – Jamie for its tone of voice and
‘realness’. And Fire & Knives, a magazine
about food writing where all the contribu-
tors do it for free”.
And her dream project? “I’d love to do a series
of books on beautiful things – either design
or food,” she concludes. <
42 >

JUXTAPOSING CULTU
IDENTITY WITH PROG
MOKENA MAKEKA SH
IDEAS ON HUMILITY
Mokena Makeka is one of the most colourful person-
alities to enter the South African architectural scene
in the past few years. At first glance, his various perso-
nas might seem to be contradictory but it all gells
perfectly when one unpacks the various dimensions
that this talented young enigma brings to the table.

A passionate follower of Hip-Hop music, principal and

founder of Makeka Design Lab, Makeka is a two-time
recipient of the CIA Award of Merit and Design Cat-
Mokena Makeka. Image by egory winner for the 2010 Johnnie Walker Celebrating
Andrew Brauteseth. Strides Awards. Apart from being an architect, he
also has a passion for social entrepreneurship and
education. He currently serves on the World Economic
Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Design, is an ex-
ternal examiner at the Columbia University School
of architecture and lectures at the University of Cape
Town. Makeka’s vision is to create a sound African

URAL
GRESS:
HARES HIS
Y DESIGN
aesthetic that serves the public and his clients, bring-
ing dignity and grace to the built environment.
Mokena shared some insights into his personal back-
ground, work philosophy and views on architectural
practice in an interview with DESIGN>MAGAZINE’s
US-based contributing editor, Zelda Harrison.
INSPIRATION AND PERSONAL
PHILOSOPHY
Makeka’s life journey has taken him to diverse parts
of the world – born in the Eastern Cape, spending his
early years in Lesotho, moving on to live in the USA
where his father was an ambassador to the UN, them
moving back to Lesotho before finally settling in Cape
Town. All of these places brought unique experiences
which have had a profound impact on shaping his
43 >
personal and professional philosophies. He explains:
“I did my elementary schooling in New Rochelle, New
York, and returned to Lesotho after starting junior
high where I completed my high school education,
acquiring an international baccalaureate degree and
then went on to study at University of Cape Town
(UCT).” Only months after graduating, he established
his own architectural practice, Makeka Design Lab.
He says that his colourful background is omnipresent
in his current professional work: “I bring a sense of
cosmopolitan curiosity to all of my design projects.
My work is driven by a proposition-based method
which often critiques context from a socio-spatial per-
spective as much as tectonic, functional concerns.”
“The architectural strategies which derive from
such a process do not fit into the conventions of
44 >
local practice. In fact, it challenges core assump-
tions that have become normative, unquestioning
and passive in cultural debate. As a young, black
African creative, in the context of South Africa’s
complex history, I occupy a space that is highly un-
derdeveloped in the country and region.”
Makeka says that his biggest inspiration is people.
“My works are meant to serve society and to allow
us to defeat our lesser selves. Architecture is a no-
ble art that can capture the spirit of a nation, its
pain, its triumphs and purpose. Buildings merely
serve at a functional level, whereas architecture is
transcendental and makes us revel in bigger ide-
as.” He continues: “The articulation of my ideas is
constantly evolving, but the central humanist pur-
pose of excellence in the service of society is a
continuously maturing and consistent position.
My ethics do not change from project to project.
Design without ethics is tyranny.”
LATEST PROJECTS
One of the most recent highlights of Makeka’s fairly
short but illustrious career is being selected as one
of only two African architects to participate in the
Ordos 100 project. The project is based in Ordos, Inner
Mongolia, and entails 100 architects selected by
Hertzog & de Meuron to design 100, 1 000m2 villas,
contributing to a master plan formulated by Ai Weiwei
based in China.
Makeka explains that he brought a universal, yet
African perspective to the project and intentionally
avoided the obvious use of Feng Shui principles to the
project proposal. “If anything, it was important to
reflect on the context through my own lens. My build-
ing is a critique of the notion of the traditional Western
villa and the onslaught on the public private con-
tinuum as expressed in the ancient hutongs. My
building transforms the inner courtyard into a public
space and makes the home a stage for greeting and
meeting. I designed the house to set up coinciden-
tal collisions between public and private in order
to foster a sense of unpredictable community.”
 45 >

Like many visionary architects, Makeka has a unique Ordos 100 project.
personal take on the concept of ‘reading the terrain.’ He Images courtesy of Makeka Design Lab.
says: “Every place has a story that needs to be told.
Architecture is about how well you read the text of site,
client, society, climate, etc. Subtext is often where
the real discovery occurs. I am a scholar of exploration
and understanding. This allows me to design any-
where and for anyone, because I don’t bring aesthetic
preconceptions or a visual template to the exercise.
Design is about understanding what needs to be, asking
what’s possible and lastly, striving to surprise oneself
and the audience.”

Due to the international and geographic nature of the

Ordos 100 project – which is rolled-out in phases by its
developers – Makeka is working with a truly multicultural
team and he draws upon his diverse life experiences to
facilitate the process. He says: “I have no problems
with multicultural settings. I think it’s a more natural and
enriching human state when diversity is embedded in
one’s life and practices... It’s fun to create one’s own
rules in order to design. Without constraints design
is meaningless, irresponsible and inconsequential.
One must make constraints if they are not given.”
46 >
Public Transport Shared Services
Centre. Images courtesy of Makeka
Design Lab.
URBAN DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Another highlight of Makeka Design Lab’s work is the
Public Transport Shared Services Centre (a joint
venture with Jakupa), situated in Athlone, Cape Town.
Makeka explains: “The Provincial Transport Shared
Services Center is essentially the first sustainable
office block for the provincial government of the
Western Cape. It is designed to serve the taxi industry
by providing a place where licenses can be acquired,
disputes resolved, vehicles inspected and act as hub
for certain government services. The architecture and
the scale of the building is quite urban and sets the
tone on the surrounding area, and is a visible
expression of investment in the community.”
Regarding its design solution, Makeka says: “Its
urbanism and architectural response has been
well received, and the fenestration pattern and the
strategy of having the total ensemble of buildings
read as one has helped humanise the scale and
bring intimacy and detail to the design.”

Makeka has very clear views on the interface of archi-
tecture and urban design, a topic which is often heav-
ily contested and heavily debate. He says: There are a
number of schools of thought relating to the role of
the urban designer and the desired extent of their
influence over the creative process. Some have ar-
gued that urban design must lead the design process,
although this is not often the most appropriate so-
lution. Others suggest that urban design should be
principal-based and act as an assessment and guiding
tool for the design process. Historical contestation
by urban designers entering into the built environ-
ment industry and hence contesting the leadership
role of the architect has often been the focus and sub-
text of certain processes.”
“Often the issue should have been design-based and
resolved on the basis of talent and skill, and their
associated outputs. For many, urban design is an
attitude which creates responsive and vibrant urban
environments, and the assumption that architects
are disinterested in urban issues is often false. Urban
design has been taught in a number of ways with
47 >
different approaches, and does not have the his-
torical pedagogy and rigor of other disciplines that
would allow it to be universally understood and
accredited as a distinct profession. People often
forget that historically, urban design is an offshoot
and specialisation of interest of architects.”
Reflecting on the South African context, Makeka says:
“The adversarial culture of commanding the intel-
lectual space of the built environment in this country
is counterproductive to the broader objective of
creating sustainable, liveable and inspiring cities.”
He continues: “South African’s have been denied
a culture of public space for historical reasons. Previ-
ously advantaged people created enclaves for them
and developed a ‘securitised’ mentality which meant
that public space was heavily controlled and restrict-
ed. We are still reaping the fruit of this exercise as
people on the whole struggle to engage with public
space, and seek gated suburbs as an excuse for
urbane living. Crime, poverty and a poor sense of
community and commons across race and income
48 >
groups are particularly powerful and prevalent. There
are pockets of joy, of course, but successes are few
in the face of the past. Ninety percent of my work is
public and I believe every project has had a positive
impact on place and setting.”
COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION
AND ADVOCACY
Makeka has always had a passion for education, be
it educating clients about the importance of creative
originality, local identity and sustainability; informing
politicians and governmental officials about the
role that architecture and urban design plays in
transforming and responding to societal needs
and cultural tourism; and architecture education
at formal institutions of learning.
He says: “I educate through my work, and directly
at the University of Cape Town. There is always an
underestimation of what an architect can offer.”
“People believe that an architect merely draws and is
only there to do what you tell them to do. Archi-
tects are professionals and artists of the highest
order and lead the process of development for the
greater good of society and the interests of the client.
Consistency of approach is key to providing a de-
pendable service. Designs will differ according to the
context and client, but creativity is non-negotiable.”
In recent years, Makeka has become actively in-
volved in advocating the role of architecture in urban
rejuvination and social development in the City of
Cape Town, and as an advisor to the Cape Town
Partnership initiative, he has contributed to various
initiatives. When asked how he would define a ‘world-
class city’, he responds: “I’ve written pretty exten-
sively about this lately. The Cape Town of ‘sand, sea
and sun’ is seen by some as a sanitised version of
Africa, or even as un-African. The Cape Town that is
home to Robben Island is politically different from
the rest of the country and is trying to come to terms
with that. The Cape Town that nestles up against Table
Mountain, a World Heritage site, tries to preserve
biodiversity in the face of development pressures.”
“The brand is deliberately segmented to attract
different markets, and considerable effort goes
into achieving this, but branding needs to be based on
substance if it is to be durable: the City’s character
needs to be consistent with the brand. We also
need to be clear on whether the City responds to
the brand, or vice versa.”
 49 >

“In the townships, the quest for tourist dollars must Khayelitsha Multi-purpose Centre.
consider an area’s appeal. Do people visit townships Images courtesy of Makeka Design Lab.
as voyeurs wanting to see the face of poverty, do
they want to experience music venues with a unique
character; do they want to see other forms of cul-
tural expression; or are they international volunteers
coming to build houses? Which of these types of
visits do we want to encourage and what does this
mean for how we plan these areas?”

“Cultural tourism is a tricky business. And brand-

ing is not only for targeting tourists. As a City we
aspire to develop a knowledge economy and to at-
tract and keep creative people. Competition is stiff,
and the image and reality of urban spatial quality
will influence our success, particularly as business
location decisions consider quality of life as much as
urban efficiency. If we play our cards right we can
achieve this along with social and economic progress.”

“Cape Town’s ability to meet the challenge of bal-

ancing heritage with dynamism will depend to a
large extent on our willingness to co-operate and
innovate; the richness of what we offer entrepre-
neurs; our sense of what is possible; and our abil-
ity to grasp what is important to the markets we
seek to attract and the lives we want to live.”
50 >

Re-imagining Cape Town Station. Joint venture with UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT

Comrie Wilkinson, DHK and Jakupa.
Images courtesy of Makeka Design Lab.
Makeka has a mature and balanced understanding
of the role that architecture and design can play in
South African development. He considers the mul-
tiple layers of challenges and the complexities
that it entails sees the greater picture of priorities
that need to addressed in the country, and because
of that he believes that progress needs to happen
with steady paces and occasional hops, instead of
leaps which are not always achievable.

He says: “Change is the buzzword in Cape Town right

now, and the most visible projects are driven by
expectations and requirements for a successful
World Cup event. Touted as an opportunity to in-
vest in infrastructure for an improved urban condi-
tion, it is seen as an unprecedented catalyst. But
it’s interesting to consider whether each city will
ensure maximum benefit for its residents. Change
is not always good.”

“If we are simply accelerating what would have

happened anyway, the legacy will hardly be trans-
formative. Many of the projects which were executed

for the 2010 FIFA World Cup responded to needs
that were identified long ago. We should be look-
ing for metamorphosis; the emergence of some-
thing new and exciting from the soul of our cities. This
requires a new game plan, not business as usual. And
certainly not decisions based on maximising inter-
national boasting rights.”
“The notion of a world-class city were seen by some
as the epitome of bland conformity, turning Cape
Town into the Starbucks of urban Africa. Indeed,
importing ideas and projects without adapting
them to our context provided an excuse to compro-
mise our own needs to serve an external audience.”
Considering the pre-2010 FIFA World Cup eupho-
ria, Makeka says: “It could be argued, however,
that world-class means excelling at the ordinary as
well as the extraordinary. And it is only by adopt-
ing this definition that we can create a World Cup
experience that is uniquely African while giving
birth to a more human city.”
“We need to do ordinary things with as much skill,
passion and flare as we apply to showcase projects.
51 >
And we can, but we need more focus. If we can build
stadiums, then we can build houses, install toilets
and plan streets to serve people first. What’s good
for tourists should be good for us too.”
“Imagine trains that run on time, bus stops that
show schedules and locations, parks that are child
friendly, streets where parents can safely push a
pram and car guards that are friendly and helpful.
Imagine information kiosks distributed through-
out the city offering tourism advice, a help desk for
emergencies, and a friendly face in time of need.
Imagine a city that is as safe and universally ac-
cessible for the youth and the elderly as it is for
citizens in their prime.”
Concluding with the question: Would you care to
share any words of encouragement and Lessons
Learned to aspiring African architects?, Makeka re-
sponds: “Persevere. We were the first architects.
We shall be the last.” <
 ov m o
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Attend WAF 2010 to:
1. Hear directly from all shortlisted WAF awards entrants,
who represent the most exciting architectural cultures in the
world across all continents with record entry numbers from
Australasia, Singapore, India and Brazil
2. Exchange ideas with over 2000 architects from more than
80 countries from practices large and small, including
GAPP Architects from South Africa, WOHA from Singapore,
Turenscape from China, REMISTUDIO from Russia, Sanjay
Puri Architects from India, Battle & Roig Architects from Spain
Architectural excellence – LIVE! and HASSELL from Australia as well as household names
including Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Tabanlioglu
Architects and Isay Weinfeld
“WAF is a unique congress that gathers the most 3. Mix with the pace setters in architectural thinking on this
important architects in the world, we’re very year’s Super Jury including Arata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll,
excited to be a part of it.” Enrique Norten, Hanif Kara and find out their thoughts on the
most up-to-the-minute projects today
Alex Kerboobie, Turenscape, China, Winner WAF 2009,
The Adaptation Palettes: Regenerative Landscape Design 4. Be inspired by some of the most crucial projects this year
with David Chipperfield’s seminal Neues Museum and the
groundbreaking landscape scheme Gardens by the Bay in
Super-jury confirmed Singapore included in the projects uncovered in our multimedia
thematic exhibition, Transformations
Arata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll, Hanif Kara, 5. Keep up to date with the most innovative and exciting
Benedetta Tagliabue and Enrique Norten architecture from across the globe with insightful keynote
and seminar presentations from Josep Acebillo on the
Transformation of Barcelona and Jo Noero on his restorative
Red Location project in South Africa
6. Make real connections with the people you want to meet
before, during and after the festival with Festival Connect, WAF’s
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Expert judging
panel
New names announced! Feedback from the winners of WAF 2009

WORLD BUILDING
OF THE YEAR
It’s been very
Arata Isozaki Wang Lu Michael Heenan successful. It’s
Super Jury Chair China Australia given me a chance
Japan to make contacts
from abroad, but it’s not just that, I’ve met
incredible people. It’s been a very happy
event, very congenial, It’s Barcelona, it’s the
weather, it’s been very relaxed, I’ve found it
really great.
Sir Peter Cooke Mark Fenwick Maria Solé
Peter Rich, Peter Rich Architects, South Africa
UK Spain Bravo, Spain

FUTURE PROJECT
OF THE YEAR
WAF is a great
Enrique Norten Nabil Gholam Ken Tadashi idea, it’s a great
Mexico Lebanon Oshima, USA/ organisation that’s
Japan putting together
people from all over the world. I was really
impressed to be here, to be in touch with
people from the same profession from
every part of the world. The projects are
fantastic.
Peter Kudryavtsev Sanjay Puri Chris Bosse,
Russia India Germany Benedetta Tagliabue, Miralles Tagliabue Embt,
Spain
INTERIOR / FIT-OUT
OF THE YEAR
The sheer
Charles Jencks William Menking Kjetil Thorsen number of
UK USA Norway countries that are
represented is a draw, to compete against
the world, to see what other countries and
what other firms are doing. Highlight of
being here is the student work, it’s very
Jo Noero Richard Hassell Dogan Hasol interesting, my colleagues and I are very
South Africa Singapore Turkey happy that there was a component geared
toward students.
Bruce Davison, Architect, Amanda Levete
Architects, UK

Barry Bergdoll Kim Herforth Akihiko Hamada Seminar programme announced!

USA Nielsen, Japan Visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com
Denmark for more details

Insight. Inspiration. Exhilaration. Learn, network and share at WAF

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Contact +44(0) 20 7554 5800 / 0845 056 8339 / info@worldarchitecturefestival.com
54 >

In the Beginning, Tankwa, Karoo, South Africa.

By Eben de Waal. According to the Second Law of

ENTROPY:
MIRRORS
OF THE
HUMAN
CONDITION

Thermodynamics everything in the universe is in

motion towards decay and inevitable breakdown
into a lesser form of disorder. Change, as a process,
is an intrinsic universal property of all things,
which is known as the notion of entropy.

Life is a contradiction of the Second Law in relation

to evolution: progression from complexity to a level
of greater complexity. Therefore, the presence of
life reduces the entropy in any organism. The higher
the level that the organism achieves in any singular
state of evolution, the closer the organism be-
comes to entropy: its eventual fall to ruin. Fragility
increases in tandem with complexity; its robust

ability to survive decreases. Consequently, all things
rely on a state of equilibrium for continued existence.
This is the fundamental duality with which the uni-
verse functions as an isolated system.
All creative entities rely upon consciousness: the fresh
fruit of evolution. Consciousness presumes upon an
entity that is aware of its environment as well as
itself within a cosmic transpersonal mode. The aware-
ness of a universal mind and one’s unity with its
primary characteristic: the comprehension of con-
sciousness as well as life order, namely entropy. A
conscious mind at a higher level has the ability to
free itself from order and predictability, a sequence
of events or arrangements of items unlikely to occur
55 >
The Eerste River project.
by chance. In a world of totally unrelated items, which
has the throwing of dice as its paradigm, art and artist
finds its purpose by exploration of intangible possi-
bilities, with its rich variety of choices as well as op-
portunities by utilising entropy. One such entity
which has mastered the framework of conscious-
ness: comprising of thought and the method of
trail, error and accidental success exits by the title
of Strijdom van der Merwe.
Strijdom’s approach within his chosen setting –
nature – relies on the concept of entropy as a par-
adox of creative thought: the attempt to discover
something that thought cannot perceive; which
does not constitute to reality. The recognition of
56 >
the fact that we refer to reality is only a consensus
to what we presume defines reality, or is it what
we as humanity have agreed upon to call reality
simply because of constraints of cultural confine-
ment. A clear deduction to this recognition: is that
we only perceive what we can conceive.
“Man’s mind mirror’s a universe that mirrors man’s
mind.” – Joseph Pearce.
When we conceive or imagine something unreal,
even our furthest imagination cannot transcend
known symbolism. The harnessing of this cosmic
gift is the symbiotic reason to Strijdom’s success
when defining occurrences within entropic land art
Triangle on the Island Sylt, Germany 2009.
that in truth, defy rational explanation. He had the
following to say in relation to this: “What most of my
work consist of and I would say land art in general
is to place objects in an orderly manner that is
pleasing to the eye and, therefore, familiar to look
at. Such a sculpture is done in a disorderly land-
scape and the photo is taken in such a way that it
incorporates the wider landscape within the com-
position. The sculpture gives a sense of order to
that specific place giving it identity.”
Whenever design or artwork, regardless of its ini-
tial purpose, attains this state the artist ascends
to a higher level within the complex hierarchy of
humanities evolution: formally described and often
Lines, Touwsriver, Western Cape, South
Africa 2009.

condescended by modern society as spiritualism.
“…the landscape can speak to me in a specific way,
revealing secrets to me by generating works that
is clustered with meaning and mythology. My work
and I become one with nature; it is a process of dual
creativity.”
This degradation by society occurs when constraints
are imposed upon art: the expectation induced
upon creative entities to fit into moulds of fraudu-
lent categories resulting in an extensively limited
output. When artwork is confined within the neu-
trality of a gallery where it reflects human nature
and existence at its highest spontaneous demand
of idealised plenitude, it fragments. Essentially its
TOP: Stretching red cotton between two trees,
Kacerov, Praha, Czech Republic, 1996. BOTTOM: Red
steel tube.
57 >
approximate charge is lost existing merely as a
surface disengaged within physical space along the
arrow of entropic time from the worldly context, which
it was intentionally meant to exist within. Neutralised,
ineffective, abstracted, politically lobotomised and,
finally, ready to be consumed by society.
Strijdom’s manner of creation is a reminder of the
capacity a singular entity obtains when overstep-
ping the boundaries of cultural confinement. The
production of tension within equilibriums in a non-
isolated system such as nature, imposing change
upon the ceaseless regression to homogeneity in
entropy also present in oppressive view points of
the establishment defines our universal existence
The Simonsberg ward puzzle.
58 >

as a race. Strijdom noted that: “The essence of my
work strives to bring the message of our role in
nature across. We are apart of the cycles of nature,
creation, destruction, life and death. The connec-
tions that human beings have with enduring ele-
mental processes that will always continue regard-
less of our human influence. First was the land,
therefore, always the land”.
Isn’t this in fact the essence of being human? The
fragile temporary essence of such artwork were
the contextual complexity is concealed by an over-
all symmetry at first glance truly speaks of con-
trasting spectrums of entropy. In an instance of
minimal shapes of utmost orderly precision and
the subsequent display of corrosion, extreme op-
posites, are in fact symptoms of similar precarious
abandonment. It is the balance between above
and below, light and darkness, eternity and tran-
sistoriness. Thus Strijdom’s articulate means of
sculptural depiction derives its structural value
from the day-to-day human condition whose par-
ticular format of order makes itself visible or audi-
ble. Effectively, as a result of the structural theme
a purpose driven message is born: a social com-
ment upon humanity and the world. This is the vital
link in the emphasising of any given concept un-
dertaken in Strijdom’s methodology. Although one
should not presume that structural order is a suf-
ficient prerequisite of art or design simply because

TOP: Snow and cages. TOP TO BOTTOM: Semi-circle in the sand,

BOTTOM: Plascon Paintbrushes. Untitled, Meyerton & Rock pillars.

it is not a measurable condition of aesthetic excel-
lence. Contextually the effect of entropy upon Land
art in a formal discipline such as sculpture is of
such nature it establishes a return to an essential
order. It’s a harmonious equilibrium inhibiting the
world from falling into boundless confusion in re-
lation to our self-centred, anti-metaphysical na-
ture. Even in the final moments of artwork created
in this manner the finite is as infinite, the individ-
ual the whole, nothing less than an epitome of
cosmic consciousness.
Conclusively, Strijdom van der Merwe’s dialectical
reflection within his medium has proven to be a
genuine, true and profound view of life and all it
Field’s of Flowering hands, Giloolys interchange, Johannesburg, South Africa, June 2010.
59 >
encompasses: subjective, objective, realistic as well
as the abstract effects of entropy, without allowing
elements to become objects of formal delectation.
Strijdom’s evocative designs as Land art or any other
form thereof is not meant to capture or seize the
stream of life. For it finds its functioning purpose
as a communicative tool within a narrow duration
of time and space were the work concentrates a
view upon human existence. A minimalists indica-
tion, that marks the complex steps of progression
by means of alteration within the constant order of
disorder. <
Images courtesy of Strijdom van der Merwe.
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62 >

ANTON
SASSENBERG:
“THE ORIGINAL
DESIGN
GUERRILLA”
By Suné Stassen

Anton Sassenberg is often referred to as
being the most influential and ground-
breaking South African magazine designer
of the past two decades. Looking at his
life’s work that represents an impressive
and colourful diversity of publications,
we can’t help but to note his seminal con-
tributions to the brand repositioning and
design of publications such as the then
anti-apartheid weekly newspaper Vrye
Weekblad, Afrikaans lifestyle magazines
DeKat and Insig, and mainstream English
titles such as Citylife, Style and True Love.
But, Anton has also been a prolific de-
signer outside the magazine arena, pro-
ducing many theatre posters, CD covers
(notably Bloudruk and Getransformeer
for the late Johannes Kerkorrel) and
books that include Penguin editions of
Ancestral Voices by Etienne van Heerden,
Soul of the White Ant by Eugene Marias,
The Owl House by Anne Emslie, The Story
of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner, Alan
Paton by Peter Alexander and Mandela:
Echoes of an Era by Alf Khumalo and Es’kia
Mphalele.
Anton studied Information Design at the
University of Pretoria before he decided to
be a full-time painter for a couple of years.
“I wanted to be an artist but my father
wanted me to have a ‘real’ job. Studying
Information Design meant that I was at
least close to the Art Department where
I spent most of my time,” explains Anton.
His first experience as a publications de-
signer came about when he met with Paddy
Hardegan who, at the time, was producing
books for different publishing companies.
63 >
“Paddy needed assistance with the design
of the new edition of The Story of an Afri-
can Farm for the Frankfurt Book Fair. And
that’s how I became a publications design-
er,” explains Anton.
“After working with Paddy on books and
magazines for a while, I started my own
company, Press Books. A highlight was
designing Mandela: Echoes of an Era for
Penguin in 1990.”
During this time he also became acquaint-
ed with Elize Viljoen who motivated for
Anton to redesign the Vrye Weekblad,
where he stayed until the publication
closed down in 1994. Anton’s work on
this vocal anti-apartheid weekly newspa-
per, published in Afrikaans, was as liberal
in its design as it was with its editorial
content. Its editor, Max du Preez, in Pale
native: Memories of a renegade reporter,
wrote: “In our second year, Vrye Weekblad
underwent a metamorphosis. The reason?
A man called Anton Sassenberg. He turned
every rule in the newspaper design hand-
book on its head and made every page
a work of modern art. And the next week
he would do it completely differently.
He even changed the masthead while I
was away for a week.” Du Preez continues:
“After 1992/93, one could see Anton’s
revolutionary ideas creeping into most
magazine designs in South Africa. He
was the original design guerrilla.”
“Next I worked at DeKat and became cre-
ative director of Penta Publications until
2000 when I also joined New Media Pub-
lishing, who happened to be the publish-
ers of Insig at the time,” says Anton. “It
64 >
was definitely these four years that greatly
influenced my professional outlook on
publication design,” and the continua-
tion of a very successful career that was
to follow.
Anton considers himself more as a jour-
nalist, than a designer. “I basically create
platforms for different messages to be
communicated. This makes me part of
the editorial team and part of the story-
telling process. There is no real differ-
ence between designing a book and a
magazine, except for what Alexander
Brodovich, the legendary art director of
Harper’s Bazaar, called ‘perpetual opti-
mism’. Magazines aren’t permanent: you
can improve them, tweak things and learn
from your mistakes, every month. And
maybe magazine design is less lonely
because you’re working with a team. So
it is my responsibility to continuously
inspire the team to consider and look
for new and fresh ideas and angles.”
HIS CREATIVE PROCESS
“I always work on instinct which is greatly
influenced by factors outside my job like
books, music, art and design. It is difficult
to justify my work ethic and to explain to
others what I do. As an art director and
working in a team, I’m involved in the edi-
torial process from the very beginning. It
is important for me to understand the sto-
ryline, who and what are involved and how
everything unfolds, as well as the inten-
tion of the piece so that I am able to in-
stinctively proceed from there. It just
makes sense to understand the history
behind the piece before you can finalise
the details. Then it is time for my in-
stincts to take control.”
HIS HIGHLIGHTS
“Citylife magazine was the first project
where we really pushed that traditional
envelope. The magazine was already in
trouble when I got involved and we did
five issues before the publishers threw in
the towel. The magazine was then moved
to New Media Publishers at the Johan-
nesburg office and we basically put it
together in our spare time. My colleague
Annelize Visser became acting editor
and we had an amazing team: Lucinda
Hooley, Daisy Jones, Ami Kapilevich and
Kerry Shaw. We were basically given
carte blanche to reinvent the magazine
on a very small budget, which was part
of our strategy. We took a risk and went
against the whole celebrity thing and
created fake celebrities. We used models
that resembled Tom Cruise or Robbie
Williams, for example, and Photoshop
did the rest. A particular challenge was
the apprentice butcher from Alberton that
we cast as Eminem. For the last issue
we invented an entirely fictional celeb-
rity. We built him out of Johnny Depp’s
cheekbones and bits of Brad Pitt. We
named him Frank and we even ‘inter-
viewed’ him.”
“We were also very conscious of the in-
teractive nature of online publishing
and we tried to replicate that on paper
by layering our content. We also experi-
mented with the placements of prod-
ucts as part of a sort-of ‘underground
advertising’ strategy.”
“A few years later we had the opportunity
to take this even further by creating a mag-
azine about magazines for Media24, called
OFC. Our intention was to challenge a
65 >
66 >
 67 >

lot of perceptions and fixed ideas about as the art director of Insig magazine, to
magazines and advertising and we really redesigning very prominent publications
took the concept of interactivity to its like the Style magazine for Caxton and
limits. For example, we had a song com- True Love, Fairlady and Sarie for Media24.
posed about Heineken and ran the story
as sheet music. We built headlines out Based on his diverse experiences in the
of the Tommy Hilfiger logo; we wrote an magazine industry, Anton says that:
entire story using only advertising slo- ”Making a magazine is a team sport: you
gans and we made paper dolls of Janet can’t do it on your own. The history of
Jackson and Justin Timberlake and dressed magazines shows that the best maga-
them in branded merchandise. The cover zines are created when art directors and
was a join-the-dots image of Britney editors work together as a team: Anna
Spears, and we designed the whole maga- Wintour and Alexander Lieberman at
zine back to front, which made paginating Vogue, Brodovich and Carmel Snow at
it a real puzzle. We really appreciated Harper’s Bazaar and later on Liz Tilberis
Media24 Magazines’ CEO Patricia Scholte- and Fabien Baron.” These are all known
meyer’s enthusiasm for some of these wild to be formidable personalities in their own
ideas, but in the end no one really got it right and it is expected that differences
and the industry more or less ignored it.” of opinions will surface from time to time.
“Conflict is healthy but there also has to be
“A few years later when Media24 launched respect. I did my best work with strong
True Love Babe I became consulting editors such as Max du Preez at Vrye Week-
creative director. This was one of my most blad, Joan van Zyl at DeKat, Annelize
satisfying experiences as a publications Visser at Citylife and OFC. And in 2009,
designer. What made Babe so special is I really enjoyed working with Stefania
that Annelize and I worked with a team Johnson, then editorial director at New
of first-time magazine practitioners who Media Publishing, during a brief spell as
instantly took control of the brand they’d design director,” explains Anton.
created. Our job was to encourage them
to become better and better at what they
did. There were lots of cultural differences HIS CURRENT WORK
and subtle things we didn’t understand
so we had to listen more than talk. What Anton is currently consulting as creative
was remarkable was the team’s patience director of Avusa magazines. “I’ve only
in showing us how to translate our mag- been here a few months,” says Anton.
azine experience into a product that was He was brought in to look at the standard
relevant to their market. This was a great of design on all the consumer magazines
learning curve.” in the group. “I have just redesigned
Elle magazine and I am currently busy
Over the years, Anton has played different with Elle Decoration. A few other titles
roles within the publishing design arena: will follow shortly.” He explains that his
from 1998–1999 as art director of DeKat role and responsibilities are now a bit
magazine and between 2004 and 2005 greater than before. A creative director
68 >
is supposed to investigate the brand
identity and design to make sure it’s in
line with what the brand stands for, and
at the same time, successfully commu-
nicate this to the readers so that they can
also identify with the brand. “Because I
am a consultant on many of the different
publications within the Avusa Group, I
am a member of several teams and must
have the ability, at the flick of a finger,
to jump between different publications
that each have their own strategies and
target markets. On some days I have to
make these leaps a few times a day and
sometimes even within the span of an
hour. Being in this position, I am also
learning that I am bound to step on some
toes and how to, from there, encourage
growth. I am also positioned to be the
bridge between art directors and editors
which in itself holds a lot of challenges.”
According to Anton the most important
ingredient for success in any career is
passion. “I was recently very impressed
when I met a young designer who wanted
to join Elle Decoration. I’ve never seen
his work but it was clear that working
for Elle Decoration has been his life’s
dream.” Due to the digital era it is under-
standably difficult for young people to
break into this industry. “The youngsters
that really interest me are the ones that
are really still excited about working in
this industry. It’s a very fickle industry.
You need commitment and maybe a
second career... One day you might be a
hero and by the next issue sales go down
and you go down to zero with it. Twenty
years ago I fell into magazine design by
coincidence and I’m still here.” <
 69 >

College of Human Sciences

School of Arts

Artwork: Ronit Judelman, UNISA student

Nurture your creativity in the visual arts

We offer a wide variety of learning programmes in the disciplines of Art History, Visual Arts and Multimedia
Studies.

Our programmes prepare you for a multiplicity of careers in the contemporary art world: professional
artist, corporate art advisor, community art specialist, arts and culture journalist, animator, art educator,
art historian, art critic, multimedia designer, music video producer and video director.

Undergraduate Studies: Postgraduate studies:

• BA degree in Art History • Honours, Masters and DLitt et Phil degrees in
• Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) Art History
• BA (Culture and Arts) with specialisation in • Advanced University Diploma in Visual Arts
Multimedia Studies • Masters degree in Visual Arts (MVA)

For more information:

Tel: (+27) 12 429-6459 / (+27) 12 429-6798
Fax: (+27) 12 429-3556
E-mail: mabitl@unisa.ac.za / ndalafs@unisa.ac.za
Website: www.unisa.ac.za/dept/arts
70 >

THINKING THROUGH D
MICHAEL BIERUT’S CAUTI
TALE ON LESSONS LE
 71 >

DESIGN:
Michael Bierut is surely a designer that needs little introduction. Prior
to joining Pentagram as a partner, Bierut worked at Vignelli Associates,
ultimately as graphic design vice president. He is the winner of countless

IONARY awards and a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and Art
Directors Club Hall of Fame. Awarded the AIGA Medal in 2006 and
named winner in the Design Mind category of the Cooper-Hewitt National

EARNED Design Awards in 2008, he’s a senior critic in graphic design at the Yale
School of Art and co-founder of www.DesignObserver.com

Christoph Niemann’s murals at P.S. 69 in Clason Point, the Bronx.

72 >
In an interview with DESIGN>MAGAZINE
Michael shared some of lessons that he
has learnt over the past 30 years and spe-
cifically those gained while working on The
L!brary Initiative.
DESIGN THINKING
You are described as an advocate of ‘design
thinking’. How do you apply this approach
and how does it benefit your clients? It’s
become a fairly trendy term and in that respect
I am somewhat suspicious of it.
Basically, what I learned during The L!brary
Initiative was that we should never forget
about the larger context for our work, espe-
cially the people who will be exposed to it.
It’s very easy to be distracted by other
things when you’re working on a project. What
am I good at doing? What do I like to do? How
do I usually solve this kind of problem? What
usually works? What do I think the client will
accept? And so forth. These are all good
questions, but they’re not the most important
questions. They’re all just about the pre-
requisites to doing the work, the kinds of
things that any professional has to worry
about, no matter what the project.
The important questions are harder because
they require you to pay attention. They’re
things like: What really needs to be done
here? Who’s going to be affected by this
work? What would be the best possible
outcome for this audience? And: How can I
make a unique contribution?
I’ve been working as a designer for nearly
thirty years and the longer I work, oddly
enough, the easier it is to fall into the trap
represented by the first set of concerns.
You’re rewarded if you think that way, at
LTR: Michael Bierut’s identity for The L!brary Initiative. The library at P.S.
184 in East New York, Brooklyn, features portraits by Dorothy Kresz.
least in the short term. You work fast and effi-
ciently, and your client is satisfied. But the
client is usually different than the audience.
And the audience – the end user, whoever
it is – requires time and attention to be truly
engaged. So that requires attention to the
second set of questions. You can call this
‘design thinking’, or you can call this just plain
thinking. The worst kind of design is thought-
less design. The best kind is thoughtful.
THE L!BRARY INITIATIVE
How did The L!brary Initiative come about?
Nearly nine years ago, Pentagram was asked
to contribute to a visionary effort by the
wonderful – and design-conscious – Robin
Hood Foundation: an initiative to build new
school libraries in elementary schools
throughout the five boroughs of New York
City. A range of talented architects would
design the libraries; private companies would
The library at P.S. 196 in Soundview, the Bronx, designed by Rafael Esquer.
donate books and funds; and Pentagram
would provide the graphic design, including
signage, wayfinding and a masterbrand that
Hundreds of words are interpreted by thousands of silhouettes.
would tie all the sites together.
Along the way, we discovered something
interesting. The libraries are usually located
in older buildings with high ceilings, but the
shelves in the libraries can’t be built higher
than kids can reach. This means there is a
space between the top shelf and the ceiling,
an up-to-six-foot band around the room
just begging for ‘something’ special. That
‘something’ turned out to be murals. And
the results can now be seen in schools all
over New York City, including five brand new
ones in the Bronx which feature murals by
Rafael Esquer, Maira Kalman, Christoph
Niemann, Stefan Sagmeister and Yuko
Shimizu, and Charles Wilkin.
73 >
74 >

Pentagram’s involvement with The L!brary

Lynn Pauley painted a series of student portraits

for the murals at P.S. 36, Castle Hill, the Bronx.
Initiative began by naming it and creating its
logo. At the face of it, there’s no reason why
this project needs a logo. On the other hand,
there there’s no reason for each library to look
different. After all, none of the kids are likely
to see any library but their own. But giving
the effort an overall identity makes it more
understandable to potential donors and to
the public and private organisations that work
with the Robin Hood Foundation. And mak-
ing each library different makes each place
memorable and specially suited to its site.

Dozens of architects have worked on the

Maira Kalman’s murals for the library at P.S. 47 in
the Bronx represent the alphabet with an unusual
collection of artifacts.
project since it began in 2000, including Tod
Williams and Billie Tsien, Marian Weiss and
Michael Manfredi, Jared Della Valle and An-
drew Bernheimer, Henry Myerberg and De-
borah Berke. The first mural, a series of photo-
graphic portraits by Dorothy Kresz, was
installed in a library in Brooklyn’s P.S. 184
that was designed by Richard Lewis. It was an
immediate hit with students, librarians and
teachers, and in the next wave of installa-
tions, murals were commissioned from Peter
Arkle and Lynn Pauley, who did four in three
weeks.
Peter Arkle interviewed a group of students
about their favorite books for the murals at P.S.
287, Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

What lessons did you learn from working on

The L!brary Initiative? The lessons I learned
were, first, don’t try to be so clever all the
time. I think that designers, myself included,
start by trying to impress each other with our
ingenuity. In this regard I recall a statement
by Chilean architect, Alejandro Aravena, at
the 2010 Design Indaba in Cape Town. He
said that creativity was only necessary
when you didn’t have enough information
to solve a problem using other means. The
implication was that we should ‘be creative’ as
a last resort, only when we were sure that
 75 >

there was nothing more to be learned from
the situation at hand. I love that idea.
In the case of The L!brary Initiative project,
I learnt that I didn’t spend enough time at
the outset understanding the audience. I
just tried to solve everything with a clever
logo.
The second lesson is that you get power by
giving away power. The more people I in-
volved in the project, and the more freedom
we gave them to do their work, the more
effective the result was.
agency with numerous decision-makers and
several collaborators? What worked well
was to give everyone very specific param-
eters and then allow them a great deal of
freedom within those parameters. I find it
frustrating as a designer when it works the
other way. You often have clients who say
“the sky’s the limit,” but that’s only because
they haven’t properly thought through the
limits first. The organisers of The L!brary
Initiative were really smart about defining
the project clearly for all the participants.
As we started bringing in collaborators, we
tried to give them the same combination of
rules and license.

The third lesson is that the real opportunity

to do something amazing may not be in the Does this comparative summary resonate
official scope of work. As I was saying be- with you or would you care to elaborate with
fore, the efficient and professional approach your own definitions:
is to execute what’s required and not do a
single thing more. But what you’ve been Traditional designer Evolved design
asked to do and what actually need to be thinking

done may be two radically different things, Concerned with Moves from identity to
and that difference is what changes the branding the experience

world sometimes. Clever Thoughtful

Exclusive decision- Seeks ideas through
The fourth lesson is that sameness and making, values/ collaboration, more
prefers unique ideas inclusive
consistency are two different things. This is
hard for designers to remember, and even Works within the Identifies opportuni-
scope of work ties beyond the scope
harder for some clients to remember. If you’re
of work
a control freak, it’s tempting to overestimate
Values consistency Values consistency of
the need to control everything: that’s what
to the point of message, but has
control freaks do, obviously, and that’s
‘sameness’ flexibility to adjust to
what a lot of designers are. But letting dif- an environment and
ferences come through is an acknowledge- audience needs
ment of what makes us human. Design at its Prefers to work alone Encourages a continu-
best lets those differences be expressed at to generate the single ous loop of audience
a high level. Big Idea feedback to correct/
adapt initial ideas

Regarding your notion of “Overestimating

the need for control”, how were you able I think the chart is exactly right.
to strike a balance in dealing with a public
76 >

How successful have you been in tempering
Bronx, designed by Stefan Sagmeister and Yuko Shimizu. Shimizu’s illustration incorporates Sagmeister’s quote ‘Everybody who is honest is interesting.’
TOP: The murals at P.S. 186 in Morrisania, the Bronx, designed Charles Wilkin of Automatic Art and Design. BOTTOM: The murals at P.S. 96, Bedford Park, the the audience’s needs for the visceral and
emotional with your own need to bring your
extensive experience and skill to play?
Sometimes I think that the audience’s emo-
tional needs are so titanic and my own skills
are so limited that it’s not really a fair fight.
All I can hope is to choose the right tools to
even the playing field a little bit.
THE ‘POST-DESIGN’ FACTOR
Have you felt the need to develop a feedback
loop with the audience after your project?
Is audience response necessary to consider
a project successful? Of course it’s nice
when the audience loves what you do, but
I would say this is secondary to the sense
that they’ve come to take on the work as
their own, and that it’s acquired some kind
of life beyond what we gave them. Some-
times this happens because they really like
it; sometimes it happens when they’re
challenged by it. Just the other day, I visited
a client’s website and they had done this
terrific animation of the identity we designed.
It was done in a way I never would have im-
agined, and it was just great. I was just so
happy to see the seed we had planted turn
into this surprising blossom.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
L!BRARY PROJECT
Michael referred DESIGN> to Annoradha
Iyer Siddiqi, an architect, writer and former
L!brary Initiative director, whose latest
book L!brary attempts to document the
project as a case study and explore the po-
tential for scalability outside the New York
Public Library system. After reviewing the
77 >
results of the 50 libraries covered under
this initiative, Siddiqi concludes that good
library design can actually inspire learning,
and the use of (artistic) talent, culture and
a pleasing environment adds value to the
building’s and community’s sense of worth.
“Art does matter”, she said, as she attempts
to demonstrate how widely varied fields and
communities – corporate underwriters, chil-
dren’s book publishers, architects, graphic
designers, product manufacturers, library
associations, teachers and students – can
join forces to make a difference in the lives
of children.
While design and safety standards are nat-
urally subject to their environmental, cultural
and legal context, Siddiqi concludes that
replicating and scaling up the L!brary project
is feasible. “(Aesthetic) Standardisation kills
the spirit though,” she cautions attributing
the success of the project to the unique,
customised space of each targeted library,
and the fact that the audience and library
users had some input in designing the space
allowed them to ‘own it’.
To this effect, Siddiqi dedicates the last sec-
tion of her book to “How to Make a L!brary”,
hoping to inspire other community organisers
and architects to pursue similar initiatives
in their own communities. <
78 >

WHAT
IS A
BRAND’S
WORTH?
Innovation Protocol’s Sasha
Strauss discusses seven of the
many critical aspects that he
considers when reviewing the role
of branding in the marketplace.

Sasha Strauss in action.


As an educator, I am often asked
why branding matters. As a strate-
gic brand development profession-
al, whose job it is to look clinically
at brands, I often have to deter-
mine how and why brands move
us to purchase products that are
non-essential or not even well
designed.
Branding matters
because we need to
rationalise our
decision-making
The interesting thing about being
human is that we are always look-
ing for reasons for the things we
do. Rather than just being in love,
we are in love because we think we
are supposed to be. It’s a spiritual
connection – there are all of these
additional rationales that we apply
to decisions and actions, including
our purchasing behavior, even for
the most functional objects in our
lives like pens, computers, cars,
clothes or shoes. Rather than just
using them for their basic function,
we like to use them and feel good
about our use of them.
Branding is a
reflection of our
desires, values and
aspirations
This is the case when the products
reflect something about us or
something that we aspire to be. For
instance, I aspire to be self-expres-
sive and creative – well, if my com-
puter is self-expressive and cre-
ative, it implies that I am as well.
As a brand poster-child, Apple
has done such an exceptional job
of creating an ‘infinity’ of sorts that
can’t be compromised. This is why
I am one of the people waiting in
line, in the worst economy in his-
tory, to pay for a premium device. I
am excited to replace my current
laptop, which can basically do the
same thing as far as the functional-
ity, but not as beautifully or ele-
gantly.
It shouldn’t be surprising that peo-
ple are prepared to buy something
they don’t actually need because
the desire trumps the need. We
buy things that we don’t need all
the time, however we buy them be-
cause they make us feel wonder-
ful. And feeling wonderful is an in-
nate need. Not understanding this
basic human need is where people
who don’t like branding run amuck.
They put branding down to a mere
reflection of consumerism and
marketers trying to sell people
things they don’t require.
79 >
Successful branding
reaches beyond our
physical needs to
our emotional ones
Thinking about what I actually
need… I do need food but I also
need to feel good about what I eat,
which means my choice of a par-
ticular brand of food makes me not
only satiated but also makes me
feel good about the action of eat-
ing, which is equally important.
Everything from the shopping ex-
perience to the packaging of the
product adds to the pleasure of the
purchasing experience. After all,
it’s a combination of pleasures.
Even when it comes to everyday
tasks, I think most people do en-
joy going to a grocery store and
making choices. Brands enable us
to have multiple choices. Whole
Foods, which is a US and UK-based
grocery store chain that offers the
highest quality and least proc-
essed natural foods, is a great
example of this.
Really successful
branding moves
beyond the physical
product to crafting
an experience
Rather than just a barrel of flour,
Whole Foods features an array of
80 >
flour items. You could decide if
you want flour that is organically
or locally-grown, whichever one
makes you feel better. It might
cost a little bit more to make you
feel better, but only you can put
a value to that sensation.
Whole Foods are not the only ones
who sell quality natural products
– there are many alternatives – but
the difference is that Whole Foods
is an integrated brand experience.
Every single thing that Whole Foods
does, from the moment you walk
into their stores to the time you
pay for your purchases at check-
out, is designed to reinforce the
emotional connection you have
with buying groceries. The inter-
esting fact is that while organic
foods are supposed to be healthier,
no government in the world – at
least not the US Food and Drug
Agency – is willing to confirm this.
This means that we are willing to
spend our ‘whole paycheck’ at
Whole Foods because, in the end,
we bring products home that make
us feel like a better parent, a better
spouse, or a better human being.
Successful branding is designed
to make us feel like our choices
are better than average.
Does branding rob us
of our individuality
or does it make us
more efficient?
Of course, there is a community of
people that is sceptical about the
dominance of logos and branding,
maintaining that the world would
be a healthier place if we didn’t
have these highly seductive brands.
This is only natural. Since our first
inclination, especially as sort-of
liberal thinking individuals in a
free society, we have always liked
to make all of our own choices and
don’t like to be ‘sold’ on those
decisions. We like to make deci-
sions base – we have too many
things to worry about. For instance,
we hand over our trust when we
ask a friend, “Hey, what dentist do
you use?” We like to turn to a mag-
azine editor for a recommendation
on a new computer we should buy.
So, as we build those relationships
with extended trust, we hope that
a brand, like an individual, can
make a promise that they can
keep. For example, Listerine kills
bacteria in your mouth and has
done so consistently for years, so
you can buy the Listerine brand
without having to vet it. When a
brand keeps a promise that it
makes, you basically buy the brand
because the trust is innate. Since
we don’t want to make a thousand
decisions every day, we always
go back to Subway Sandwich
stores, Starbucks Coffee, etc.,
brands that help us make those
decisions. Ultimately, in this re-
spect, brands bring simplicity
and efficiency to our lives. They
do not get us to buy things we
don’t need.
So what makes for
successful branding?
An organisation has to figure out
exactly what it is that their audi-
ence desires, whether it be socially,
economically or emotionally, etc.
Rather than hoping that the audi-
ence will figure it out, the corpo-
rate personality hands it to them
– in every commercial and social
interaction, and every time they
walk into the store.
This is what you are handed when
you walk into an Apple store. It’s an
all-encompassing environment,
with the employees in their t-shirts
with fun little nametags. All the
products are easily touchable,
visually appealing and connected
to the Internet. The children’s sec-
tion, featuring bean bags and a
fun atmosphere basically as-
sures you: “Fear not, your child
can poke around on this device
and there is nothing to be con-
cerned about.” This all-encom-
passing brand experience is
what creates that permanent
connection which makes people
wait in line for a day, to pay $800

for a device they don’t necessar-
ily need.
These brands are exemplary of
really good integrated brand
creation. It doesn’t matter
whether it is a global corpora-
tion that sells software to other
global corporations or a non-
profit organisation with three
environmentalists at the helm. It
is imperative that we all do rec-
ognise that a brand has to es-
tablish some type of intangible
connection with its audience. I
mention consumer brands like
Nike, Apple and Whole Foods,
because we are all consumers. It
doesn’t make a difference
whether you are the president of
the United States or a homeless
person, you choose to consume
things regularly and you want to
feel better about what you are
consuming.
Some brands have been extraor-
dinarily successful at capturing
this type of sensation. An exam-
ple of a strong brand that has
totally ‘got it’ is Land Rover. Land
Rover essentially invented the
Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV, as
we know it. All SUV owners com-
pare their SUV to a Range Rover.
I have owned four Land Rovers
in my life and everyone of them
have been recognised by the
brand, appreciated for its func-
tionality, and recognised that it
was a reflection of me, someone
who works hard and is accom-
plished, but also has somewhat
of a rugged outdoor lifestyle.
It’s a very storytelling product.
Some of the first vehicles seen
by native tribes in Africa were
Land Rovers. The first-aid re-
sources brought to remote coun-
tries were initially delivered in
Land Rovers, making it a historical
icon of transport. Even though
people like to say these vehicles
are overpriced or that they might
have had electrical issues in the
past, I have not met anyone who
doesn’t know what a Land Rover
is – which is astonishing. It just
shows you how powerful a con-
sistent story can be.
To cite a simple example: One of
the best billboards Land Rover
has ever produced was simply a
photo of a desert with tire-tracks
and the message said, ‘Before
you can help people, you have
to get to them…’ – with the Land
Rover logo in the upper right-
hand corner. This presents just
an epic description of the func-
tionality of these devices. The
brand is easy to recognise, with
a green oval that is highly distin-
guished from its competition.
It’s called exactly what it is func-
tionally, i.e. a land-roving de-
vice; hence, Land Rover. In that
respect, I believe Land Rover is
as high-quality as a brand like
Apple.
81 >
Brands are ‘people’
too…
Sometimes, brands lose their
way – there isn’t an organisation
in history that has lived a flaw-
less life. Be it churches, coun-
tries, governments or brands;
everyone is going to be troubled
at one point or another. If a brand
is going to make a mistake, it
needs to build enough positive
brand equity so that when it
does happen, so many people
love and trust the brand that
they won’t abandon ship. Even
Apple has had its fair share of
mistakes – their batteries have
blown up on airplanes. Every
brand is going to make a mis-
take but the more the brand is
loved, the more likely the com-
munity will forgive those mis-
takes. ”It’s okay Apple, because
we know and trust that you
wouldn’t do something to per-
manently damage our affinity.”
Organisations love to focus on
their features and functions, but
sometimes even the most ad-
vanced multi-featured products
fail. When most engineers and
product developers create a
brand, their focal points are fea-
ture and function – the speed of
the processor or the size of the
screen. Does an iPhone owner
have any idea how fast the proc-
essor is in their iPhone? Or how
82 >
large the screen is by any dimen-
sion? They probably don’t. The
Motorola Droid product was
launched with features and func-
tions as its primary brand-voice,
and that’s the reason why no
one is paying attention. We are
way too overwhelmed. Think about
every single item in your life like
your car, your clothes, your phone
and your computer – the poorly
executed brands are just berat-
ing you with technical features.
Technical features you may not
even understand.
What Apple does so cleverly is
anthropomorphise the product.
Despite its complex functions and
features, one is not just interacting
with a machine.
I liken this to an extension of you
as an individual. That is what the
iPhone feels like. That’s the way it
has been positioned. That’s why
the commercials have always had
simple white backgrounds and
really gentles folky children’s music.
Just think about when you are
sitting in front of the television
and you are watching an Apple
commercial – though this com-
mercial they are showing you
one of the most technically ca-
pable devices in history whilst
making it look so simple and
such a reflection of you, the user,
that you can’t do anything but
want it.
Every brand has its own corporate
personality. Apple, for one, plays
it quite close to the edge. Custom-
ers have complained about their
low degree of customer care, high
prices, and cost of use, and some
view this as a complacence they
can afford.
But do you, as a consumer, care?
No. When you go to a work or so-
cial meeting, especially in creative
forums, everyone expects you to
have an iPhone, and therefore
you feel complete because you
have it in your life.
One doesn’t need to interpret
this mockingly; I think that it is
beautiful. I wish that everybody
could find a brand that makes
him or her feel happy, creative,
self-expressive and complete.
That’s the beauty of great brand
development.
About Sasha
Sasha Strauss is managing direc-
tor at Innovation Protocol and ad-
junct professor at the University of
Southern California. Corporates,
advertising and brand agencies,
media and academic institutions
from around the world have called
upon Strauss to share his knowl-
edge and intimate insights into the
world of branding. NPR, ABC Radio
and The Wall Street Journal con-
tinue to seek his expertise on
branding everything from presi-
dential candidates to innovative
start-ups and Fortune 500s. Inno-
vation Protocol is a brand strategy-
consulting firm that exclusively
serves innovators, and their clients
include global market leaders such
as Johnson&Johnson, Korn/Ferry
International and PayPal. <
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 84 >

I am a spy. Not so much a wolf in

the henhouse, but more of a duck.

CURRENCY:ICOGRADA DESIGN WEEK 2010,

Quack. You see, here at Icograda
Design Week 2010, Vancouver, I’m
likely to be the only copywriter in
a room of design heavyweights.

Everyone else here has little doodles

and iconography filling their mole-
skins. Mine, on the other hand, is
full of harried notes and arrows …
obviously not the mark of one that
wields pixels and ink. Yet, I know
I’m in the right spot. This is event is
more holistic — macro even. Early
DESIGN
on in the day, we are all asked to
group up and conceptualise on e
of the themes of the conference:
What is the value of design? An-
By Geoff Vreeken

swers come both long and short:

some in an oh-so trendy and tweet-
able 140 characters, others full of
jargon. One group defined the value
of design as “six.” But the thing is,
(and this links back to my duck/
hen analogy) is that every single
VANCOUVER

answer (barring the cheeky “six”)

was about innovation. It’s what all
creatives do. Regardless if you mill
furniture, design or write ad cam-
paigns, brew beer, work for NASA
or create garments, good design is
all about innovation.

So there we have it, my excuse for

being. Or at least for being here at
Icograda Design Week 2010 while
my art director partner sits slaving
away at our coffin-sized studio.
Us creatives, we’re all innovators,
and the well that we draw from in

order to innovate needs to be
filled constantly. What better way
than locking ourselves in an ice-
cold conference hall for two days
while jacked up on generic coffee
and stale pastries? Okay, an open
bar evening might be better, but
I’ll get to that later.
The first speaker was Brainfood
Creative founder Mark E. Sackett,
discussing, “Why sitting still is not
an option.” Ironically, this was im-
mediately illustrated when his co-
speaker, Mark Busse (GDC past
president and Industrial Brand
founder) tried to stand up and join
him, and promptly fell right off his
chair — papers and coffee flailing
roughly 10 feet in a southerly tra-
jectory. Once the cheers had sub-
sided, the two began an inspiring
back-and-forth dialogue that set
the tone for the weekend ahead.
They spoke about taking risks and
failing, and how that simply equaled
iteration — a crucial part of design.
They also touched on process and
technology, and how their repeti-
tive natures can also create bland
and homogenous thinking. Watch-
ing as every creative in the room con-
stantly fiddled with their iPhones,
I could clearly see how invasive
technology was separating us from
the surrounding world, making us
blind to inspiration.
The two wrapped up with a brief
comment on ‘spec work’. This would
turn out to be a preface for a heated
85 >
topic that would come up time
and again during the conference.
The opinion between the two Marks
was that spec in any form devalued
design. No matter what excuse a
designer had, it was their stance
that free work hurts all of us.
Switching gears rather abruptly,
the next panel was a trio of archi-
tects speaking on sustainable cities.
Cameron Sinclair spoke passion-
ately about his organisation, Archi-
tecture for Humanity, and how crea-
tivity could overcome small or even
no budgets when approaching
housing, business, or energy chal-
lenges. In one example, he illustrat-
ed how medical clinics in the devel-
oping world sent medical supplies
from one location to the next via
camel. By strapping solar panels
on said dromedary, they were able
to send power along with medicine.
Local architect and champion of
Vancouver, Peter Busby, was up
second and spoke about the re-
zoning of this city to the effect
that each micro-community had
all the amenities it needed within
10 minutes walking distance. Bruce
Haden spoke last on the panel,
showing another side of Vancou-
ver. He argued that our modern city
was “pretty…but plastic.” He pro-
posed that the chaos and adap-
tive nature of organic communities
such as the one that springs up
yearly at the Burning Man Festival
allowed for more joy and visual
Designer doodles. © GDC/BC.
86 >

satisfaction. To illustrate his point, Africa and Angola. Because of the

he brought attention to the fact that
Vancouver’s new False Creek Water-
front didn’t have a single bar on it. Not
one. The greed that drove develop-
ers to build waterfront homes had
eliminated the possibility for com-
munity watering holes. Sad, really.
Busby then spoke again, going through
a number of fascinating green build-
ing techniques including structures
that fed off the wasted energy of their
neighbouring buildings. Continuing
on the innovative design for the good
of mankind, Oscar Pena of Phillips
Lighting Design discussed a number of
products they’d recently developed,
including a solar-charged soccer
field in Nairobi – the first of its kind
to allow sports to be played after
sundown.
Due to our friendly Icelandic volcano,
the next speaker had been grounded
in Africa, unable to physically attend.
That didn’t stop Martin Miruka from
delivering a thought-provoking talk
live via satellite from Nairobi. His topic
was Brand Africa and how complex
it was. Comprised of a mind-boggling
54 countries, Africa suffered from igno-
rance on the part of North American
media – many of whom had trouble
telling the difference between South
many celebrity-endorsed charity ef-
forts, Africa’s brand (the entire con-
tinent) has become inherently about
desperation and poverty. Obviously,
this is nowhere near reality, but it is
the overall perception – which can
often overshadow reality. Miruka hy-
pothesised that the overall brand
could only be saved by small design
and strategy victories. Every brand that
became positively world-renowned
as ‘made in Africa’ had to be well
thought-out, and had to be of quality.
Only then, could the overarching brand
move forward.
Current AIGA president Debbie Mill-
man presented a 150-year retrospec-
tive on branding and advertising,
covering everything from cave-painters
leaving their mark on walls, to modern
branding and communications. One
of her more poignant moments came
when she pointed out that humans
love a puzzle; solving a riddle creates a
deeper overall connection to the mes-
sage, hence the popularity of abstract
ad campaigns.
To wrap up day one, Brian Collins of
New York’s Collins Design & Innovation
presented an intriguing look at the
creative process. He offered the opin-
ion that today’s ubiquitous creative

TOP: © Adrian J.K. Shum. CENTRE LTR: Cameron Sinclair, co-founder of

Architecture for Humanity and Marian Bantjes, designer and typographic
illustrator. © GDC/BC. BOTTOM LTR: Debbie Millman, brand designer,
radio host and president of AIGA (© Oliver Oike) and Heather Fraser is
Director of DesignWorks™ and Rotman’s Design Initiative © GDC/BC.
 87 >

process that focused on target

markets and unique selling prop-
ositions had been democratised,
and could be used as a predicable
tool for anyone – thus leaving the
creative somewhat useless. If cli-
ents and crowdsourcing could pro-
duce work for much less than a
traditional agency, then what is
the agency’s value? His solution
has been to develop a new proc-
ess, one where intense product/
service research sets the table for
choosing a human archetype with
which to pair said product/serv-
ice. Perhaps the chosen archetype
is the hero, the rebel, the lover, sha-
man, etc. Once that persona is
selected, then a story is written
around it. That story is then aligned
with the brand, and a campaign is
born.

On day two one of the most polar-

ising speakers came early in the
morning – Marian Bantjes, one of
the world’s most sought-after typog-
raphers took the stage with the
opinion that art and communication
design have become two very dif-
ferent things. Communication de-
sign, she says, has become so
paint-by-numbers, that it is largely
strategically driven, robbing it of
its artistic soul. Art, on the other
hand, springs from an unknown
part of one’s self. It cannot be bro-
ken down into a process, and it’s
not piloted by strategy. Sure, she
said, she of course listens to all
the data a client has to offer, but
88 >

following that … she lets her mind
drift into the unknown. What comes
out is a finished product that can be
beautiful, unexpected, and some-
times dangerous. In Bantjes’ case
though, each iteration has proved
effective for clients. So much so, that
she’s become a relative celebrity in
our industry worldwide.
After another heady dose of coffee
that was beginning to taste suspi-
ciously like asphalt, local boy won-
der and creative director at Rethink,
Ian Grais, took the stage to chat about
what’s propelled his agency to such
success. One campaign he discussed
was the Tankers are Loonie project,
an environment initiative to drum
up public outcry against the use of
western Canada’s Northern Gateway
as an oil tanker route. This would
cause a huge risk for the destruction
of countless native species of wild-
life should even a minor spill occur.
Using a miniscule budget, Rethink
created tiny decals that were affixed
to Canada’s national $1 coin. The coin
already featured a Loon, (a national
bird) and the decal simply made it
appear soaked in oil with the URL
“notankers.ca” underneath. The page
led to a petition. Since the submis-
sion of said petition, the tanker route
has been scuttled. Later on in the
day I posed this question to Grais:
“Being that this was, for all intents
and purposes, a spec project, does
it make it okay that it was for a good
cause?” “Yes, absolutely,” he re-
plied “we don’t see it as spec at all.
This is us (Rethink) giving back to a
cause we believe in.” I agreed with
Grais wholeheartedly, but couldn’t
help thinking in the back of mind, “Yep,
it also likely won you a few awards
and a ton of PR.” But, it’s a double-
edged sword that did well for every-
one involved, so, kudos to Rethink.
One of my favourite speakers was
up next: Frank Chimero – a designer,
writer, and gingham-clad metahipster
hailing from the creative incubator
that is Portland, Oregon, USA. Chimero
spoke about ‘delight’. He explained
that it occurred at the intersection
of surprise and clarity — simple things
that are serendipitous. As an exam-
ple, he pointed to the chain of Ace
Hotels across the US. They had wall-
papered the door of one room with
pages from a book. Legally, they had
to place a neon exit sign above the
door. It ruined the look. But, the de-
signer took the obstacle, and created
something delightful. Using large type,
they used ‘EXIT’ as part of a larger

TOP LTR: Frank Chimero, designer and writer and wallpaper for Ace Hotels
by Chimero © GDC/BC. Ali Gardiner and Ben Huise presenting the
branding programme for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games. © Oliver Oike. THIRD ROW: Ian Grais, creative director
at Rethink Communications and Tankers are Loonie project by Rethink.
BOTTOM LTR: David Berman, designer and author of Do Good Design
(© Adrian J.K. Shum) and Dave Mason. © GDC/BC.
 89 >

sentence on the wall: “Every exit

in an entrance somewhere else.”
Delightful. Inexpensive. Memorable.

Next, Ben Hulse and Ali Gardiner

arrived to discuss the creation of the
brand, graphics and advertising
for Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics. This
massive undertaking included 20
full-size style manuals for the two
logos alone. One of the more in-
teresting sections of the branding
they covered was the modular
and scalable graphics system that
covered the entire city from coffee
cups and tiny pins, to the sides of
entire arenas and massive out-
door areas. The macro image was
made up of hundreds of elements,
all of which could be moved and
scaled to create semi-custom ex-
ecutions, while still conveying a
consistent graphic brand.

Later, a passionate panel again took

up the conversation of spec work,
specifically in the new business
pitch scenario. AIGA president
Debbie Millman was again on stage,
along with author Blaire Enns, and
P&G ad buyer John Gleason. The
latter was of course the assumed
bad guy to begin with. A client
championing spec work in a con-
ference hall full of designers and
art directors? Good luck. But, the
tone quickly changed as it was
brought to light that it was agencies
themselves that were constantly
offering the free work. For the 100
shops withholding spec, there
90 >
was always one willing to shill
themselves a little harder – and
deliver free creative. And one was
enough to make two do it, and
so on, and so on.
In the end, Millman offered the
most realistic call to arms for de-
signers. If you’re young and strug-
gling, maybe spec is the short
initial sprint you need to get in
the game. But over the long run
– the marathon – integrity and
valuing your work was the key to
true success and fulfillment.
These are words that have me
nodding my head again as I write
this.
The last speaker I’ll cover from
the conference is David Berman,
a communication designer of 25
years, and fervent champion of
sustainable design practices. He
talked about sustainability in de-
sign and how it needed to be omni-
present. Not a separate bolt-on to
every project, but baked in to its
very DNA. In his book, Do Good
Design, Berman talks about how
we’re all the designers of the future
of civilisation – an interesting
concept indeed.
Following the conference, the
theme What is the value of design
had been answered every which
way. Design’s value is incalculable;
it is man’s desire to innovate and McDonald’s, Geoff knows more
evolve. Design shapes each and about mass-produced cheese-
every experience humans have. burgers than any one man should.
It is something to be cherished,
respected, and furthered togeth- Geoff has parachuted in as a
er. As someone who can’t draw freelancer for all sorts of agencies
to save his life, or even really deci- including Industrial Brand, Smak,
pher red from orange, I felt more Mercer and Wax Partnership, work-
like a designer than ever. ing on brands including Nike, Shaw
Cable, Amacon, Visa, Kiwi Collec-
To cap off the event, we all headed tion and Vancouver Olympic Leg-
over for the Graphex 2010 awards. acies. In 2009, Geoff founded
Of course, the only thing design- www.homelesscopywriter.com
ers like to do better than learn… a one-man campaign fighting to
is to give each other awards. The bring awareness to Vancouver’s
party was loud, sexy, boisterous homeless street youth, and ben-
and well put together. Shiny efiting the Covenant House. <
baubles were handed around
and a blur of backslapping and
laughter ensued. For all the talk
of change and moving forward
that had gone on the last couple
of days, I had to admit, there was
one thing about the advertising
and design industry I hoped would
never change: The sweet parties.
ABOUT GEOFF
Geoff Vreeken is a copywriter with
dual Dutch/Canadian citizenship.
That means he writes stuff that
sells stuff in Vancouver, but would
be open to writing stuff that sells
stuff in Europe. Beginning his ca-
reer at Brandspank and Cossette
working for clients including Fat-
burger, Ricky’s Restaurants and
 Media partners

AGDA11146 OPT_FP90+10Ad.indd 2 13/08/10 9:17 AM

 CAPE
IS
TO WEL
THE W
ACTUALLY, JUST AFRICA, THE MIDD

We’ve built the airports. We’ve cleaned the roads. We’ve trained the police. And finally the time has come, to welcome the wo
Be a part of history and enter your work at www.theloerieawards.co.za

EXTENDED ENTRY DEADLINE 14 JUNE. BUT ONLY OPEN TO AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLAND STATES OFF THE AFRICAN
E TOWN
READY
LCOME
WORLD!
DLE EAST AND ISLANDS OFF THE AFRICAN COAST.

world to the biggest event of the year: The 2010 Loerie Awards.

N COAST.
94 >
WHO IS SEAN METELERKAMP?
A GUY WITH TWO
SMOOTH BALLAS*
Cue Marius Constant’s iconic
Twilight Zone theme song, now
mix it up with the Ride of the
Valkyries helicopter scene from
Apocalypse Now, Debussy’s Clair
de lune and Muse’s Stockholm
Syndrome – all at once it’s dis-
jointed, terrifying, uncomfort-
able and yet...magical...in a odd,
inconsistent, unfamiliar and
sinister way. You can’t seem to
get yourself to turn it off. You
need to know how it ends. You
keep listening and eventually
you can’t help but fall in love
with it all. Capture this experi-
ence in an image and you’d be
looking at the work of that
boy, Sean Metelerkamp.
‘It’s the guy that did the Zef
Side music video for Die Ant-
woord’ you may say and you’d
be right – it is that guy. After
the cyber explosion of Die Ant-
woord, the offers from inter-
national producers have been
pouring in, magazines are
scrambling to profile him and
the official uploads of Zef Side
hit 6 million views on YouTube
yesterday –possibly making
By Anri Theron
him the most watched South
African music video director
ever. When we asked Sean to
describe his experience working
with Die Antwoord he bluntly
answers, “I don’t want to talk
about this anymore. Sorry.”
Like a true artist he doesn’t
seem to linger too long in the
spotlight before escaping out
the nearest exit in search of
that forever elusive image that
will satisfy his imagination: “I
am happy, but I have never
and will never be satisfied with
anything I create. It is this tor-
turous cycle that keeps me
searching for something that I
see so clearly in my mind, only
it will never let me have what I
want or accept that I have suc-
ceeded.”
Well, we think he’s been pretty
successful thus far. At the age
of 26, Sean has photographed
some of the biggest names in
the SA music industry includ-
ing Van Coke Kartel, Etc Crew,
Zebra and Giraffe, Die Heuwels
Fantasties, Fokofpolisiekar,
 95 >

TOP LEFT: New Holland Teejay

TOP RIGHT: New Nation
LEFT: Priest Boy
ABOVE: Die Antwoord
96 >
Jack Parow, aKing and Playdoe,
to name but a few. Add to this his
ventures in video which include
Fokofpolisiekar’s Antibiotika
and Van Coke Kartel’s Verdoof
Vergifitg Verskoon My music
videos and you can’t help but
be impressed.
So what’s next? DESIGN> heard
that Sean’s back from a month-
long project in Noupoort, pho-
tographing and interviewing
people suffering from different
forms of addiction. Curious
about this departure from his
staple subject matter we asked
Sean to tell us a bit more about
where he’s been and where
he’s going.
What is the best moment in the
day for you? When the Baker’s
Man whistles in my ear, then I
know it is ‘tea and biscuits’
time.
What’s sitting on your bedside
table? Dust.
Have you always wanted to be
a photographer? No. My first
extreme desire was to become
a music producer like Dr. Dre.
I used to listen to rap when I
was a teenager. I think it was
through sheer frustration that I
started taking photos. I thought
I could make better imagery
of musicians than those that
were out there. So I sold my car
and bought a stills camera. I
do not consider myself a pho-
tographer though, rather a
constructor.
What was your ‘big break’? I
would rather be known as
helping other people achieve
their big break through what I
do. That, as a matter of fact,
gives me satisfaction.
Is there a specific approach
when faced with a new project?
When I am faced, I approach it
by taking catnaps and slam-
ming tea and biscotti down
my gullet.
What type of equipment do you
use for your projects? Depends
whether it’s a film shoot, photo
shoot or perhaps when I draw
stick men. Stick men entail a
white page, black pen, no longer
than 15 seconds and you have
a little person in front of you.
Otherwise, I have a Canon 5D
mark1 for stills. Film = rent.
We’ve heard your work being
described as surreal, raw,
whimsical and quirky. How
would you describe your style
and how has it evolved? Show
the images to your young
ones for the quirky whimsical
nature, but be careful as to how
the raw surreal energy will af-
fect them in the long term. One
of these photos or videos could
change their lives forever. There
is a fine line between positive
 97 >

LEFT: Haezer
BELOW CLOCKWISE: Van Coke Kartel,
Suitcase vol geld, Van Coke Kartel and
Wynand Myburgh & Van Coke Kartel,
Skelms.
98 >

RIGHT: Fokofpolisiekar
BELOW LTR: Priest
Grandma and Priest
Professor.

and negative. It happened to
me when I was 12 years old.
My style is evolving like aliens
have evolved into the form of
dolphins. Stealth vibes.
What were some of the chal-
lenges you faced when direct-
ing the music videos for Die
Antwoord, Van Coke Kartel
and Fokofpolisikar? On all
three videos my face went a
dark purple and swelled up
into the shape of a manatees
nose. It was a huge challenge
getting it back to normal.
I noticed the Royco advert in
your portfolio – is directing
for the advertising industry
something you want to pur-
sue? It is a funny world that. I
have made two adverts so far.
They are nice, but nothing
mind blowing and mind blow-
ing is what I am on a constant
search for. I do find it fun
though because I get to prac-
tice my craft, but it is not
something I will aggressively
pursue in the coming years.
Do you consider yourself to be
a storyteller? I’m not too sure.
I hope that people create their
own story through what I present.
Actually I don’t feel as though
I really care, because I certain-
ly can’t understand it so why
should I expect them to. And if
99 >
people ask me I just make up
a new story every time. It’s
bad I know. I just get over
what I do so fast that I don’t
want to see it again or have to
talk about it.
Tell us about your latest project,
Noupoort? I got bored of this
‘style’ I was or have developed.
I wanted to do something real
(less thought about/ concep-
tualised about) that could af-
fect the viewer on more than an
aesthetic level. So I decided
to go to Noupoort for a month.
‘This is pretty real’ I thought to
myself. I had access because
my brother had been there for
seven months and so it would
be great to spend time with him
whilst he was clean. Whilst I
was there, I was interviewing
and photographing other peo-
ple in the rehab to try and un-
derstand why drugs or alcohol
can cause people to do what
they do to themselves and
those around them.
The only highlight was con-
necting with my brother. I shared
a cold room with him.
Challenges: Well I was the only
one there who has not been
addicted to drugs or alcohol. I
am way too scared as to what
will happen to my mind. So
everybody there is living with
100 >

ABOVE LEFT: Die Heuwels

Fantasties, Hands out.
ABOVE RIGHT: Vanfokkingtasties.
RIGHT: Etc Crew, Bonsai Bush.
 101 >

addiction. Even the owners/ Complete the following…

leaders have their story. For me
to empathise with individuals
was impossible and I did not
want to seem like some psy-
chologist. Coz they don’t dig
them. I had to have this angle
as being a smelly kid hanging
with my brother. I think be-
cause I was there for a good
stretch of time and they could
see I was not from 3rd Degree or
Special Assignment I was cool
to chat to. Had to gain their
trust first though. The first three
days were interesting, I can
tell you that much.
Life is… that old magazine
with good photos inside. I
think they stopped making it
though. My dad used to sub-
scribe.
Death is… just around the cor-
ner.
Love is… somewhere out there.
Hurt is… truh [sic] spelled
backwards.
War is… lame.
Religion is… control.
Music is… Aphex Twin at the
moment
I am… not around for long.
My work… is irrelevant.

Addiction is a complex issue. Words of Wisdom? JFK said

Did you approach this project something about not asking
with a specific goal in mind? your country for something
Humans are complex. Add ad- and then getting into a space-
diction to that. I did have a ship. I don’t know how it goes
specific goal. Everything’s but that sounds cool. <
changed.
*The Afrikaans word for balls.
Did it change you or your views It can be used to refer to a per-
about addiction? I knew it was sons balls, or to use it as a nick-
evil, but not this evil. name for a person – either friend
or foe – depends mostly on the
What did you or do you intend tone you use it to indicate which
to achieve with Noupoort? My one you mean. (The Urban Dic-
intentions are good. As for the tionary)
opinions of others on what I
present – should be interesting.
All images © Sean Metelerkamp.
When we can expect the exhi- Sean is represented by Harry &
bition and book? 2011. Co.

Things you have learned so www.seanmetelerkamp.com

far? Do it. www.harryandco.tv
104 >

DECOREX
JOBURG 2010:
A FIVE-DAY
EXTRAVAGANZA
Having brought fresh perspectives and a new era
of enlightenment to design fundi’s and home décor
enthusiasts, Decorex Joburg, Southern Africa’s larg-
est decor and interior design event, was the ultimate
roundup of what’s new and now. With five halls boast-
ing seminars, free ‘how-to’ theatres, trendy food
demonstrations, exclusively designed restaurants,
new reveals, fresh initiatives, themed pavilions, DIY
dream stuff, great bargains and 650 exhibitors,
Decorex was the extravaganza of the year.

The show, hosted from 5 to 9 August in Midrand,

celebrated its 17th anniversary. Pondering why
Decorex has remained successful over the years,
Cairey Slater, general manager, Exhibitions & Events,
suggested that it is important to stay on top of local
and international industry trends and interpret these
new directions in a novel, yet accessible manner
for trade and consumer visitors alike. “Innovation
and new product lines are vital in keeping con-
sumers interested and satisfy their search for the
novel and the fresh,” says Slater. Building strong
business partnerships with sponsors and exhibi-
tors have also proved vital to ensuring its success.

According to Melanie Robinson, Decorex SA portfolio

director, the fresher-than-ever show not only con-
tinues to remain successful, but it also continues
to set the example with green exhibition practices,
 105 >

using the event as a role model towards greener

living. “By bringing new, sometimes radical ideas
to the show we can spark off positive energy to take
exhibitors, staff and suppliers as well as visitors on
the exciting, lifesaving journey of going green. New
attractions such as the Plascon Living Green House
with www.Greenstuff.co.za set a new benchmark in
green-minded product displays. It focuses on sus-
tainability, mindful green living and eco-solutions,
illustrating that green living can be both beautiful
and affordable.”

Not only did visitors explore the countless arrays of

stalls and exhibitors located within Decorex, but they
also had the opportunity to enjoy the two design-
minded conferences that were available. Conversa-
tions on Architecture, a full day conference hosted
on 5 August, featured a diverse line-up of internation-
al and local industry players who presented their
challenging insights on lighting and future forward
digital design. The Interior Design Dialogue: the IFI
Trend Conference, hosted on 6 August, presented a
series of trend talks, connecting the global design
community. A panel of design glitterati – interior
designers and interior architects from around the
world – gave an international perspective on key
design directions.

Apart from the conferences, guests also experienced

the brand new trade attraction exclusive to Decorex
Joburg – The Lighting in Design Pavilion. This shining
showcase of the latest in lighting design and tech-
nology featured a wealth of lighting solutions for
architects, lighting specialists, interior designers,
interior architects and other trade buyers. The Lighting
in Design Pavilion was a launching pad for new prod-
ucts, including the latest in energy-efficient prod-
ucts. With LED-lighting leading the radiant revolution,
novel applications of this cutting edge technology
was abound at the pavilion.
106 >

From the lighting section of the show, guests moved

onto the South African Handmade Collection, a dti-
initiative, co-located alongside Decorex. This collec-
tion mastered the shaping of handmade crafts into
contemporary forms, representing the highest
quality, design led, environmentally friendly South
African craft products.

If visitors were more interested in making products

themselves, rather than purchasing them, a selection
of DIY stalls and exhibitors were there to offer a
helping hand… in DIY style. At Decorex, DIY was no
longer the poor cousin of the decor world, having
elevated its status within Decorex’s design circles.
Experts at the Make Theatre, accompanied by DIY
celeb Aidan Bennetts who enticed visitors to tackle
home makeovers and do-it-yourself-decor, tackled
DIY topics that ranged from modern mosaic work to
contemporary paint techniques, reflecting the up-
surge in edgy DIY. Also enhancing the DIY movement
was Alex Royston, from ‘In Good Company’, who gave
talks and demonstrations on stylish table décor
and the art of home entertaining. Louise Botha, from
Foil Art, who demonstrated foiling techniques, also
motivated the move towards DIY. Other DIY divas,
including Charlie Vettori of The Faux Factory, and
Marianne Hansen, shared their DIY tips and tech-
niques.

With the overflow of design projects and home décor

products available at Decorex, visitors were sure
to feel overwhelmed. Whilst window-shopping and
idea sourcing gave some direction, guests were also
provided with guidance and solutions by Aidan
Bennetts Design and Furnspace. One-on-one slots
were available to assist design and DIY enthusiasts
in solving their dilemmas.

With kitchens being the favourite entertaining haven

and home rejuvenation a sizzling topic, Decorex
was a melting pot of leading design, taste trends
LEFT: Eco Sustenance, Plascon Colour Palettes 2011.
RIGHT: Future Fusion, Plascon Colour forecast 2011.
107 >
108 >

and fashionable flavours. District Delicious, a food

pavilion devoted to the eating-in trend, sported a
blend of gourmet food, wine, kitchen gadgets and
home entertaining have-to-haves. The hub of this
new foodie haven, was the SA Chef Association’s
‘Delicious’ Theatre which featured top chefs. Show-
casing the latest food trends, the demonstrations
ranged from high end-cooking to simple elegant
dishes and plating ideas for dinner parties. Visitors
also enjoyed drinks and snacks, whilst chatting
about décor and design, at the many café’s and ea-
teries located within the different areas of the ven-
ue. DStv Café, The Lovebird and Latte Lounge, Vil-
liera Wines Cap Classique Bar, Plascon Colour Café
provided visitors with trendy spots to talk design.

One of the topics sure to be on visitors lips was Plas-

con’s colour forecast 2011. Plascon’s 17-year relation-
ship with Decorex SA, as sponsor, resulted in the
most colourful collaboration ever with the launch and
revealing of the Plascon 2011 Colour Forecast. Inspira-
tion for the forecast came from the concept of love.
At Plascon, it is love that will make the world go round
in 2011. Using the Plascon 2011 Colour Forecast as
their design inspiration, four talented Johannesburg-
New Creation Interiors, winner of the ‘Best Use of Colour’ stand.

based interior designers interpreted Plascon’s four

new colour palettes with highly creative spaces,
wooing visitors to fall in love with colour all over again.
Expressing the 32 new colours in four diverse palettes
through different textures, moods and hues, the
stand also reflected Plascon’s eco-consciousness
– encouraging recycling and re-using. As an addi-
tional feature, the latest issue of Plascon SPACES
magazine was also launched at the show.

At Decorex, there were many notable highlights.

The debut of Detail, an essential new annual source-
book for interiors, design and stylish living, was
one of them. Filled to the brim with credible finds,
extensive listings, decor inspiration, trade secrets,
 109 >

trends and practical tips, Detail is a 200-pager

sporting 1 200 listings – making it the first port of call
for anyone sourcing products and services in the
products and services in the décor and design
field. This reliable go-to guide, for discerning trade
professionals and design-minded individuals,
gives quick access to a comprehensive pick of the
finest interior decorators and designers, specialist
suppliers, retailers, manufacturers and true crafts-
men who have made their mark on the industry.

Another highlight that took centre stage at Decorex

was the designer bird homes. Imagine a love nest
inspired by Romeo and Juliet or a fairytale bird
home. Decor enthusiasts witnessed this imagination
become reality, as they were treated to Home Tweet
Home, a show-stopping collection of thirty designer
bird houses created for charity by a flock of inno-
vative thinkers. These bird cribs, some playful and
others avant-garde, were displayed to raise aware-
ness for the Jungle Tots Mother Touch Academy. All
proceeds from the sale of these designer bird-
houses benefited this fundraising campaign.
“Through this campaign Decorex SA illustrates
that good design can also be ‘do-good design’, using
the talents of the design community for a charitable
cause,” says Melanie Robinson.

With Decorex Joburg 2010 proving to be a great

success and a ‘breath of fresh air’, as it was so ap-
propriately themed, we look forward to an even
bigger and better Decorex in 2011. <
112 >
CONVERSATIONS
ARCHITECTURE:
SPOTLIGHT ON TH
REVOLUTION OF L
DIGITAL DESIGN
By Stacey Rowan. From designing the perfect lighting
for a specific space to using digital technology to
design complex architectural forms – speakers at
Conversations on Architecture (COA) once again
brought riveting insights to the seminar, hosted on
5 August at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Gauteng.
The seminar – themed Lighting and Digital Design:
the new revolution – featured a diverse line-up of
international and local industry players who pre-
sented their design approaches on the cutting
edge of architecture and the built environment.
Taking part in the session Paradigm shift: digital
design and fabrication in architecture, was the key
international speakers Kristof Crolla, Jeroen van
Ameijde and Sean Mahoney.
In the session Light + Architecture: The Radiant
Revolution, Keith Bradshaw, Paul Pamboukian and
his associate Anthony Tischhauser, and Peter Rich,
shared their vast experiences in lighting design –
highlighting the immense technological advances,
innovation and challenges within this field.
LIGHT + ARCHITECTURE: THE
RADIANT REVOLUTION
Bradshaw’s presentation revolved around the con-
cept: ‘Without light one cannot see materials or com-
prehend space properly: an architectural space re-
mains a human experience, not just a visual snapshot.’
His wish was, and still is, that more designers who
work with light will remember the core principal that
lighting should be “built into the scene”, following
the example of theatrical lighting.
According to Bradshaw, this means that light should
be used correctly in a particular space to enhance the

S ON
HE NEW
LIGHTING AND
way the space is experienced. “Designing with light
in architectural space is often misconceived and
misrepresented by flashy and attention grabbing
setups. This is completely incorrect.”
He continued to speak about how light can enhance
or even define an architectural space. He also fo-
cused on topics like: light as a narrative, light as a
brand, light as an art, LED as light and light, not
lighting. He showed examples such as the Armani
offices in Tokyo, the BBC building in Scotland, a
public square in Dublin, a bridge in North England
and the Copenhagen Opera House which illustrated
how lighting can be used to illuminate structures,
bringing them to life by their three-dimensionality.
“Lighting design is usually seen as a luxury or spe-
cialist item. This is ridiculous when one considers
113 >
that without light you cannot see materials or com-
prehend a space properly,” says Bradshaw.
Bradshaw also addressed the issue of designers
who forget all about the need for design longevity in
the rush to get new technology to the market and
used cited the use of white LED light as an example.
This technology is seen as more environmentally
friendly than more traditional technology. But, in
trying to keep up with the rapid advancements in
the technology, the aesthetic appeal and longevity
of the design is often overlooked.
Paul Pamboukian and Anthony Tischhauser also
spoke about the impacts of ever-changing technol-
ogy on lighting design. With the emphasis on cutting
down on energy consumption, designers are increas-
ingly looking at smaller sources which are more
potent while at the same time using less energy.
114 >
Keith Bradshaw, director at Speirs and Major
Associates, Edinburgh.
In their presentation, Lighting Design: Effect or neces-
sity? they asked the question: Is lighting design mere-
ly a yearning for effect spurned on by the influence
of a purely superficial visual titillation of the glossy
printed and electronic media – is it all effect with
no function?
Pamboukian and Tischhauser also looked at how
lighting design contributes to the vision and design
of the built environment. They also explored the
different uses of light, for example task light as
opposed to ambience-creating illumination and
artificial light as an extension of our experience of
daylight which leads to new ways of experiencing the
night hours. Other types of lighting that they focused
on were focal glow and ‘play of brilliance’ lighting.
Lighting design is often characterised by designs
which have a limited life-span due to its being overly
trendy. “Trends are part and parcel of any design
discipline. It is all about fashion. However, there is
a difference between trends and zeitgeist. Zeitgeist
suggests something that marks an era, a decade,
the 50s, 60s, etc. Trends are here today and gone
Anthony Tischhauser of Paul Pamboukian &
Associates Lighting Design, Johannesburg.
next season. Lasting design needs to see further than
the trend,” says Pamboukian and Tischhauser.
Peter Rich’s presentation centred on the concept of
‘Architecture to be experienced or photographed
needs light. The changing light of day and the sea-
sons, should through the architecture, giWve a height-
ened sense of awareness of the space, the place,
the climate. At night, we have to use artificial means
to embrace the sensibility of space.’ This takes the
view that much of contemporary architecture has
too much light. Rich however believes that: “You can-
not have architecture without light. Without light
you have no space. There are illusionary qualities
of light that creates shadows.”
According to Rich, less is more when it comes to
lighting. “It’s about simple lighting, natural lighting.
It is good to work with minimal means in terms of
lighting – we need to make do with what we have.
Learn and listen from nature, work with the laws of
nature and day light and night light. Play with the
shadows of light and let it happen normally.”

Paul Pamboukian, founder of Paul Pamboukian &
Associates Lighting Design, Johannesburg.
PARADIGM SHIFT: DIGITAL DESIGN
AND FABRICATION IN
ARCHITECTURE
Kristof Crolla, lead architect at Zaha Hadid Architects
is right at the front of the technical revolution, leading
the way with advanced digital and algorithm-based
design techniques. His presentation, Digital design
and fabrication in architecture, addressed current
developments and challenges in digital design and
fabrication in architecture and the paradigm shift
that it is triggering today.
Crolla shared his views on the way these techniques
allow the design of innovative complex forms, pro-
viding complete control over all building aspects and
enabling architects to deal with the vast amounts
of information they face today.
As advanced digital and information-based design
methods and production techniques are explored and
applied increasingly in contemporary architectural
design procedures, an understanding of computer-
115 >
Peter Rich, of Peter Rich Architects.
controlled design and fabrication processes is essen-
tial for contemporary architects.
“One of the biggest challenges design practices face
today is to re-invent both design and building meth-
odologies deeply embedded in the profession in
order to incorporate this digital revolution and benefit
from its potential when dealing with our rapidly chang-
ing environment,” says Crolla.
But, as cautioned by Crolla, the industry is faced with
the challenge to be vigilant against the rapid spread
of an image-based design culture that focuses on
the production of photo-realistic renderings that
are void of consequent building systems to mate-
rialise them.
“People are constantly surrounded by designed
architectural spaces. As an architect you have the
unique opportunity to directly act upon and interfere
with this space we live in. By exploring design alterna-
tives and researching contemporary design tech-
niques, new architectures will be found that fit better

LTR: Kristof Crolla, lead architect at Zaha Hadid Architects. Jeroen van Ameijde, head of Digital Prototyping and
DRL at Architectural Association School of Architecture, London. Sean Mahoney, director at StudioMAS
Architecture and Urban Design, Cape Town.
to our rapidly changing society than most other
widely spread and often out dated paradigms applied
today.”
Jeroen van Ameijde, head of the Digital Fabrication
Lab of the Architectural Association, also spoke about
the joys and challenges of working in a rapidly chang-
ing sphere where the emphasis is increasingly on
digital design.
In his presentation titled Machine worlds – Research
and design using digital fabrication in architecture,
van Ameijde gave an overview of some the latest
research and design projects that have been de-
veloped at the Architectural Association in London.
He also looked at how architects and academics
try to adapt conceptual design processes so that
they can incorporate new technologies for the
processing of information and for fabrication and
construction in a meaningful way.
“The main opportunities emerging from the current
‘invisible’ revolution, caused by new information and
116 >
communication technologies, is not to be able to build
exciting new shapes and forms, but the possibility to
reinvent the nature of design processes itself. There
is a challenge to change traditional top-down linear
processes of development into collaborative and
dynamic, open processes of design conception and
generation,” says van Ameijde.
Sean Mohaney, in his presentation Common Sense
and Poetry, focused on how we use technology as
a tool. For him, it opens up opportunities, but at the
same time it is dangerous. One must not fall into the
trap of using technology as a crutch for design, it
must be used to explore and create. He used exam-
ples from architects such as Herzog and De Meu-
ron, as wells as his own to illustrate this principle.
When it comes to architecture, and consistently
changing global architectural trends, there is much
to talk about. With this year’s Conversations on
Architecture (COA) conference, giving the load-down
on all things lighting and all things design, one
wonder’s what next year’s COA will have in store. <
 … w h E R E t h E s t y l i s h , i N N O vAt i v E D E s i g N
is BORN OUt OF thE CRAFtsmANshiP
O F w h O l E g E N E R At i O N s O F g l A s s m A k E R s

PRECIOSA GULF, FZCO PRECIOSA

Jebel Ali Free Zone
P. O. Box 18185 Dubai
United Arab Emirates
P + 971 – 4 – 883 8473
F + 971 – 4 – 883 7913
e sales@gulf.preciosa.com
CUstOmer Centre
Opletalova 3197
466 67 Jablonec nad Nisou
Czech Republic
P + 420 488 115 555
F + 420 488 115 665
e info@preciosa.com
www.preciosa.com
 119 >

Lighting fixture with fibre optics,

The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Glass
wonders
from
Preciosa
120 >

Lighting fixture of contemporary design

made of mouth-blown glass
components, The Yas Hotel, Yas Island,
Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The Czech Republic, a small nation located
in the very heart of Europe, has always been
particularly famous for a unique handcraft
– handworked glass. The origins of this craft,
which ranks among the oldest in human his-
tory, date back to 3000 B.C. Here in Bohemia,
glassmaking has been a major industry
since the 13th Century, and in 1724 the first
chandelier workshop was established in the
region of Kamenický Šenov. Kamenický
Šenov has acquired its world-wide fame
as a glass producer, thanks to the delicacy
of its forms and the purity of its hand cut
crystal. Magnificent chandeliers have be-
come an inseparable fixture of royal palaces,
noble manor houses and other splendid
buildings.
The tradition of this renowned craft of glass-
making continues in the production of
PRECIOSA – LUSTRY, a.s. (joint-stock com-
pany), which is a fixed star in the field of glass
light fixtures. The company, based in north-
ern Bohemia, in the region of Kamenický
Šenov, has been operating in the market for
decades and, therefore, it can boast of a
great deal of experience, acquired thanks to
the long-term history of its activity. Today,
it is spread across the world with offices in
Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Moscow,
Madrid and New York.
Nowadays, PRECIOSA’s core activity lies
in the design and production of decorative
121 >
lightings on a wide scale, consisting largely
of decorative lighting fixtures of various
styles and sizes, wall lamps, table and floor
lamps, delivered as complete lighting pro-
jects or as a catalogue assortment. Besides
lighting fixtures, lighting sculptures and
decorative artistic objects form another part
of their production.
The main activity of PRECIOSA is the creation
of the so-called lighting projects. These are
individual solutions, composed on the basis
of specific requirements of the client. It com-
prises a comprehensive service, ranging
from design, production and installation
to the subsequent maintenance and repair.
Extensive projects usually represent luxu-
rious interior decorations for various spaces
of a prestigious nature, such as luxurious
hotels, palaces, religious and governmental
buildings, restaurants and theatres.
These unique concepts originate in PRE-
CIOSA’s own studio on the basis of a close
collaboration with top architects and design-
ers from all over the world. In the design
phase, traditional methods of hand sketch-
ing are used side by side with up-to-date
software, which presents a faithful simula-
tion of the light fixture in its future environ-
ment. The designers draw their inspiration
for the shaping of glass objects from various
sources: nature provides a permanent
and almost endless source of inspiration;
122 >

folklore and legend provides another. New

views can also be applied to well known clas-
sical works of art.

As mentioned above, PRECIOSA’s product

portfolio is quite extensive. The first product
group consists of luxurious classical lighting
fixtures, characterised by the classical shapes
of their arms and trimmings, often decorated
with rich etching. The other self-contained group
consists of fashionable lighting objects made
up of hand-blown glass components. Over the
last few years, the so-called free sets, created
by hanging differently shaped objects in clusters
in an open space, have been popular. They range
from minimalistic pure shapes to complex organ-
ic motifs. Glass sintering and fusing technology
adds a further dimension, where a glass powder
of various colours is fused into one piece, which
can then be bent and shaped in various ways.

These objects are often floodlit by modern

light sources such as LEDs or optical fibres.
The use of fibres, especially, can lead to the crea-
tion of magnificent pieces. Their light sources
can be pr0gram-med to be able to change their
intensity or colour. Aside from an impressive
decorative effect, the placement of the light
source gives them a major advantage in simple
maintenance. <
 123 >

Lighting fixture made of

glass components inspired
by nature, One&Only Cape
Town, South Africa.
124 >

TALES FROM
THE AFRICAN
DIASPORA
FEATURING
NINA BRIGGS
Nina Briggs is a Pasadena-based, Californian
interior architect with a special passion for the
sensory effects of space on its inhabitants. She
shares some insights into her background, work
processes and design philosophy.
 125 >

Although my goal since childhood was

to be an architect, after earning a Bach-
elor of Architecture, I was given un-
expected opportunities to work for
interior designers and artists. I was
challenged to design not only the ar-
chitectural envelope, but also, the fur-
nishings, casework and landscaping.
I was given the freedom to invent archi-
tectural systems and innovate surfaces
with atypical materials finishes. For
me, there is no envelope separating
interior from exterior, only a series of
spaces spilling, morphing, intersecting
into one another, as their surfaces ei-
ther bleed through or stop and change
when confronted.

I found that an in-depth study of my

clients, their lifestyles, cultural influ-
ences, private wishes, travels, and
their childhood dreams served as rich
inspiration to design their homes
and workplaces. I discovered that the Materials quilt.
various affects of certain compositions
of light, colour, texture and pattern,
juxtaposed against precious construc-
tions of memory and treasure, could
bestow spaces of comfort, sanctuary,
glamour, celebration, healing…what-
ever required or secretly desired.
126 >

My goals shifted from gliding along a typical

architectural career, to crafting a more holistic
design methodology. I chose not to limit myself
only to the role of architect, but rather to function
in an undefined role of place-making. As such,
I’ve been able to expand my skills by designing
everything from structure to shelf, roof to rug,
door to drapery, all within a cohesive concept
embracing individuality and personal narrative.

With this approach, I travelled, observed and

collaborated in different businesses, with artists,
builders, craftsmen and educators. I travelled
to and lived in France, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, Burki-
na Faso and Montreal and focused my observa-
tional studies on how people live. Domesticity,
in all its varied interpretations, fascinates me
– for in the home we find a surplus of culture
and persona, intersecting with shelter and
storage.

I realised that most of us want to bring home,

and surround ourselves with more than the
souvenirs of our travels, but also, we want to
embed the exotic and familiar feelings we’ve
experienced on our ventures. We all want to
somehow save, display and hide most of the
memories and aspirations of our lives into our
personal spaces, so we can remember who we
are, get inspired when we forget and accept
our current condition without angst.

My personal sources of inspiration always refer

back to my heritage, my inherent mélange of
ethnicities and the domestic rituals of prepar-
ing food. Cooking and eating are a function of
the spirit and soul of cultural memory. This
 127 >

Queens residence.

Heritage
food.
128 >

palatable narrative is composed of the basic

ingredients associated with migrated identity
where indigenous becomes both domestic and
exotic. For me, the resources for design lie in the
re-collection of cultural ingredients, yielding
an abundance of complexity and richness.

My design process begins with a visual quilt of

my client’s narrative on what a, or their, place
means to them. While this quilt is not literally
interpreted, it serves me as an inspirational
tool to collage past and present with the real
and imagined. This process helps to inform
colour, texture, pattern, light, temperature, pro-
portion, scale and envelope. <

ABOVE: Brentwood residence.

RIGHT: Avalon Hotel.

130 >

ELPH
PROO
ARCHITEC
21 YEAR
THE MAK

HICK
By Stacey Rowan. From a small office
space that comprised of a bedroom
in a house in Morningside, to a small
office in Berea, and then a self-built
OME
large office building, Elphick Proome
Architects (EPA) has seen itself grow
within the marketplace over the years.
Established in 1989, the practice is in
CTS:
its 21st year now with the two found-
ing directors, Nick Proome and George
Elphick, still in partnership. After ex-
panding to a 60-persons practice in
the last five years, the practice has
S IN
developed another award winning
studio in Westville, where it is cur-
rently located.
KING
“George and I studied together at
the University of Natal in the late 70s
and early 80s and some years after
qualifying we decided to go into
131 >
practice. The practice was established
to create appropriate architecture that
responds to function, context, region
and climate and endeavours to create
design solutions which rise to the chal-
lenges of our social and economic
context and that make a significant
contribution to the South African re-
ality,” says Proome.
Defining moments
Within the 21 years in practice, EPA
has seen defining moments that have
made the years that much more worth-
while. “I remember the moment Nick
and I agreed to start a practice to-
gether and the day we moved into our
first office building in Tollgate. The
day we won an Award of Excellence,
EPA Studio, Westville, KZN, 2008.
132 >

was also another defining moment
for the practice. I can’t also forget cel-
ebrating our 20th birthday bash,”
says Proome.
nationalities. “We also have projects in
ten countries across three continents.
Our work is distinctive and well recog-
nised both provincially and nationally,”
adds Proome.

Achievements & In addition, EPA has also received

recognitions
Apart from the fact that EPA is the
largest architectural firm within the
KwaZulu-Natal region, which is an
achievement in itself, the practice also
enjoys a rainbow nation in their studio,
with a personnel of nine different
several awards including an Award
for Excellence for EPA Studio, six Na-
tional Awards of Merit for four differ-
ent building types and four SAISC
Awards, one National Overall Winner
Award and one Special Commenda-
tion.

BELOW, LTR: ABSA Regional Head Office, Durban, KZN. One The Boulevard, Westville, KZN. Deneys Reitz,
La Lucia, KZN. BOTTOM: Village Bharoochi, Westville, KZN.
 
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We are proud to be associated with the development of the
Investec Regional Offices – Durban

The first real Green HVAC installation in Durban.

The Investec HVAC installation was designed originally to comply with the requirements of a 4 Star
GBCSA (Green Building Council of South Africa) rating. This was the original design intent and most of the
options and alternatives were incorporated in the final installation. Below are the major design concepts
implemented to achieve GBCSA Credits.

The air distribution to all offices is via a Displacement System which is based on low velocity higher
temperature air being supplied at floor level via the floor void. This provides the ultimate indoor air
quality as air is not mixed but flows up via convection to the ceiling return air path, thereby satisfying the
IEQ Green Star Credit.

In addition, all areas are provided with individual control with variable speed drive motors where required.

A central computerized Building Managements System monitors and controls, HVAC, Electrical and other
building essential services. This is an essential energy management system required to satisfy the
Management Green Star Credit.

Heat Reclaim Energy Wheels are used to provide free cooling of Outside Air. This is achieved using free
heat transfer between outside air and building exhaust air through the Energy Wheels contributing to the
Energy Green Star Credit.

High efficiency Screw Chillers using Non Ozone Depleting refrigerants and Variable Primary Pumping
further contribute to the Energy and Emissions Green Star Credits.

Side Stream Water filtration has been installed to reduce the amount of waste water through bleed off
from the Cooling Towers, contributing to the Water Usage Green Star Credit.

by Noel Smith – Director and Senior Design Engineer of RPP Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd

  
 
     
 Plascon South Africa strives to inspire more ecological considerate decisions throughout
our business. We have responded to the challenge by innovating unparalleled sustainable
solutions based on the 3 fundamental pillars of compliance, sustainability and products.

Compliance = Green Processes

Several Environmental Management Systems have been implemented in all
of Plascon’s South African Manufacturing Plants and in 2005, we attained
ISO 14001 certification at all of our plants.

Sustainability = Green Practices

Pioneering ground-breaking processes have been implemented to ensure
that we are starting on ground level. Our processes focus strictly on
achieving complete sustainable progression.

Products = Green Products

Plascon is dedicated to provide industry-first solutions, through quality,
environmentally-aware products, which do not compromise the finished
product performance or our world.

• Plascon Premium Brands – Double Velvet (white and pastel tint base),
Cashmere (white and pastel tint base) and several of our Plascon
Professional products all have VOC levels lower than 16g/ℓ when tinted with
Plascon Inspired Colour colourants

• Plascon Cashmere was voted No.1 in the Product of the Year 2010 Paint
Category for its Triple Action Bead™ technology. Cashmere diffuses light
and hides imperfections, it’s washable and stain resistant and retains its
stylish, plush matt finish over time.

2010
coppercoast 262786

For more information contact the

Plascon Advisory Service: 0860 2040 60
or visit our website www.plascon.co.za
or www.plascontrade.co.za

EPA is also recognised for its service.
In maintaining a positive and close
client relationship from inception to
completion of all projects, EPA is com-
mitted to providing a comprehensive
and effective professional service
which facilitates quality on time and
within budget constraints.
A normal day at EPA
“Depending on who you are at EPA,
or what position you hold, the day
might seem long or short! Our studio
is a busy place with a real buzz at times
as we simultaneously tackle up to
Vaal Studio, Vall River, Free State.
135 >
30 projects. Days are full of meetings,
design sessions and presentations for
our architects and our interior design-
ers,” says Elphick.
The work process at EPA, on a daily
basis, places a strong emphasis on
collaboration. The design of each
project concept is initiated by a di-
rector and developed within a team
structure led by a project architect.
Design review sessions are under-
taken in all design phases, ensuring
both an innovative and responsible
approach to the design development
process.
136 >

Idwala Lodge, Elandslaaget, KZN.

“A normal day as an architect I expect

would vary considerably across the
world depending on circumstance,
location and client base. Typically
though, architects work hard, spend
long evening hours designing, day-
time hours chasing work, interfacing
with clients and consultants and man-
aging staff. It is a rich and varied career
experience,” says Elphick.
corporate in Riverhorse Valley and a
number of new office buildings in
The future of EPA Durban and Johannesburg. Under
construction are a group of cutting-
With corporate offices and private edge private houses in Cape Town,
residences, amongst others, being the Southern Cape and KwaZulu-
EPA’s speciality and what they are Natal,” says Elphick.
best known for, there is no end to
their projects and new develop- Also on the practice’s architectural
ments. “We have recently complet- plate is “…generating our own de-
ed the new Investec Regional Head velopment projects which have car-
Office in Umhlanga, a 6 500m2 land- ried us through tough times. We are
mark corporate office building con- also building a very unusual villa on
sidered to be the finest office build- the island of Zanzibar and a corpo-
ing Investec owns worldwide. In rate office in Lusaka, Zambia,” adds
design phase is a new global show- Proome.
piece facility for an international
 137 >

Ridge 63 Goba, Umhlanga, KZN.

ABOVE LEFT: Standad Bank, Kingsmead, KZN. ABOVE RIGHT: Investec Regional Offices, Umhlanga, KZN.
BELOW: Gottlieb Group of Companies, KZN.

Proudly associated with

Elphick Proome
138 >
With private houses in Cape Town,
the Southern Cape and KwaZulu-
Natal and many office buildings in
the works for the near future, what
is the distant future looking like for
EPA? “We now have five directors in
EPA and the future augers well as
we tackle more challenging projects
BELOW LTR: Quayside Point Waterfront, KZN. Spinnaker Point Waterfront, KZN. Protea Hotel Umhlanga Ridge, KZN.
BOTTOM: Studio Elphick, Westville, KZN.
both small and large. We intend de-
veloping our design approach to
embrace sustainability as a key as-
pect of all projects. This is a moral
decision and demands clear vision
and a practical approach to built
outcomes in this South African con-
text,” concludes Elphick. <
 PALACE
SHOPFITTERS
Palace was registered in 1992

We have completed works such as Reserve Bank, Sugar Mill

Casino, Sibaya ,Suncoast Casino and currently involved in
Umfolozi Tusk Casino.

Investec new offices at Umhlanga, Durban and have worked on

all Netcare hospital in Natal.

We specialise in Suspended ceilings, partitioning and shopfitting

We do work ranging from small contracts to the larger ones.

We are BEE compliant with a level 2 contribution

Contact details: 031 464 6595

140 >

ONE
ARCHITECTURAL
FIRM

THREE
ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGNS
141 >
142 >
With hotels and universities being on opposite ends
of the architectural spectrum, it required dhk Archi-
tects to approach the Taj Palace, 15 on Orange and
the Life Sciences Building with very different archi-
tectural designs. Being active across the full range of
architecture, this practice has experience in the
creation of new buildings as well as the refurbish-
ment and restoration of existing structures. It has
undertaken projects such as hotels, public and insti-
tutional buildings, eco-sensitive and sustainable
buildings and educational developments, among
others, making this practice the perfect choice for
these different projects.
“The three projects are so vastly different from each
another. They posed different challenges. The Taj
Palace is a seamless marriage of a new contemporary
Ideally situated in Cape Town, the
15 on Orange Hotel has splendid
views of Table Mountain in the
background.
high rise city building with two gorgeous heritage
buildings that had to be restored and refurbished
and converted into a luxury grand hotel. The owners
of 15 on Orange Hotel wanted to make an ‘off the
wall’ hotel statement, differentiating the establish-
ment from all other hotels in Cape Town and even
throughout South Africa. This hotel is a huge design
statement. Finally, the Life Sciences Building at the
University of Western Cape is an educational building
and has its own challenges. It has been designed
and built to inspire individuals, student communi-
ties and researchers. We are told that it has been
enthusiastically received by all. The university
wanted this building to place them on the map and
herald a new international acceptance, symbolising
excellence in education and research,” says Derick
Henstra, founder, dhk Architects.
 143 > 143 >

www.kenzantiles.co.za
144 >
 145 >

At night, the 15 on Orange Hotel becomes a striking

and contemporary architectural structure through the
innovative use of lighting design.
146 >
Guests can enjoy drinks or dinner at the trendy and stylish A view of the interior structure which is transformed by a
bars and restaurants available at the hotel.
Profile and philosophy
This dynamic company, which competes success-
fully at the top level of the profession, provides the
highest standards of design and professionalism
throughout all phases of its service, from under-
standing the client’s brief through to delivering a
completed building. For the partners at dhk Archi-
tects, it involves adding value to their clients’ de-
velopments. It’s about correctly interpreting the
clients’ requirements and designing solutions that
integrate these requirements with the appropriate
architectural responses. In addition, it entails in-
corporating international design influences, techni-
cal developments, sustainability, economic realities
and the interdependence between architecture and
the urban design framework in which the buildings
exist.
dhk Architects’ reputation for innovative, yet cost
efficient design, has grown into award winning and
international recognition. “Architecture is a most
challenging profession. It is so complex and so incred-
ibly interesting. There is never a dull moment. It is my
passion and I wouldn’t know what other profes-
sion I could do. As most of the world’s great archi-
tects are over 70, it is a profession that you go on
practicing for ever. I started in this business as I
light-filled and contemporary multi-volume atrium.
was headstrong and determined to do my own thing,”
says Henstra.
The old and the new –
15 on Orange Hotel
The vision of the client, New City Development (pty)
Ltd, for the 15 on Orange 5 star hotel was to create a
striking, iconic and contemporary architectural
building. The building had to become an urban mark-
er, responding sympathetically to its surrounding en-
vironment whilst maintaining dignity in a sensitive
historic context.
This 108 key African Pride flagship hotel, valued at
R250-million, is ideally situated at Orange Street,
a key and very visible spot in the Cape Town City.
With all the magnificent views that Cape Town has
to offer, this hotel has views across the Michaelis
gardens, Table Mountain, Lions Head, Signal Hill,
Grays Pass and the Upper City.
Built on the former Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
Synard Hall site, the hotel maintains key elements
of the façade of the previous apartheid era struc-
ture, whilst giving consideration to the merits of the
existing building. The building is an expression of its
era and for some people it embodies certain aspects
 147 >

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Western Province Tileworks cc (Formaly known as Model Tilers )
has been in the wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling in
the building industry for the last 36 years and is known for their
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
commitment and expertise on the tiling side of the contract and
with the Architect & professional teams.
We have over the years been committed to deliver a quality
Western
product to theProvince
satisfaction Tileworks cc, formally
of the main contractor known
and their clients.as
Western Province
Model Tileworks
Tilers, has been cc (Formaly known industry
in the building as Modelfor Tilers )
has been in the wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling in
36 years, providing clients with wall & floor, granite,
the building industry for the last 36 years and is known for their
ENS HOUSE – CAPE TOWN marbleand andexpertise
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commitment of the product
tiling
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industry holds
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side of in contract
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major fast
track, Residential, Offices Blocks, Shopping Malls and Hotels inclient’s
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standards.
with the Architect & professional teams.
We have over the
Members of Western Province Tileworks CC will ensure that goods years been committed to deliver a quality
and services are supplied to meet their product
intendedto the satisfaction
purposes and inWestern of the main contractor
Province Tileworks andcctheir
coversclients.
a large
ENS HOUSE
accordance – CAPE TOWN
with the requirements of the various codes, standards
and practices to meet the requirements our of clients. We are section of the tiling industry and has been involved
CENTRAL
committed to service excellence and guarantee quality workmanship in developments in the Western Cape such as
on time all the time.
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ENS HOUSE – CAPE TOWN
and hotels, among others.
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and that are present.
guarantee quality Western
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on time all the time.
Tileworks CC is committed to service excellence and
Claremont Central Offices - Claremont
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Villa:Italia – Century City
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SOME OF OUR PROJECTS TO DATE
Breakwater ParkingMutual- V&A Waterfront
Heights Apartments – Cape Town
Sun International Hotel – The Table Bay
Newlands Rugby Railway Stand - Newlands V&A WATERFRONT
Protea Hotel The President - Seapoint
BOE Offices /Clocktower Mall – V&A Waterfront
Canalwalk Shopping Centre – Century City
Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel – Cape Town
Breakwater Parking - V&A Waterfront
Old Mutual Offices / Business School - Pinelands
Newlands Rugby Railway Stand - Newlands
Sable Square Shopping Centre – Century City
BOE Offices /Clocktower Mall – V&A Waterfront
UWC Lab Block / Learning Centre - Bellville
Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel – Cape Town
Standard Bank Head Office - Cape Town
Old Mutual Offices / Business School - Pinelands
Cape Quarters Shopping Centre - Greenpoint
Sable Square Shopping Centre – Century City
Claremont Central Offices - Claremont
UWC Lab Block / Learning Centre - Bellville
CTICC – Cape Town
Standard Bank Head Office - Cape Town
ENS Offices – Cape Town
Cape Quarters Shopping Centre - Greenpoint
Pick n’ Pay – Kenilworth
Claremont Central Offices - Claremont
Pick n’ Pay – Gardens
CTICC – Cape Town
Villa Italia – Century City
.
ENS Offices – Cape Town
Mutual Heights Apartments – Cape Town
Pick n’ Pay – Kenilworth
Pick n’ Pay – Gardens
Villa Italia – Century City
.
Mutual Heights Apartments – Cape Town
148 >
of the country’s cultural heritage. Major efforts were
dedicated to the architectural retention of the most
dominant façade on Grays Pass. From an historic and
urban impact point of view, great effort went into lim-
iting the revised profile of the extended building en-
velope and its impact on the view of Table Mountain
from the top of Long Street, whilst still maintaining
the memory of the old building.
The original entrance portico with its stained glass
windows, being an iconic element and secretive
barrier to a solemn hall at the centre of the old
building, was demolished. This opened the way to
exposing the building to the street and the memo-
ry of the internalised hall being re-interpreted in
the form of a light-filled atrium.
The closed street edges along Orange Street and
Grays Pass have been reactivated with the addition of
retail shopping and restaurant opportunities. These
new active edges are softened and animated with the
insertion of landscaping in the form of plants and trees.
The discreet original entrance at lower ground level on
Grays Pass is maintained for the Porte Cochere
drop-off and hotel security area. From this point,
two refurbished lifts take guests to the reception
area on the first floor.
At the reception area, guests enter into the spirit
of the hotel’s structure, which is transformed by
the imposition of a vast, light filled and contemporary
multi-volume atrium, surrounded at its foot by
tiered restaurants bars and lounges. The immense
atrium’s glazed height opens out towards the out-
side terrace from where guests can enjoy views of
the Cape Town city, Lions Head and Signal Hill.
Whilst responding to the original axis of the hotel
building, it also affords passersby dramatic views
into the interior area.
The strong sense of opulence and verticality can
be experienced in the three panoramic lifts, which
take hotel guests to the surrounding access walk-
ways and rooms at the upper levels of the atrium.
The hotel rooms, outfitted to the highest quality
and standards and of varying types and suite sizes,
are arranged in single and double banked configu-
ration around the atrium.
The hotel offers a spa, gym, wellness centre and pool
deck. Also available are sectional title apartments.
The apartments range in size, in simplex and duplex
configuration, and are all finished to exacting stand-
ards of luxury. These apartments inhabit the light-
weight upper two floors which are set back to provide
ample sun terraces with spectacular views, whilst
reducing the mass of the upper levels, in accordance
with heritage indicators that govern the hotel de-
velopment.
The glass and aluminum hotel additions respond
in a contemporary manner to the retained histori-
cal elements, specific orientation, views, room pri-
vacy and the requirements of greater transparency
for all public areas within the hotel.
Whilst keeping important elements of the existing
historic building, the whole hotel is transformed by
the imposition of the vast, light-filled atrium and
the addition of contemporary architectural elements.
The hotel makes for a new and transparent Cape Town
focal point, breathing life into this key junction.
The first of many – Taj Palace
The Taj Palace Hotel, located in the historic core of
Cape Town at the entrance to the St George’s Mall, is
the first of many luxury hotels to be opened by the
Taj Group in South Africa. The client, Good Hope
Palace Hotels (Pty) Ltd, wanted a 175 key luxury
hotel for the Taj Group, valued at R450-million.
The recently completed development entailed a par-
tial demolition, a refurbishment, the construction
 149 >

A view showcasing the celebration

of the synthesis between the
historic fabric of the site and the
contemporary interventions of the
hotel.
150 >

A view of the new Taj Palace Hotel
situated in the historic core of
Cape Town.
151 >
of infill elements, the construction of a contempo-
rary tower to accommodate 175 rooms and the
preservation of two important historic buildings,
namely the Old Reserve Bank building and the Temple
Chambers building.
It was imperative to retain and carefully restore as
much as possible of the two historic buildings that
host the grand public spaces of the new hotel. The
contemporary interventions on the site, in the form of
an infill building on St George’s Mall and the new
tower that rises out of the centre of the city block,
house the back of house spaces and the hotel
rooms.
The equal integration of the old and the new created
a challenge for dhk Architects. It was imperative to
celebrate the synthesis between the historic fabric
and the contemporary interventions on the hotel
site. This was done by creating a building that main-
tains and echoes the architecture of elegance and
the beautiful craftsmanship embodied in the historic
buildings, whilst engaging with the purpose of the
buildings as a ‘place’ for the people.
The Taj Cape Town, showcasing a combination of rich
history and stylish contemporary architecture, offers
a diverse variety of cuisine and culinary experiences
including an Indian specialty restaurant, a relaxed
and casual all-day dining restaurant and a champagne
and oyster bar. The magnificent banqueting and
meeting rooms combine the elegance of a historical
era with state-of-the-art technology. A full Jiva
Grande Spa and a fitness centre are also available
to guests. In addition, the Taj Palace is also home
to Heritage Rooms and Suites, Tower Rooms and
Suites, The Presidential Suite and the Taj Club.
These exquisite rooms offer guests old world qual-
ity complemented by lavish amenities and contem-
porary features.
152 >
Architecture is a ‘science’ –
University of Western Cape Life
Sciences building
The term ‘science’ refers to, in its broadest sense, any
systematic knowledge base or prescriptive prac-
tice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or pre-
dictable type of outcome. Science also refers to a
highly skilled technique or practice. Architecture, a
highly-skilled practice, is a science in it self. It is the
art and science of designing buildings and other
physical structures, predicting the outcome, in
terms of function and appearance, of a particular
structure. Many believe that, basically, architecture is
a science first and then an art.
The new Life Sciences Building located on the Uni-
versity of Western Cape’s West Campus adjacent
to Ring Road and flanked by Modderdam Road, is in-
tended to place the university on the global map as a
centre for teaching excellence and a research entity.
By integrating six departments into a single devel-
opment, this in turn allows for the facilitation of col-
laboration, promoting inter-departmental and
trans-disciplinary research. The building is positioned
as a pivotal and iconic element of the urban planning
of the university, as an embodiment of social and en-
vironmental scientific research in Africa. This cutting-
edge institutional research laboratory is a symbol
of the university’s commitment to science, technology,
innovation, development and research, with the aim
of reducing poverty and promoting social and environ-
mental responsibility.
The main objective of the positioning and the design
of the Life Sciences building was to create a landmark
that announces the University of the Western Cape’s
presence, forming the most significant element of
the new science precinct.
The Life Sciences Building has been securely inte-
grated into the existing campus framework from
all aspects. Six different departments are housed
within the macro zoning of the building. Two major
components of the building are placed on either
side of a social nucleus, comprising the entry lob-
by and gathering space, oversailed by a vast can-
opy which is supported by tree-like columns. This

This landmark has great presence
within Cape Town and is positioned
well as a pivotal and iconic educational
entity.
gathering space forms the main focus and the link
between the major components of the university,
namely the laboratory building, the interactive learn-
ing centre, cafeteria and auditorium.
The general layout of the rectilinear and orthogo-
nal laboratory building is designed around a zone
that stretches along the length of the site that fronts
directly onto Modderdam Road. The intention was
to create direct relationships between the support
spaces on the south side, research and laboratory
spaces in the centre and write-up spaces and cel-
lular offices situated on the north side. Two serv-
ice cores form the fulcrum for breakout areas.
These are interaction spaces that act as vertical
transportation for both people and services while
forming easily interchangeable laboratories and
service spaces, permitting adaptability and flexi-
bility throughout the general plan. The cores inter-
act with tea kitchens and extend out to balconies
that are intended to facilitate informal meetings. The
cores are the vertical elements that break the longitu-
dinal façade, with vertical accents culminating in
153 >
glass boxes that house the hot water plant which
is linked to the solar water system.
In addition to being the centre for academic teaching,
the learning centre is available for conferences as well
as being a venue for various gatherings, presentations
and functions. The centre houses a state-of-the-art
auditorium, a collaborative computer lab and resource
centre, seminar and tutorial rooms and a cafeteria
opening onto the gathering space. The development
incorporates both instruction and research facilities
with shared classrooms, laboratories, faculty facilities
and amenities to accommodate an estimated 800
students and researchers.
This six storey laboratory block is split vertically
into instruction facilities on the lower two levels,
with research and development (R&D) labs housed
on the upper levels. The block is divided into three
modules which are linked by service cores, provid-
ing public and service access and security filters for
the various R&D labs. The laboratories themselves
are designed to assimilate the users’ requirements
154 >
View of the exterior façade.
into predominantly generic flexible and adaptable
solutions that ensure short, medium & long term sus-
tainability for the client where different departments
can wax and wane as the needs arise. The laboratories
are planned along a horizontal stratification which
facilitates a direct relationship and interface between
the cellular senior researcher’s offices with open-
plan write-up areas to the north, with research taking
place in laboratories and their support spaces to
the south. This horizontal stratification is created
through virtual corridors traversing the length of
the building, providing orientation and external ex-
pression through the bay windows at the ends.
Entry to the Life Sciences building is from the east-
ern forecourt via the entrance lobby. This gasket-
like glazed entrance lobby joins the laboratory and
learning centre, providing orientation and access to
the various facilities and leads into the gathering
space.
The design philosophy of this building focuses on en-
ergy efficiency, environmental responsibility, resource
efficient design and a commitment to sustainability.
The orientation of the building reduces solar gain
within the building and encourages natural ventila-
tion throughout the building.
The use of grey water for the landscaping has been
fully implemented and coordinated in the design.
The green areas and gardens are landscaped with
indigenous vegetation and trees and the landscap-
ing has been taken onto the roof of the Learning
Centre as a scaling strategy and as an environmental
thermal consideration.
The gardens are integrated into a landscaping plan
that responds directly to the local environmental con-
ditions by encouraging bio-diversity, protecting bio-
mass nutrients, using permeable surfaces to minimise
run-off, increasing retention of groundwater levels and
adopting indigenous water-wise plants. Through
life cycle costing, resource and environmental man-
agement and the adoption of cost effective strate-
gies, namely optimisation of the thermal envelope,
waste heat reclamation, harvesting of rainwater
and grey water recycling, this building strives to
limit its carbon footprint. <
155 >
 156 >

ICONOGRAPHY THROUGH
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Named after a hero of the working class, Durban’s

By Stacey Rowan
Moses Mabhida Stadium is an iconic symbol of
where the city has come from and the future that
it is striving towards. Just as Moses Mbheki Mncane
Mabhida helped to forge the united front that
eventually saw the creation of a democratic and non-
racial South Africa, so the stadium brought together
countries at the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
 157 >

An exterior view of the lit up stadium, which acts as a bright beacon for the city of Durban.
158 >

We traditionally revere iconic buildings for their abil-

An architectural view of the arch and it’s design elements.

ity to inspire and imbue symbolic associations and
meaning to a broad audience because they reflect
unique cultural, social and environmental contexts
– be it the past, current or future. The Moses Mabhida
Stadium in Durban respects these qualities and it
references the past with dignity yet, it succeeds
best in the way it reflects the aspirations of the cur-
rent time and the future. It was strategically posi-
tioned to become an iconic beacon for the City of
Durban as well as being a centre piece of the huge
integrated development plan which weaves itself
into the city’s landscape as a symbol of growth and
prosperity. This stadium successfully achieved this
through the innovative use of space, texture, colour
and artifacts, whilst also having drawn on its sur-
roundings and physical features which gave it a
vernacular identity and character. Its architectural
and structural elements allowed people to ‘feel
alive’ within its surrounds, having invited people of
all walks of life and binding them within an iconic
The timeless arch represents the past and the future, where
South Africans have come from and where they are going.

web of space and community.

“It is important to recognise that this stadium, an archi-

tectural joint venture, was a group effort. There were
five local practices: Theunissen Jankowitz Durban,
Ambro-Afrique Consultants, Mthulusi Msimang Ar-
chitects, NSM and Osmond Lange Architects & Plan-
ners and one international practice involved, name-
ly GMP. Each practice fulfilled a different role. The
local effort and local expertise, merged with the
international experience, made it all happen. The ef-
fort is reflected in what was built and designed. From
the urban design approach to the iconography, the
stadium has a strong local representation,” says
Gerhard le Roux, director, Theunissen Jankowitz.
159 >
160 >

Iconography

From a distance, the stadium’s arch is a defining

silhouette, a familiar marker against the landscape.
From within, the arch forks on both sides, to create
a view of Durban, a window onto the city, symboli-
cally looking back at where the city has come from,
on the one side, and the future, on the other side.
“We wanted to create a timeless long arch which
represents the past and the walk into the future.
Once you are in the stadium you are aware of the sur-
rounding environment where the stadium is located,
by way of the stadium window on the south side. You
can see the connection between the sea, city and the
heart of Durban,” says Deon van Onselen, Director,
Osmond Lange Architects & Planners (Pty) Ltd.

The white tensile roofing is reminiscent of the activi-

An interior view of the stadium bowl façade, showcasing it’s circular form.

ties of the nearby harbour. The use of natural indig-

enous plants and trees links the precinct on an urban
scale and the incorporation of the African landscape
contextualises the building. The expanded steel
mesh wrapping the façade and the infill panels of
the balustrades is symbolic of the beauty of hand-
made baskets. The bare grey coolness of the off-shutter
concrete is contrasted by the palette of warm colours
used on infill walls and interiors – an expression of
the African climate and spirit.

Tones of the beaches, the colours of clothing and

handcrafted jewellery were used to express the vi-
brancy of the local surroundings in the building.
Brightly coloured seating, drawing its inspiration
from beach sand merging into the ocean, gives the
stadium bowl a sense that it is a landscape. The upper
stand seating is washed in yellow and white colours,
the middle seating is graded in a yellow to green
161 >
162 >

D & H Flooring was established in 1993 with just two employees, our main focus
was to supply and Install flooring to both the domestic and commercial sectors.

From their humble beginnings and over a decade of successful trading and solid
customer relationships, D & H Flooring have grown to be one of the leading
Flooring Contractors in KZN employing a compliment of in excess of 50 permanent
staff trained in their specialised fields.

OUR SERVICES SUPPLIERS / DEALERS

Carpets Belgotex floor coverings

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Laminates Nouwens carpets
Solid wood FloorWorx
Repairs, sanding and sealing Polyflor
Marmoleum Traviata Flooring
Bamboo flooring Bona

PRESTIGE PROJECTS
Stadium - Presidential Suite Bamboo Flooring - Norament Rubber Matts
King Shaka International Airport - N2 Toll Plaza - Ceramic Tiles
St Lucy Hospital - Ceramic Tiles
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Hibiscus Hospital - Vinyl sheeting
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 163 >

colour mix with scattered light greys and whites,

and finally the lower stand seating is graded in a blue to

A 3D dissection of the
green mix sprinkled again with light greys and whites.

Drivers of design

stadium.
Although stadiums are mostly venues of sheer scale,
they are considered singular purpose structures. Due to
the stadium’s sheer size, there was a need to ‘humanise’
the stadium in terms of scale, to allow for its integration
arched roof structure of the stadium.
An artist impression illustrating the
into the city fabric and landscape.

A driver of design for the Moses Mabhida Stadium,

was the need to encourage mixed use in order to
promote ongoing activities. From an urban design
point of view, it was of primary importance that the
stadium was located within an environment that
enables the broader city and surrounding area to
benefit from it. Therefore, one of the key drivers was
the need to design beyond the building. In order to
A view of the stadiums exterior façade

bring extensive investment into the precinct, the

stadium was designed accordingly in order to serve
as a catalyst for continuing investment.
and one of its may entrances.

Heroes walk – The iconic journey

A dominant path leading from the city centre to the

stadium, known as Heroes walk, lends itself to a variety
of processions that will be enjoyed by large groups in
the future. The walk starts in the south within a frag-
mented landscape of harsh walls and monochro-
matic tones, reflecting the fragmentation of past
Africa. This is the journey dedicated to the icons of
A view of the iconic arch.

sport and political change, for those who have been

and for the heroes to be made within the stadium. The
rigid structure of the walk becomes more organic,
soft and colourfully adorned as one approaches the
 164
164> >
Moses Mabhida Stadium

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 165 >

stadium. The Heroes Walk is designed to symbolise

the journey walked by the people of Africa.

A ‘world-first’ achievement

The Moses Mabhida Stadium has placed South Africa

on the map, having obtained a ‘World first’ in the design
of roof arch foundations, which involve diaphragm wall-
ing to bedrock, massive cappings and springer plinths.
In addition, the stadium has achieved a ‘South-African
first’ for pre-cast design and installation in stadiums and
also achieved the specified strict requirements for con-
crete quality, durability and aesthetics.

The main concrete structure comprises an oval bowl

of tiered seating with six access levels, sheer cores
and stairwells and a podium. The lightweight translu-
The seats within the stadium resemble the blue ocean and its moving waves.

cent roof is supported by a steel-cable structure sus-

pended from the arch. The remarkable 104m high
arch, spanning 380m, is secured on large concrete
foundations which extend down to the cretaceous
bedrock. These foundations are elongated rectangu-
lar boxes with 800mm thick reinforced concrete walls,
which were excavated and cast under bentonite slurry,
in panel lengths of up to 7m and to a depth of 20m.

The stadium bowl structure is founded on a total of

1901 CFA piles varying in diameter from 450 to
700mm, installed to depths of 20m. “The bowl-like
shape of the stadium allows for all the spectators to
be able to see the action and feel that they are a
part of the whole event. Normal stadiums tend to be
more rectangular in shape, with Northern, Southern,
Eastern and Western sides. The client wanted all
people from different walks of life to become unified, to
become one form within this dome-like structure,”
says van Onselen.
166 >
The façade of the stadium bowl is a layered inte-
grated series of components. Over one hundred
leaning pre-cast concrete columns sweep around
the circumference of the stadium bowl forming the
skeleton of the façade, creating the impression of a
sculptural element in the landscape. Adding to the
sculptural quality of the building, aluminium fins sit
vertically between each of the concrete columns
and, finally, a woven mesh ties the façade together.
The expanded metal mesh covering the brightly col-
oured façade and the filling to the railings in the
stadium take their inspiration from the structure of
basketweave.
“An important aspect of the stadium is that it is
based on the age old African tradition of elevating a
structure above ground level, whereby the stadium
is placed on a podium. By placing it on the podium,
the stadium is given greater stature. The client want-
ed the stadium to rise up from the environment, creat-
ing an experience as visitors lead up to the entrance
of the stadium,” explains van Onselen.
The roofing
The roof cables were pre-manufactured to the ex-
act lengths required to achieve the precise geom-
etry of the cable net structure that spans between
the arch and the compression ring. It was neces-
sary to have very strict specifications according to
the tolerances required for all support points at
the interface between the concrete and roof struc-
ture. In addition, the stiffness of the concrete sup-
port structure had to be accurately determined.
The main structural unit of the roof consists of the
104m high arch spanning 380m onto the founda-
tions. The roof, which defines the stadium as an icon-
ic edifice, also consists of other structural elements
namely supporting cables, a membrane roof, and a
steel compression ring resting on steel columns.
A total of 50 main ridge cables are supported from
the arch which defines the shape for the 46 000m2
roof coverage. These ridge cables as well as the valley
cables are connected to the compression ring that
in turn, is supported on steel façade columns.
Concrete – The No.1 choice
Concrete was used for the majority of the structural
and architectural elements because of its high qual-
ity finish, its ease of construction into complex
shapes and forms, durability to resist the marine en-
vironment of Durban, its speed in construction, its
low maintenance and because of the economical
advantages.
The concrete façade columns are the main feature
of the façade. Vertical in the vicinity of the North-
South spanning arch, they rake progressively out-
ward towards the East and West of the stadium,
defining the dramatic bowl shape. They are pre-
cast concrete from level 3 to level 6 and steel from
level 6 up to the compression ring. Of the 102 col-
umns, 42 are vertical and 60 are raked at varying
inclinations. The columns are painted white to fit in
with the overall façade colour concept, with a high
level of finish.
Visitors can experience magnificent views of the stadium and the Durban City from the cable car on the arch.
167 >
 168 >
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 169 >

Lightning Protection & Earthing

A view of the interior façade, with its concrete finishes and structures.
SME Lightning Protection and Earthing was proud
to be associated with the celebrated Moses Mabhida
Soccer Stadium, in that they were contracted to in-
stall the Lightning Protection to the Stadium Struc-
ture as well as the earthing for the sub station
feed. Overall, it was imperative to ensure that the
installation, from the metal of the seating through
to the arch over the stadium, was earthed to the
exacting standards demanded by the SABS/IEC
codes of practice.

Due to the commitment and dedication to the

project displayed by Vusi Shabane, the team lead-
er, and his crew, no delays or problems occurred
during the course of the project. SME is currently
in negotiation with their client, GL Events, regard-
ing the earthing requirements for the media centres
which are being erected at each stadium, in order
for media visitors to be kept safe should they have
the pleasure of experiencing a real South African
lightning storm.

SME, with 25 years in business, is still the only com-

pany in its field to have successfully held the cov-
eted SABS/ISO 9001-2000 listing in Southern Af-
A low angle shot of the exterior façade.

rica, since 1987. As a result of this listing, as well

as CIDB accreditation, and their BEE status, they
have successfully undertaken contracts throughout
Southern Africa, and as far as Tanzania and Mada-
gascar, with extensive contracts in Mozambique,
Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. Their client base is
largely made up of corporate clients in the private
sector, as well as large government contracts such
as 2010 Stadia.
170 >

Their core business of lightning protection and elec-

night. RIGHT: A wide angle view of the Durban skyline,

BELOW: An exterior view of the iconic stadium lit up at
trical earthing, supplemented by their large range of
surge protective devices, is crucial in South Africa’s
subtropical climate, which experiences some of the
highest lightning activity in the world, resulting in
catastrophic losses in plant, equipment and personnel.

with the staidum beaming bright.

“This stadium looks beyond 2010. It looks at the
whole precinct and how this development will ‘sell’
Durban. This is one of the first opportunities that
South African consultants have had to prove that
we, as South Africans, can produce large scale
projects. The Moses Mabhida stadium is world class,”
concludes van Onselen. <
171 >
172 >

By Bev Hermanson

THE PRIDE OF
THE CAPE

Of all the stadiums that were prepared for
the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, only three
were entirely new constructions. One of
these was the Cape Town Stadium situated
close to the popular V&A Waterfront along
the shoreline of Table Bay, within full view
of Cape Town’s most famous landmark,
Table Mountain.
173 >
Photo by Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town.
One of the largest construction projects that had
been tackled by the City of Cape Town, the Cape Town
Stadium and the surrounding parkland had been com-
pleted at a cost of R4,5-billion. Along with its park-
ing area and a retail plaza, the stadium covers an area
of 18 hectares, equivalent to six city blocks. Built
to be more than merely a soccer stadium, this de-
velopment has been designed as a multi-purpose
venue that is equipped to host rugby matches, mu-
sic concerts and many other major events as well.
174 >
Its successful completion involved a large task-
force of professionals comprising 15 different dis-
ciplines and 51 firms and a joint venture of 2 of the
largest contracting firms in the country.
Green Point as a sports precinct
Since before the Anglo Boer War in the late 1800s,
the Green Point Common has been home to a vari-
ety of sports clubs, including Hamiltons, South Afri-
ca’s oldest rugby club that was founded in 1875,
and the Green Point Cricket Club that started in 1897.
Declared a public open space for recreation and sport
by Britain’s King George V in 1923, this valuable
piece of ground has been staunchly protected from
the threat of over commercialisation and expansion
around the Mother City.
The Green Point Stadium, built on the Common in
the 1940s, was rather controversial, as, with a ca-
pacity of only 18 000 seats, many saw it as a ‘white
elephant’ that was under-utilised. Over the years, it
was used for various events, including small scale
concerts and sports events. It was additionally home
to the Santos and Hellenic Soccer Clubs and later the
Ajax Football Club.
At the time that the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup
was awarded to South Africa, the planning committee
determined that the stadium in Cape Town was go-
ing to need close to 70 000 seats to qualify to host
at least one of the semi-final matches there. Under
the circumstances, they decided it would be easier
to build an entirely new stadium close to the old
stadium, rather than try to upgrade the old fossil fa-
cilities. The old Green Point Stadium has since been

partially demolished and has been converted into
a dedicated stadium for athletics.
To refer to Cape Town’s stadium as the Green Point
Stadium is, therefore, a complete misnomer, as the
land allocated for the construction of the new stadium
was land that had been used by the Metropolitan Golf
Club for its nine hole golf course. To compensate
the Mets and other sporting disciplines using the
Common, the entire area has been reorganised. A new
nine hole golf course has been built and 12,5 hec-
tares have been converted into an urban park that
boasts walking, cycling and jogging tracks, that weave
around beautiful water features and landscaped
gardens. Other facilities in the precinct include a
Health & Fitness Club, tennis courts, hockey and
rugby fields and a cricket oval. A tree-lined pedes-
trian walkway further connects the Mouille Point
175 >
construction on the Cape Town
Sutherland, City of Cape Town.
Stadium. Photos by Bruce
The various phases of
lighthouse with Somerset Road on the outskirts of
the city. In total, this encompasses an area of
some 65 hectares of parkland and sports facilities.
Within a stone’s throw of the new stadium, the 123
hectare V&A Waterfront offers visitors a wealth of
pleasure pursuits – from a ferry trip to the histori-
cal Robben Eiland, where the well known freedom
fighter and past president of the country, Nelson
Mandela, was incarcerated, to a sumptuous array of
restaurants, luxury hotels, stores and other leisure
pursuits.
The new stadium
The state-of-the-art Cape Town Stadium hosted five of
the first round matches, one second round match, one
quarter final and one semi-final of the 2010 FIFA World
 176
176> >

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Cup soccer matches. Designed by concept architects,
gmp Architects of Germany, in conjunction with lo-
cal firms, Louis Karol Architects and Point Architects,
the stadium covers an area of 290m x 260m and
stands 50m at its highest point.
The most amazing aspect of the stadium is the
high-tech roof that covers 38 000 square metres,
protecting the bulk of the spectators from the often
inclement Cape weather. Knowing the ‘Cape Doctor’,
the harsh south-easter wind that occasionally thrash-
es the Foreshore and the Green Point Common at
gale force, a substantial roof was definitely on the
city’s wish list. The double whammy of this design
is that it not only protects the spectators from harsh
weather conditions, it reduces the noise emanating
from the stadium – which will be most welcome to
the Green Point and Sea Point residents that do
177 >
MediaClubSouthAfrica.com.
Photos by Rodger Bosch,
not relish hearing the vuvuzelas at full blast through-
out the matches.
Commanding a significant chunk of the construction
budget, the roof has been designed as a saddleback
curve with a double membrane. Its smooth flowing
appearance from all angles contributes to making this
stadium one of the most distinctive in the country.
Weighing in the region of 3 735 tons, the roof struc-
ture, that rests on a total of 72 columns, comprises an
outer ‘compression ring’ which is linked to an inner
‘tension ring’ by a system of trusses and cables. The
inner tension ring houses the lights and acoustic
equipment. The top layer of the roof is made of around
9 000 panels of laminated safety glass to allow in
plenty of natural light, while the bottom layer is made
up of woven PVC ceiling panels that absorbs sound,
while protecting the equipment from below.
178 >
Facilities
Although the seating capacity for the duration of
the World Cup accommodated 68 000 spectators,
after the end of the tournament, 13 000 seats were
removed, which left 55 000 permanent seats. To
channel the large crowds, 59 main gates lead to
115 turnstiles positioned around the 745 metre pe-
rimeter. Conveniences include 530 toilets and 360
urinals. There are four TV studios, 24 media desks
and 178 media seats, as well as a medical centre
and a police station. To cater for the movement of
the impaired, there are 16 lifts and 120 places for
spectators in wheelchairs.
“The size of the facility is phenomenal,” says Bev
Mitchell of project manager, Mitchell du Plessis As-
sociates (MDA). “The roof is column-free and the
Photos by Bev Mitchell (left) and
MediaClubSouthAfrica.com.
Rodger Bosch (right),
seating is positioned in such a way that spectators
can see all four corners of the playing area without
having to stand or jump. Even when they leave their
seats to buy food, there are still opportunities to
see the game while standing in the queues. To
complement the action on the field, two giant TV
screens have been mounted above the seating
area – excellent for action replays and close-ups of
the action.”
Joint effort
Within the time frame of the project, the design
team spent a year in the preparation phase before
the construction team eventually broke ground in
February 2007. However, time was extremely limited,
considering the enormity of the project, and therefore
there was a call for tenders from multi-disciplinary
Photo by BKS.

teams to ensure that everything would be com-
pleted on time.
“During the tender process, MDA put two teams to-
gether and entered two different tenders, which
came in first and second. After lengthy delibera-
tions, it was decided that both teams should be
appointed. MDA was the common denominator, so
the two teams were co-ordinated from the MDA of-
fices. We put together a joint venture of four project
management firms – ourselves, BKS, Ariya Project
Managers and Ngonyama Okpanum Associates.
Overall, we ended up with over 51 firms involved on
the professional team, representing 15 disciplines.
That was the only way we could see ourselves being
able to hand the stadium over by the end of 2009,
the specified deadline.”
179 >
The first costings came out 20 – 30 % over the budget,
requiring significant design refinements in order
to shrink the costs. “Trying to adjust the costs was a
nightmare as the World was going through a reces-
sion and our local construction industry was flying, so
the labour rates and materials costs were a lot high-
er,” Mitchell elaborates. “Fortunately, we managed
to negotiate a slightly higher budget as a compro-
mise and we were able to come in below that, in
the end.”
With the help of gmp, the German architects, the de-
sign team managed to conceptualise a structure
that adds to the beauty of Cape Town. Standing
proudly within the parklike surroundings, its form
is certainly distinctive and somewhat sculptural.
180 >
Photos by Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town.
Sustainability
The revamped Green Point Common is very much
a people place and to fall in line with the natural
and human aspects of its environment, the Cape
Town Stadium needed to be as environmentally
sustainable as possible. Part of the challenge was
to reduce traffic congestion in order to reduce the
stadium’s carbon footprint.
“Fortunately, the Central Business District of Cape
Town is within walking distance and an Integrated
Rapid Transit system is also available to transport
spectators from the parkades and open parking areas
within the city to the stadium. There are only VIP park-
ing facilities allocated within the stadium grounds
– these will accommodate up to 3 000 vehicles.”
Further environmentally conscious initiatives in-
cluded water management and energy conservation
and recycling wherever possible. “When the Green
Point Stadium was partially demolished, 95% of the
components were incorporated in the new stadium
as part of a recycling project,” Mitchell continues.
“Water and energy savings were also a priority.”
A building management system has been incorpo-
rated. This monitors energy usage and lights can be
switched off and air-conditioning adjusted in rooms
that are unoccupied. Compact fluorescent lamps
have been used in most areas and to reduce the
need for airconditioning, the outer cladding of the
stadium allows air to circulate.
Water from the roof is channelled into storage tanks
and as much grey water is recycled as possible.
Much of it is used to fill ponds on the Green Point
Common as well as for irrigation of the gardens.
Furthermore, neither the Common, with its urban
park, nor the stadium, relies on the City of Cape Town’s
 181 > 181 >

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182 >
Photos by Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town.
water supply for drinking water. This is sourced from
the Oranjezicht Natural Springs located a mere four
kilometres away.
Sustainability, of course, does not only extend to
natural resources. At peaks times, there were up
to 2 500 people employed on site. Amongst these,
around 1 200 artisans received training during the
construction period, which will equipped them to
find further employment in the future.
The stadium is managed by a consortium consisting
of the South African sports marketing company,
SAIL, and Stade de France, operators of a major multi-
purpose venue in Paris. <
183 > 183 >
 MBOMBELA STADIUM
184 >

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 185 >

MBOMBELA By Stacey Rowan

STADIUM:
FOR THE
LOVE
OF THE
‘GAME’
Known as Africa’s wildest stadium,
with 18 structural giraffe elements and
seats patterned with zebra stripes, the
Mbombela Stadium was the ultimate
sports venue for the 2010 FIFA World
CUp, where the ‘game’ of soccer met
the ‘game’ of Africa.
186 >

As one of the stadiums used in the FIFA 2010 World
Cup, the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit illustrat-
ed the love of the soccer game that was played
within it. The stadium also showcased the love of
Africa’s big game through its animalistic architec-
tural design.
Situated close to the world renowned Kruger Park,
surrounded by numerous game lodges, it was impera-
tive for the stadium to have some reference to the big
game of Africa. As wildlife murals are not convinc-
ing, and following the belief that form follows
function, the long roof cantilever design lent itself to
a cable stayed roof design, which in turn required a
tower, creating the giraffe icon. The giraffe towers, a
key design element, provided the stadium with an
African motif.
The 30 metre high giraffe motifs, each with an abstract
head large enough for a person to stand inside,
have been placed around the outside edge of the
stadium, facing outwards. The bodies and legs of
the giraffes have been built into the concrete struc-
ture of the building, while the necks form an impor-
tant part of the steel supporting structure for the
roof, making the concept not only eye-catching,
but also practical.
“The stadium is at the doorstep of the Kruger Park
game reserve, perfectly positioned so that attendance
of one of the many 2010 World Cup matches was
be combined with a visit to view the magnificence
of Africa’s wildest animals. This was not lost on the
stadium designers and the signature feature of the
stadium is the abstract 18 structural giraffes, making
this South Africa’s wildest football and rugby stadium.

Contact: Tel +27 011 7080551

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E-mail kriedemanng@inox.co.za
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Inox Manufacturing specialises in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of steel items required by the construction industry. We
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Some recent projects include:
Mbombela Stadium – Galvanised Pedestrian & Motor Gates – Basil Read (R1.3M)
UNISA NRB – Steel Staircases & Balustrade – G. Liviero & Son (R4.1M)
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Silver Star Casino – Laser Cut Steel Facades – Grinaker-Lta (R0.5M)

The exterior façade of the stadium molds
beautifully into its wild and plant-filled
surroundings.
187 >
The roof supports were naturally tall and slender
and cried out to be giraffes. It was one of those great
synergies between function, form and structural
necessity and so the Mbombela Giraffe came to be.
The seating bowl patterned like a herd of zebras en-
hanced the association,” say Douglas Roberts,
founder, R & L Architects and Mike Bell, project archi-
tect, R & L Architects.
Proudly South African
Located in Mpumalanga and worth R1,07 billion,
the Mbombela Stadium was the only wholly South
African designed new stadium out of all the stadi-
ums, with South African products having been used
as far as possible. Other stadiums which were South
African designed were technically revamps and not
newly built stadiums as the Mbombela Stadium was.
“This stadium is the only South African designed
and detailed structure. The design intention was
to make this an African stadium. It clearly looks, feels
and is Southern African,” add Roberts and Bell.
As the site is cradled in an arc of granite outcrops
and local thorn trees, the surrounding landscape
provides a ‘South African’ feel and lowveld experi-
ence. The opening between the upper edge of the
seating bowl and the roof provides a gap through
which the sky and surrounding granite topped hills
are visible from most of the seats. The roof creates
the illusion of floating with a lightness rather like an
acacia tree canopy. An Acacia forest on the south
has been preserved and adjoins the stadium. The
main spectator approach path passes through
these trees providing a ‘bushveld’ experience.
Functionality versus aesthetics
With Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium having an
iconic arch, Johannesburg’s Soccer City showcas-
ing an impressive calabash façade and the Cape
Town Stadium possessing an impressive roof, it
 189 >

was imperative for the Mbombela Stadium to have

its own uniquely identifiable signature.

Designed for contextual relevance and functional-

ity rather than an iconic statement and aesthetics,
the Mbombela Stadium’s pleasant stadium experi-
ences have to do with the intimate proximity to the
pitch, clear sightlines and ease of access. Other ele-
ments have greater attention to detail rather than
flashy décor and stoic structures.

Stadium design principles

The stadium seats 40 000 spectators on three seat-
ing terraces. For a good view of a match, a spectator
requires good floodlighting, proximity to the field
of play and a clear view of all parts of the pitch. These
are, to some extent, conflicting requirements be-
cause the closer you bring the stands to the field, the
poorer the sightlines become. If you remove specta-
tors from the pitch by having seating placed at a
distance, their experience is diminished. The trick
here is to find the right balance in order to achieve
both proximity to the pitch and good sightlines for
spectators. Basically, the sightlines at the Mbombela
Stadium are excellent, enhancing spectator satis-
faction.

The design at all times was kept relatively simple, tak-

ing into account the locality of the structure and the
skills available from the local labour force. Another
major factor in keeping the stadium simple and acces-
sible was that the arrival and general spectator cir-
culation occurs at the mid-height level of the stadium.
Spectators needing access to the lower terrace eas-
ily walk down to their seats, and spectators using the
TOP: The theme of soccer is spread
suite level and upper terrace walk up less than throughout the stadium with the use of
half the height that they would normally do at larger soccer icon wall coverings.
stadiums. “The aim of laying the arena in a simple
rectangular plan form, and not in an oval shape, ABOVE: With bright colours and animalistic
was to simplify the construction process and keep design elements, this is Africa’s wildest
the budget in check. Both of the two main seating stadium.

tiers link directly into continuous and generous

190 >
TOP: The colourful interior creates an exciting
and vibrant atmosphere.
CENTRE & ABOVE: Zebra-striped seats enhance
the wild animalistic feel of the stadium.
pedestrian concourses, which in turn link with
eight generous pedestrian ramps.
In order to meet the challenging budget, MOTT Mc-
Donald in London optimised the roof design to be
extremely light, setting a world standard for de-
sign weights. The roof design has won the British
Overseas Expertise Award in the sport and leisure
category.
“The architects followed universally accepted stadium
principles and used the FIFA Technical Recommen-
dations and Requirements for the Construction or
Modernisation of Football Stadia, 2000 and the
‘Guide to Safety at Sport Grounds’ (Green Guide)
HMSO 1997,” say Roberts and Bell.
Construction
The client, Mbombela Municipality, wanted a stadi-
um design that could fit approximately 45 000 seats
and one that was suitable to host preliminary 2010
World Cup Group stage matches. The stadium had to
be FIFA compliant in terms of safety and designed
according to the British Published Green Guide. It
had to be constructed within the budgets provided
as, unlike larger municipalities elsewhere in South
Africa, this municipality did not have funds to cover
extra costs over and above the initial budget.
The stadium was built on a site that has an esti-
mated 5 metre slope from end to end, which is ide-
al, but the ground conditions proved difficult with
excessive clay necessitating expensive foundation
piles. “Four legged concrete columns built at 10 me-
tre intervals were poured incrementally around the
stadium. The steel roof structure followed, assem-
bled module by module. The pre-cast seating tiers
and steps followed as the poured concrete cured.
The lower tier excavated into the ground was rela-
tively independent of the main structure and could
therefore be installed according to its own ideal pro-
gramme,” explain Roberts and Bell.
 N1 Freeway Bridge - Lynnwood, Pretoria

Medupi ACC JV for ESKOM, Ellisras

192 >

An architectural giraffe stares into the South African Each giraffe motif has a head large enough for a
sunset. person to stand inside.

A fisheye view of the entire stadium, showcasing its zebra-striped seats and eight giraffes.

Out of all the stadiums used for the FIFA 2010
World Cup, the Mbombela Stadium had the lowest
per seat cost. The stadium can seat up to 43 500
spectators, of which 40 000 tickets were sold for
the World Cup and 3 500 were for media and VIP
seats. The seats were not removable, thus the ca-
pacity remained unchanged after the World Cup.
For the spectators with wheelchairs, 196 wheel-
chair spaces are available.
The seating in the stadium was the closest to the pitch
of all the World Cup Stadiums in South Africa. In addi-
tion, 94% of the seating was under roofing, making
Mbombela Stadium, along with the Cape Town Stadi-
um, the stadiums with the most seats under roofing.
193 >
The Rye grass pitch, which is 693m above sea level,
has a grass surface suitable for international rugby
and soccer.
Difficulties faced & challenges
overcome
With a restricted budget it was imperative to stay with-
in the limits, therefore the construction, including
most components, were locally procured, manufac-
tured and assembled. The distance from the main
commercial and industrial centres required a consid-
erable amount of transportation of prefabricated
goods which was a challenge. Other challenges
faced included the difficult ground conditions and
the relatively small capacity of local contractors and
subcontractors that were included in the project.
194 >

The main contractor had to train over 400 work-

men, and local residents who were seasonal fruit
pickers, in various building skills. Despite a number
of strikes and the collapse of a giant crane in a ma-
jor storm, which resulted in the loss of numerous
working days, the construction team managed to
meet the contractual deadlines.

The ‘goal’ is to be ‘green’

To maintain a low carbon footprint, with the ‘goal’
of being ‘green’, the designers and the municipality
did their bit to fall in line with the World Cup’s Green
Goal initiative.

“A low transport carbon footprint was achieved by

minimising the use of overseas components as far
as possible. The environmentally friendly and eco-
logical aspects of the design include the recovery of
rain water runoff from the stadium roof and recovery
of the irrigation and precipitation water on the pitch
via a pipe network that channels the water back to
a holding tank for re-use. Much care has been tak-
en to recover and recycle both rain and irrigation
water. Another innovation is the heat recovery
from the air conditioning system which in turn
heats the hot water for the building.”

Other green initiatives include a large solar array

connected directly into the building grid. The climate
of the region allows for open concourses. The six me-
tre opening between the upper edge of the tiered
seating and the roof ventilates the seating bowl on
hot days and creates a feeling of openness.
An artist’s colour palette was used for the
interior, with colours of red, orange, blue
and green splattered throughout the interior
structure.

Facilities available
Every new stadium including Mbombela was built
to FIFA’s specifications. The main players’ change
rooms, located in the basement, can each accom-
modate 50 people. The facilities include netted warm
up areas, a fully equipped gymnasium, ample lockers,
196 >

The 30 metre high giraffe motifs have been placed around the outside edge of the stadium, facing outwards.
 197 >

The long roof cantilever design lent itself to a cable stayed roof design, which
in turn required a tower, creating the giraffe icon.
198 >

hydrotherapy baths, boot wash facilities and re-

laxation rooms. Elaborate press facilities are incor-
porated including an auditorium, with audio visual
equipment for game analysis and press confer-
ences and associated recreational spaces. Offices
suitable for running the stadium and a gymnasium
for public use have also been planned.

The mid-level, located between the upper and

lower tiers in the stadium, has a Presidential Suite
with bars and dining room, public restaurant facili-
ties and 28 public leased skyboxes. Alongside the
skyboxes, five club lounges have also been built.
The Presidential Suite is serviced by a lift from a
drop-off point in the basement. There is also a TV
studio and the venue operations centre on the
Mid-level.

A lecture theatre with related kitchens and a com-

mercial gymnasium on the ground floor can be
used for occasions unrelated to football or rugby
games. “The site is large and will be developed in
the course of time to include an athletics track,
netball courts and tennis courts with accompany-
ing facilities. It is hoped that eventually a Sports
Science Centre will follow. As the public’s needs
become clearer, the balance of the space (that was
initially used as FIFA entertainment areas for the
world cup matches) will be retained as large enter-
tainment areas or converted into further skyboxes
or leased as commercial offices.” TOP: A simple and formal architectural
design was used for the shower facilities.
“Both the Mbombela Municipality, including their
enthusiastic Mayor, and the Mpumulanga Provin- CENTRE: Bright colour palettes have been
cial officials appear extremely proud of their new used for interior rooms, together with
asset,” conclude Roberts and Bell. African elements.

ABOVE: The locker rooms provide players

Danny Jordaan, head of the FIFA Local Organising with a professional space to prep and get
Committee, has also recently said that “the Mbombela ready for the big game.
Stadium is one of the most distinctive and unique
stadiums in FIFA World Cup history.” <
 We do all
Building alterations
Plumbing
Fire-claims
Replacement of ceilings
Painting
Burglary repairs

Tel: 012 664-1717 Fax: 012 664-7810 email: camjor@telkomsa.net

Address: 22 Botha Avenue, Lyttelton, Centurion
200 >

The interior view of the pitch and some of the seating.

 201 >

A SLICE OF
HISTORY
GETS A
FACELIFT By Bev Hermanson

The Ellis Park Stadium, situated in the heart of Johannes-

burg, is one of the country’s most famous venues for large
sporting events. In order to qualify as a venue for the
staging of matches for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the
stadium under went a facelift and upgrade. This was highly
challenging, as the stadium remained operational through-
out the renovation.
202 >
The Ellis Park Stadium will always have its place in
the history of South African rugby. Few will forget
the spirit of unity that soared high above the na-
tion as Nelson Mandela held up the Rugby World
Cup Trophy that was won by the Springboks back
in 1995. It was a poignant moment in the country’s
history that will live forever in the hearts of our re-
cently liberated rainbow people.
Few can likewise forget the tragic loss of life as too
many fans, crammed into Ellis Park, panicked and
ran amok at an Orlando Pirates vs Kaiser Chiefs
clash in 2003. Thus the stadium’s halls resonate
with glory, yet are shrouded in sorrow.
The first Ellis Park stadium was built on the site back
in 1928 on 13 acres that were earmarked for the pur-
pose by the Johannesburg Councillor, JD Ellis. After
just over half a century of rugby triumphs and de-
feats, the stadium was demolished to make way
for a more modern facility. The new stadium was
completed in 1982, but it remained very much a
male dominated domain.
From being the base for the Transvaal Rugby Union in
the early 1900s, the new stadium was established
as the home of the Cats and the Lions Rugby Union. It
was also a popular venue for test matches where his-
tory was made in the titanic struggles between rug-
by nations. This was the place where legends were
born.
The stadium precinct. Photo by Emily Visser.
One of the most memorable moments was when
Joel Stransky booted a drop goal in extra time on that
fateful day back in June 1995, when the Springboks
wrenched the Rugby World Cup title and trophy
from the All Blacks with a 15:12 final score.
Ten years later, history was again made when 51%
ownership was passed to the Orlando Pirates Football
Club, establishing Ellis Park as the first black-owned
stadium in South Africa and home to both soccer
and rugby – still in the main, male dominated sports.
The brief
When plans were put in place to prepare the various
cities for the staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,
Ellis Park again came into the limelight. Where
nearly a century ago, 13 acres had easily been set
aside for enjoyment of the sport of rugby, the pre-
cinct had now become largely built-up. This was
indeed challenging for the team at DBM Architects,
who were part of the consortium tasked with up-
grading the conveniently situated stadium to a
seating capacity of 62 000 spectators.
“The stadium forms part of the Ellis Park World of
Sport Campus. Now known as Coca Cola Park, the
stadium rubs shoulders with the Johannesburg
Stadium, the home of athletics, the Standard Bank
Arena, a popular venue for concerts, tennis tourna-
ments, boxing and squash championships and the
Aerial view of Ellis Park, now renamed the Coca Cola Stadium.
203 > 203 >

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204 >
Olympic sized swimming pool. Although around
R2-billion was set aside by the Johannesburg De-
velopment Agency (JDA) for a major upgrade and
regeneration of the suburbs of Doornfontein, Ber-
trams, Bezuidenhout Valley, Troyeville, Judith’s
Paarl and Lorentzville, only R230-million was allo-
cated to the upgrading of the Coca Cola Park Stadi-
um,” says Wynand du Plessis of DBM Architects.
“This was less than a tenth of the budgets for some
of the new stadiums.”
When one looked at the aerial view of the precinct,
the tightness of the urban fabric was apparent. As
there was not much in the way of parking, hence
the Park ‘n Ride scheme that was put in place some
years back, to cope with the influx of fans.
The upgrade was divided into four categories:
> The entire main western grandstand was upgrad-
ed, including all of the competitors’, hospitality
and media areas.
> The existing toilets and concession facilities around
the stadium were completely overhauled and addi-
tional toilet facilities were added for women.
> A new upper seating tier that would accommo-
date an additional 5 000 seats was added to the
northern pavilion. This had to include a roof.
> A parkade was added, enough to accommodate
The stadium precinct. Photo by Emily Visser.
1 100 vehicles for VIP parking, with plans in
place for further expansion in the future. This build-
ing now includes provision for storage space, a
public medical centre, a police station with holding
cells and retail trading space.
“In order for a stadium to qualify to host some of
the matches up to quarter final level, the seating ca-
pacity had to accommodate more than 60 000
spectators. This was tricky as, due to the big press
contingent, we ‘lost’ a lot of seats,” du Plessis ex-
plains. “As a result of the restricted budget, we had
to be very disciplined in terms of what should be
upgraded and how. One of the areas that we de-
cided to focus on was the public area between what
was the Ellis Park Stadium and the Standard Bank
Arena. We knew that most of the public approached
the stadium from the north, so we decided to make
this aspect the face of the new Coca Cola Park, with
the new Parkade located on the eastern side.”
Execution of the design concepts
The aesthetic style of the new northern elevation
can be described as modern functionalism. Elements
were developed to ‘work with’ the existing struc-
ture. These included a new structural skin of care-
fully designed steel supports that carry the new
roof and seating, along with huge uprights made
of off-shutter concrete dissected by an enormous
The Ellis Park precinct has been extensively upgraded as part
of the Johannesburg urban regeneration initiative.
 205 >

Aerial view of Ellis Park, now renamed the Coca-Cola Park.

206 >
red arch that hints at the rainbow of the new de-
mocracy. Further, the steel grille screening the
glassed area is suggestive of the South African
flag.
Over and above the architectural requirements,
every other aspect of the stadium had to be
brought into line with FIFA’s requirements. This in-
cluded the upgrading of the floodlighting, which
had to be doubled in intensity. There are temporary
structures that have been placed as overlays, to be
used only during the Soccer World Cup – these will
be dismantled and removed after the champion-
ships are concluded. This includes a bridge be-
tween the university and the stadium for use by the
press. Then, for future sustainability, a legacy element
has been integral to the overall design. This includes
a conference centre, that will accommodate between
800 and 1 000 delegates, that has been created out
of what was a parking level behind the grandstand.
For the conference venue, the presidential suite
and the sports centre, an affordable tufted carpet tile
from Nexus’s Matrix range was used. This provides
insulation, warmth and the absorption of ambient sta-
dium noise.
“With the carpeting at the Ellis Park Stadium, budg-
et and durability were major considerations. Nexus
was awarded the contract as our products are manu-
factured locally but to the best international stand-
ards. If any problems arise with the flooring, it is
easier to obtain supplies and materials from a lo-
cal manufacturer and our carpets are backed with
a 15 year wear warranty,” says Adrian Scholtz, a
Nexus representative.
Nexus is the commercial division of leading carpet
manufacturer, Belgotex Floorcoverings (Pty) Ltd.
With its wide range of products, Nexus assisted
DBM Architects by providing a durable tile to cope
with the expected heavy traffic flow. “The objective
was to steer away from an ‘office look’ and to cre-
ate an aesthetically pleasing interior, with a linear
appearance. For this, we used carpet tiles, instead
of broadloom carpeting,” Scholtz explains.
Public safety
Spectator safety is an essential consideration
when planning a public facility such as a stadium.
Crowd control and the dynamics of emergency
situations have distinctive patterns and since the
2003 tragedy, the management of the Coca-Cola
Stadium at the Ellis Park campus is emphatic that
this kind of incident should not be allowed to hap-
pen again. Likely evacuation patterns were exam-
ined and escape routes identified.
The main escape route provided is a 4m-wide tun-
nel at the north-eastern end of the stadium. This is
wide enough for emergency and service vehicles
to use to get onto the pitch in order to evacuate
anyone that has been injured. The exit of the tun-
nel is close to the new, state-of-the-art medical
centre located in the new parkade.
Disabled and paraplegic spectators have also
been considered. There are 200 spectator seating
positions allocated at ground level with ramps for
easy access by wheel chairs and in the cloak-
rooms, emergency alerts have taken sight and
hearing impaired individuals into account, too. So,
for example, a flashing light will indicate a need for
evacuation, to alert hearing impaired spectators to
an emergency.
The upgrade started in August 2007 and ended in
March 2009, in time for the successful staging of the
Confederations Cup in June 2009.
“It was indeed a privilege for DBM Architects to
have been involved in this project. It has enhanced
our understanding of stadia as a built form and
while challenging on many levels, it was a pleas-
ure to be part of the very special team that accom-
plished this upgrade,” says du Plessis. <
 207 >

Two concrete columns support a red flash that is reminiscent of The extensive use of steel supports adds a slightly more
the country’s rainbow. contemporary appearance to the renovated stadium.
208 >

LOFTUS
SPECTATORS
WITNESSED
ANOTHER BAFANA
BAFANA GAME By Stacey Rowan

It was in 1999 that spectators at the Loftus ONE OF THE OLDEST STADIUMS
Versfeld Stadium witnessed Bafana Banfana,
South Africa’s national team, play a soccer Loftus Versfeld Stadium is one of the oldest stadi-
ums in South Africa. This all-seater stadium has
game against Sweden. As one of the venues
been used for major sporting events since 1903, in-
that hosted matches of the 2010 FIFA World
cluding significant matches which were part of the
Cup, Loftus Versveld gave its spectators the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 1996 CAF African
opportunity once again to witness Bafana Cup of Nations. Hosting countless rugby and soccer
Bafana play another game of soccer when matches, this stadium is no stranger to these
sports. Loftus Versfeld Stadium is the home ground
they played against Uruguay at the stadium.
of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, one of
South Africa’s premiere professional clubs, and Super-
The Loftus Versfeld Stadium has a lot of character,
sport United. It is also home to one of the country’s
it has history and it has a sense of place. Situated
top rugby teams, the Blue Bulls.
in Tshwane, Pretoria, the stadium is located within
a very dense and urban fabric, making it part of
The stadium’s first concrete structure, built by the
the city. It is not isolated from the city as some of
City Council of Pretoria in 1923, could only accom-
the other stadiums are, which makes it unique. “It
modate two thousand spectators. Since 1948, Loftus
is not just a stadium, but it is a buzz of activities.
Versfeld has undergone constant upgrades and
It has a vibe,” says Bhavik Ranchod, architect and
renovations and its four main stands have been
project manager, The Creative Axis Architects.
completely rebuilt.

UPGRADING THE OLD TO
MAKE IT NEW
The most recent renovation at Loftus was the 2010
FIFA World Cup facelift. To qualify for selection as a
South African 2010 host stadium and a venue for
the World Cup, the stadium was upgraded to meet
the stringent requirements specified by FIFA.
“The stadium is owned by The Blue Bulls Company
(Pty) Ltd, whereby other stadiums are owned either
by municipalities or the government. Being an old
stadium, it required various upgrades in order to
make the stadium FIFA complaint. Unlike other
newly built stadiums, this project only involved an
upgrade,” adds Ranchod.
The brief entailed an upgrade that included basic ad-
ditions and a refurbishment. The floodlights were
upgraded and a new roof over the eastern pavilion was
built, which now houses a new set of flood lights,
adding to the aesthetics of the stadium. Another
209 >
upgrade included the implementation of back-up
power, through the use of generators. “During the
matches, the stadium will run off generators, elimi-
nating the risk of power failures,” says Ranchod.
The scoreboard, players’ change rooms and sound
system were also upgraded to meet FIFA’s specifi-
cations and designated media areas were con-
structed in the lower level of the west stand. With
an estimated seat capacity of 49 215 seats, the task
of replacing each seat was challenging. “The newly
placed bright blue seats, which are plastered every-
where, stand out,” says Ranchod. A new lift on the
north-west corner of the stadium was added, to-
gether with the placement of a new ring of turn-
stiles that are located around the stadium. The IT
systems were also upgraded which allowed for dig-
ital access control and the pitch was restored,
among other minor upgrades that occurred.
In addition, a new walkway was built on the eastern
side of the stadium, which allowed for more than
210 >
50% of the stadiums’ spectators to come through
the east side. This entrance was also designed to
double up as an essential access for emergency ve-
hicles. The walkway was, and still is, seen as a
means of knitting the precinct together with both
the transport and bus routes, as well as the jam-
packed social area of Hatfield. With the walkway
being designed around a classic park-like approach,
it made the stadium upgrade, as a whole, serve as
a dynamic rendition to the list of landmarks already
defining the city.
Other upgrades included the refurbishment of the
board hall area, new toilet blocks were introduced
and the VIP areas on the main pavilion were up-
graded. The key entrances as well as ablution fa-
cilities situated around the stadium were renovat-
ed, which gave the stadium a fresh new look.
THE STADIUM THAT NEVER SLEEPS
The Loftus Versfeld Stadium was different from
most of the other 2010 FIFA stadiums as it was a
working stadium, with matches that were played on
an ongoing basis during the construction phase.
“We faced enormous challenges in that we needed
to take health and safety into consideration, mak-
ing sure that no spectators or players were hurt.
Even though Loftus Versfeld was a ‘living’ stadium
at the time of the construction period, no incidents
occurred.
Having the smallest budget of all the 2010 stadiums
was another challenge for the project team. “We
did not have the freedom to do what we wished ar-
chitecturally due to our limited budget and there-
fore we could not make an architectural statement,”
explains Ranchod.
Keeping within the stadium’s surroundings was
also a challenge that was faced, yet accomplished.
“We had to tie the stadium into what was already
there, keep within the heritage of the stadium and
not allow our construction activities to disturb the
outside area.” The stadium maintained interaction
with the city, which was vital.
During the upgrade, the project team maintained
eco-friendliness. Some of the eco-friendly methods
used included the use of energy efficient products
for lighting and placement of eco-friendly flooring
like bamboo finished floors and certain eco-friendly
carpets. “We tried to make the stadium eco-friendly
where we could.”
A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
“The fully operational stadium can be considered a
mixed-use development as it houses more than 300
offices, a conference venue, an auditorium, change
rooms for the players, many suites and skyboxes,”
says Ranchod. According to the client’s brief and
the Blue Bulls Management Agency, the stadium
had to be of benefit to the owners as a future-use
development, after the 2010 World Cup.
“The Loftus Versfeld Stadium proved to be a reward-
ing project upon completion. With the basic infra-
structure improved, it is now a FIFA-compliant stadium
and we are proud to say that the FIFA affiliates are
satisfied with the stadium,” concludes Ranchod. <
211 >
212 >

GREEN
PARK:
‘WORK,
LIVE &
PLAY’
By Stacey Rowan.

With a public square, offices, a 5-star boutique

hotel, a pavement retail centre, cafes, an up-
market night club, a conference centre, a Virgin
Active health centre, a spa and apartments,
residents, employees and guests at Green
Park don’t have to step a foot outside its doors.
All their basic needs are satisfied by the facilities
available at the development, which provide
means of food, exercise, leisure, work and rest.
At this urban lifestyle development it’s all
about the ‘Work, Live, and Play’.

Green Park is situated in West Road South,

Morningside, within walking distance from
Sandton Central and the new Gautrain Station.
Although phase two and three of the devel-
opment are only set for completion in 2013
and 2015 respectively, phase one is due for
completion at the end of 2010.
 213 >

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The architectural design of Green Park is
environmentally responsive. The develop-
ment has to be carefully orientated north-
wards to allow for natural sunlight and sum-
mer shading.

“The site it located within a public environ-

ment and has been designed to accommo-
date the people. The design is deliberately
pedestrian and inclusive of the surrounding
areas. The intention was, and continues to
be, to create a comfortable human environ-
ment similar to the kind of smaller scale ur-
ban areas which existed before car-driven
planning destroyed most of this city. Also,
the client understands how complex and
integrated environments function which has
made it possible for the design to develop
in a very different manner to conventional
projects in Sandton,” explains says Vaughn
Horsman, head architect on the project.

Apart from the architectural design, the

overall aesthetics of the development are
modern and contemporary. The interior
called for a clean and neutral look. “This was
created through the use of neutral material
choices like concrete in the frame structures,
glass for the facades and grey and white
plaster. Other choices included robust exter-
nal materials, brickwork skin with gamma
zenith or cladding and timber for the bal-
conies.
214 >

CHALLENGES FACED
With the development offering apartments,
hotel rooms and office spaces, among
others, this required a substantially large
amount of parking that needed to be built.
“There is a huge amount of parking accom-
modated over four basements.” Not only
did these facilities create a need for mass
parking, but the mixed-use of the devel-
opment also created challenges. “The com-
plexities of mixed-use are naturally chal-
lenging. The residential apartments on
top of retail had to be carefully planned, as
well as the office space themselves. The
use of deep green garden decks and ar-
cades that separate these various zones
provided a solution for this,” says Horsman.

SOARING INTO THE SKIES

Green Park certainly soars into the skies
with its 20 story commercial office, which
forms the tallest building in the develop-
ment. “The design brief, from our client
Lushaka Investments, called for a mixed-
use, high rise and high density precinct in
Morningside, which would focus around an
urban square. The land cost has demanded
that the design maximises height and
bulk at all costs,” says Horsman.
216 >

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Bertha Wium Landscape Development, in
association with Red Landscape Archi-
tects, was responsible for the execution of
the landscape architecture of the Landscape
Development Plan, as commissioned by
A3 Architects.
“Working in close relation with the client
and the architects, the vision was formu-
lated – developing a landscape that will
emphasise the name of the development
‘Green Park’. The design allowed for ample
green, vertical walls, raised planters and
lawn areas, pot gardens and large trees
planted in sunken gardens,” says Bertha
Wium, MD, Bertha Wium Landscape Devel-
opment (Pty) Ltd and Francois van Rooyen,
MD, Red Landscape Architects (Pty)Ltd.
The landscape architecture needed to over-
come the adverse climatic conditions as-
sociated with the built up environments
in Sandton. This was achieved by strate-
gically designing the location of the land-
scape within and around the building,
ensuring that the ultimate landscape was
chosen in the available spaces.
“The design of Green Park will be a yard
stick for new buildings in and around Sand-
ton,” says Wium.
217 >
A3 ARCHITECTS
A3 Architects worked closely with the
Lushaka Group to create the ultra-modern
architectural design of Green Park Sandton.
Differentiating them from other architec-
tural firms is there unique relationships with
clients and suppliers and there ongoing
personal service. “Our practice is not only
about delivering the end product, but it’s
also about creating relationships with our
clients ensuring that their requirements
are met. The practice itself is a hard work-
ing but relaxed environment with a good
vibe between colleagues. It is also a learn-
ing environment where everyone is able to
participate in all levels of a certain project,
ask questions and a number of students
are employed and trained. <
 ONTR A
C C

yemension
E T
218 >

T
A
P OR
ynamix

R
CO

S
C

E
A L
R I
P E T T

DESIGN DYNAMICS BY DYEMENSION DYNAMIX

Nedbank – colour sandune carpet tiles.As supplied by Dyemension Dynamix and Installed by
Peter Bates Flooring in Nedbank’s Phase 2 Rivonia Project.

We SALUTE , NEDBANK’S EARTHLY “GREEN” SOUTH AFRI-
CAN VISION for commitment to a healthy work environ-
ment, and their insistence that all Carpet Tiles installed
at their Sandton “Phase 2” premises are manufactured
IN South Africa and are “Greenstar IEQ-13” compliant.
This “Green – Keep it South African” vision was directly
responsible for Dyemension Dynamix Corporate Carpets
(Pty) Ltd urgently researching and acquiring the neces-
sary knowledge, technology, skills and equipment for
production and the resultant “Greenstar
accreditation on all of our products including the
Nedbank carpet tiles used in “Phase 2”.
In addition to creating a healthier, sustainable environ-
ment the opening of export opportunities with compli-
ant South African products is an important added
benefit.
This “keep it – Green and South African” vision is appre-
ciated and seen as a genuine display of Nedbank’s
Corporate Responsibility in creating opportunities and
jobs, by ensuring local products enjoy all the benefits
of, and are equivalent to, internationally available “state
of the art” products worldwide.
For more information please visit us at
www.dyemensiondynamix.co.za
Email us: dyedynamix@mweb.co.za
IEQ-13”
Tel no: +27 (31) 464 2627
Fax no: +27 (31) 464 9450
GREEN BUILDINGCOUNCIL SA
MEMBER ORGANISATION
 219 >

SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN

THE FIRST STEP IN THE

BUILDING EVOLUTION
By Stacey Rowan

The ‘Go green’ movement, a trend

that has been around for ages, is
continuously evolving.
We all know the ways to live eco-friendly lives like
switching off lights and using water-saving devices
in our homes, reducing our usage of motor vehicles,
planting trees in our gardens and recycling. Going
green is here to stay and the various trends within
the green movement are now changing direction,
moving beyond maintaining eco-friendly lives, to
developing eco-friendly ‘green’ buildings.
Nedbank Phase 2, situated in Sandton, Johannes-
burg, not only is one of the largest bank office com-
plexes in South Africa, but it is also the first building
in South Africa to receive Green Star accreditation.
“This is a huge achievement in South Africa, as this
has never been done before. There are no other certi-
fied buildings yet in South Africa,” says Marloes
Reinink, the sustainable building consultant on
the Nedbank project.
What is a green building?
To understand this achievement, it is important to
first understand the concept of a green building.
According to the Green Building Council of South
Africa (GBCSA), a green building is a structure that is
energy and resource efficient, whilst maintaining
environmental responsibility. The building itself
integrates design, materials, construction, techno-
logical and operational practices that dramatically
reduce or completely eliminate its negative impact
on the environment and its inhabitants. Building
green, an opportunity to address climate change,
creates improved, healthier and more productive
work environments for employees to work in.
Specific green building measures include careful
building design to reduce heat loads, the maximisa-
tion of natural light and promoting the circulation of
fresh air; the use of energy-efficient air-conditioning
and lighting; the use of environmentally-friendly
materials; the reduction of waste, and the use of
recycled materials; water-efficient plumbing fittings
and water harvesting; the use of renewable energy
sources and sensitivity with regard to the impact of
the development on the surrounding environment.
Rating a green building
In order to enable an objective assessment as to how
‘green’ a building is, a green building rating tool needs
to be put in place to set standards and benchmarks.
The rating system sets out a ‘menu’, a carte du jour,
of all the measures that can be incorporated into
a building to make it ‘green’. Points are awarded to
a building according to which measures have been
built in and, after suitable weighting, a complete

score is calculated. This determines the rating of
the given building.
The GBCSA develops these Green Star SA rating
tools to provide the property industry with an ob-
jective measurement for green buildings and to
recognise and reward environmental leadership in
the property industry. Each Green Star SA rating
tool reflects a different market sector, for example:
office, retail and residential, among others.
The Green Star objectives create a common lan-
guage and standard of measurement for green
buildings, together with promoting integrated,
whole-building design. Raising awareness of
green building benefits, recognising environmen-
tal leadership and reducing the environmental im-
pact of developments are other criteria of the
Green Star system.
Green buildings versus conventional
buildings
Aside from the reduced carbon footprint, there is a
convincing business case in favour of green build-
ings. With studies showing dramatic increases in
productivity among users and employees, due to
increased fresh air, more natural light and less
221 >
toxic materials used, tenants are becoming more
aware of these ‘green’ benefits. Alongside this in-
creased awareness, the demand for green build-
ings is growing at a rapid pace, with tenants even
being prepared to pay higher rentals.
Due to the substantial savings in utility services,
particularly when viewed on a lifecycle basis, ten-
ants in green buildings are finding that operating
costs are lessened considerably. A green building
does not necessarily need to cost more than a con-
ventional building. Through intelligent design and
the use of fundamental energy efficient materials,
much can be achieved.
The green building movement is a more efficient
way of developing and operating buildings and it
is hoped that, over time, it will lead to the obsoles-
cence of conventional buildings. The movement is
now being seen as ‘future proofing’ buildings and
is being regarded as a risk management issue.
Operators of green buildings can reduce their con-
sumption of energy to less than half of what a conven-
tional building consumes, with similar reductions
in potable water usage, runoff to sewer and solid
waste. By promoting green building practices, the
GBCSA can have a really significant impact on the
222 >
223 >
224 >
reduction of resource consumption and on combat-
ing global warming.
The name with the green logo
Would it not be considered coincidental that the
client of the first Green Star rated building sports
a green logo?
Nedbank Group is South Africa’s fourth largest
banking group measured by assets, with a strong
deposit franchise, the second largest retail depos-
it base, a client-centric wholesale and retail fran-
chise and a substantial and growing assurance
and wealth management offering. This group pro-
vides an ample range of wholesale and retail bank-
ing services through five main business clusters,
namely Nedbank Capital, Nedbank Corporate,
Nedbank Business Banking, Nedbank Retail and
Nedbank Bancassurance & Wealth. Nedbank
Group focuses on Southern Africa, with the group
positioned as a bank for all – from both a retail and
a wholesale banking point of view.
Nedbank Group offers banking services which
comprise business, corporate and retail banking,
property finance, investment banking, private
banking, foreign exchange and securities trading.
It also generates income from private equity, cred-
it card issuing and processing services, custodial
services, unit trust administration, asset manage-
ment services and bancassurance.
Making things happen
With Nedbank’s proud slogan ‘make things happen’,
the question is posed: how did Nedbank make the
Phase 2 development green?
A sustainability review of the design took place in
2007 by a group consisting of WSP GREEN by DESIGN,
PJC Carew Consulting and The Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR). The review panel
evaluated the design and suggested initiatives to
improve the sustainable performance of the building.
The recommendations were categorised and pri-
oritised using the ‘shades of green’ approach,
which classified the initiatives into three levels of
sustainability, including good practice, best prac-
tice and cutting edge. After the sustainability re-
view, WSP GREEN by DESIGN was appointed to
assist in implementing environmental initiatives
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226 >
and to guide the professional design team towards a
4 Star level of Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating
which was achieved on 15 October 2009. In addition,
the project team is currently pursuing registration
for a Green Star SA Offices As Built v1 rating.
A Greenfield site was not used as the building is
located on previously developed land. Taking the
land use and ecology into consideration, the topsoil
on the site was taken away by the sub-contractor,
cleaned and reused on other development projects,
while the ecological value of the Nedbank Phase 2
site was enhanced beyond its previously existing
state. The building is predominantly framed in con-
crete with 95% recycled content for rebars and a
minimum fly-ash content of 30% on average.
“Nedbank had wanted the Phase 2 building to be
a green building long before the rule book came
out,” says Xavier Huyberechts, senior executive
partner, GLH & Associates Architects.
To go green, Nedbank required that all emissions
from materials and processes possess refrigerant
and gaseous fire suppressants and that thermal
insulants have an Ozone Depleting Potential of zero.
Volatile Organic Compounds of the office interior
paint and carpets have been reduced to a bare
minimum.
The indoor environment quality also turned green, via
fresh air intake in the building being 100% greater
then required by SANS 10400-O. The inclusion of car-
bon dioxide sensors, integrated at the return points
on each floor, ensures continuous monitoring and
adjustment of the amount of fresh air entering the
building. The Mean Value levels were predicted to be
between -0.5 and +0.5, calculated in accordance
with ISO 7730 using standard clothing and metabolic
rate values during occupied hours during the year.
Although 60% of the offices have direct line of sight
to the outdoors, noise from the outside has been
minimised, while the noise levels within the offices
have been reduced in accordance with in SANS 10103:
2004. As with most buildings that comply with the
smoking rules, the Nedbank Phase 2 Building is non-
smoking and has no designated smoking areas
internally.
A conservative approach
With regards to water, once municipality reticence
has been overcome, a Blackwater treatment system,

a project innovation, will be installed to provide recy-
cled water for all non-potable water uses including
irrigation, toilets and cooling towers. Another project
innovation is the implementation of a rain water har-
vesting plant that will collect and treat rain water for
use along with the recycled water.
To ensure significant savings in water consump-
tion, water meters for all major water uses have been
connected to a Building Management System, which
supports proper facility management of water con-
sumption. Pump testing requires no consumption
of water, efficient water fixtures and fittings have been
installed and isolation valves on each floor limit the
amount of water used for maintenance. The fire sys-
tem has been designed to direct sprinkler water from
maintenance drain-downs to the Blackwater treatment
plant for on-site reuse and all landscaping has been
designed to include low water consumption plants.
Another green initiative is in the field of waste
management. This involves a dedicated storage
area provided for the separation and collection of
paper, glass, plastics, metals, used compact fluo-
rescent light bulbs and other materials.
All outflows to the sewerage system, due to occu-
pant use, has been reduced by implementing highly
229 >
efficient fixtures and fittings. The Blackwater treat-
ment system, once it is installed will further reduce
the outflow.
Energy saving entailed the implementation of effi-
cient open circuit evaporative cooling towers for heat
rejection of the chillers. The partial economy cycle
has been designed to provide 100% fresh air to 60%
of the floor plates when outside conditions allow it.
Lighting power densities were put in place for 95%
of the offices with an energy use of 2.25 W/m2 per
100 Lux. In addition, a programmable digital light-
ing system has been provided for the offices. The
lighting design achieves an average maintained il-
lumination level of no more than 400 Lux for the
offices and high frequency ballasts have been in-
stalled in all the fluorescent luminaries.
Quality management
Commissioning had to be done in accordance with
CIBSE, The Chartered Institution of Building Serv-
ices Engineers’ commissioning codes, at practical
completion. The design team and contractor had
to transfer project knowledge to the building own-
er through documented design intent, as-built
drawings, operations and maintenance manuals,
commissioning reports and the actual training of
230 >
building management staff. To tune the building
systems, monthly monitoring will need to be conduct-
ed for one year after practical completion. A Build-
ing User’s Guide was compiled for staff in close
cooperation with design professionals. The main
contractor on the project, Group Five, developed
and implemented an on-site Environmental Manage-
ment Plan that will require continuous monitoring.
During construction, the main contractor also tracked
all waste streams and completed quarterly reports
on waste generation, recycling and reuse.
As transport and motor vehicles are not regarded
as ‘green’, it was decided that the number of parking
spaces would only be allocated according to the
minimum local requirements. Five levels of under-
ground parking with 1 598 parking bays are avail-
able. Dedicated parking bays have been set aside to
provide for hybrid vehicles, motorbikes and bicycles,
in order to promote fuel-efficient transport. Complete
bicycle facilities were constructed with change
rooms, showers and space for bicycle storage, in
the form of racks, to encourage the use of bicycles as
a means of transportation. As the Nedbank Phase 2
building is located within the centre of Sandton,
the use of public transportation is encouraged. In
the future, this will include the Bus Rapid Transit
system that will have a bus stop on Rivonia Road
and the Gautrain Sandton Station. Residential dwell-
ings in close proximity will further reduce the need
for long distance commuting for those who opt to
stay close to work.
The relative scores of the Nedbank Phase 2 building
for each Green Star category include: 75% for man-
agement; 52% for indoor environment quality;
30% for energy; 71% for transport; 86% for water;
36% for materials; 43% for land use and ecology
and lastly, 50% for emissions.
Painting a ‘green’ picture
Along with the environmental initiatives that were
implemented in the Phase 2 development, the
‘greening’ of the wall covering was put in place
through the use of Dulux Trade Ecosure paint. This
product forms part of the first ‘green’ range intro-
duced by Dulux. Used on most of the interior walls,
 Consistant
Durable
Quality
+
Low

=
VOC

Paint f
or a
Greene
r
Future

FACT: • Reduced VOC content Less than 16g/L

• Contributes towards points in the IEQ category of Green Star SA

Environmental benefits no longer have to be chosen at the expense of performance when specifying paints. The Ecosure range from Dulux Trade provides
high quality, long lasting finishes with excellent application characteristics and colour choice. Dulux Trade Ecosure can be tinted using the Dulux Trade
Colour System to allow flexibility in colourful decorating while taking the environment into account. Available in both Silk and Matt finishes in 5L and 20L.

Dulux Trade is a Silver founding member of the Green Building Council of South Africa and our
specifiers have been trained on the Green Star rating tool.

- Paint for a Greener Future

For further information visit www.duluxtrade.co.za

Dulux Trade, Ecosure and Paint for a Greener Future are trademarks of AkzoNobel © 2009
232 >

this low VOC paint creates a picture of eco-friend-
liness, contributing to Nedbank’s green-star rating.
When the Nedbank Phase 2 project commenced,
there was no ‘green’ paint available on the South
African market. Dulux was very accommodating in
that they started to manufacture this ‘green’ paint
in order to meet the requirement that paint should
be produced locally for the Nedbank project.
Dulux Trade SA, a professional provider of paint prod-
ucts and services, prides itself in being one of the
leading authorities on products, colour and service,
undertaking research into local and international
trends to produce the most comprehensive range of
products suited to the national South African market.
Now as a subsidiary of the AkzoNobel group, the
leader in performance coating and the world’s largest
decorative paints company and leading specialty
chemicals business, the company aspires towards be-
ing an innovative, socially and environmentally re-
sponsible organisation with brands that provide
value for money, good technical performance and
minimal impact on the environment and people’s
health. Also belonging to SAPMA (South African
Paint Manufacturers Association), Dulux’s product
stewardship policies are an integral part of its strat-
egies in Africa. Akzo-Nobel and Dulux are passionate
about introducing new ideas and developing sustain-
able answers for their customers, such as Nedbank.
The Pluvia Syphonic roof drainage
system
Geberit, the creator of the Pluvia Syphonic roof
drainage system, is well known for its water-saving
plumbing and sanitary technology. Being named
one of the Top 10 of the World’s 100 Sustainable

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Johannesburg
Erf 89 Impala Road, Kelvin View
Eastgate Extension 8, Sandton 2090
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Aster International is a leading contractor for medium to large projects in the Heating, Steam, Ventilation
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Aster specializes in the installation of plants for the climatisation and ventilation of buildings for corporate
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Proudly associated with Nedbank

for the Nedbank Head Office Phase II Project
Design Electronic Nedbank Ph2 advert Rev1 20100818.doc
 233 >

Companies, Generit has been recognised for its
commitment to sustainability.
“The biggest role Geberit played in the Nedbank
Phase 2 project was the placement of the Pluvia
Syphonic roof drainage system,” says Mark Schurr,
operations director, Geberit. Geberit used the
more eco-friendly HDPE pipes, rather than the
conventional PVC Pipes. These were a requirement
for the Nedbank project.
Geberit Pluvia is a roof drainage system based on
an intelligent negative pressure suction system. This
system offers solutions for the architecture of today,
providing architects with considerably greater
flexibility in the planning of buildings, in the utili-
sation of space and in the co-ordination of different
building requirements.
The high-performance Geberit Pluvia roof outlets
are linked together directly under the roof with a
non-sloping collector pipe. Large roof areas can
thus be drained through a single discharge stack.
This simplifies planning and reduces construction
time. Cost-intensive discharge stacks and drains
are dispensed with, multiplying both the planning
options available to the architect and the potential
uses for the building. The technical principle and the
high drainage rate of Geberit Pluvia ensure that the
system can be used in a wide range of applications.
Some of the many advantages of using this system
include less planning effort, fewer discharge stacks
and roof outlets and the simplification of building
planning, permitting optimum space utilisation. A
diminished need for discharge stacks reduces the out-
lay for underground drain connections and surface lines
as well as the costs for the property developer.

Knight Shopfitters are Proud to be Associated

with the Nedbank Phase II Development

Physical Address: Unit 7, Citrus Street Industrial Park,

Citrus Street, Laser Park, Honeydew, Gauteng
Postal Address: PO Box 1477, Honeydew, 2040
Contact numbers: Tel: +27 11 794-6551 Fax: +27 11 794-5055
Email: knightshop@telkomsa.net
Web: www.knightshopfitters.co.za
 234 >

At the forefront of the move
Group Five Building, as the main contractor on the
Nedbank Phase 2 project, was at the forefront of
the move towards a cleaner environment. The
Group Five construction team put in a massive ef-
fort to achieve the standards set by the Green Star
SA– Office v1 rating tool.
As one of the largest construction and materials
manufacturing companies in southern Africa, Group
Five is a broad-based infrastructure company with
a balanced portfolio of businesses across selected
geographies in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Offering multi-disciplinary construction and engi-
neering skills and expertise, the company achieves
delivery of all aspects of projects, including concept
development and design.
With years of construction experience, Group Five
has played a major role in the development of
southern Africa’s infrastructure, achieving a repu-
tation both nationally and internationally for inno-
vation and professionalism.
“We monitored the programme very closely and
any deviations or activities slacking behind were
immediately addressed. Every person knew ex-
actly what was going on and what was expected of
him. Each morning, the previous day would be dis-
cussed in terms of work being done, together with
how we were going to go forward. Group Five was
chosen for this project because of our previous
track record, the dedicated team we have and the
spirit presented by our team,” says Johan Matthee,
Senior Project Manager, Group Five.

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optimum quantity of valuable timber.
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Fax: 086 666 1686
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Not just a desk
With eight levels of office space, Phase 2 of the Ned-
bank Head Office will provide new accommodation
for 3,000 employees. With a team comprising GLH
Architects, Terra Ether Architects, Claassen Auret,
Aurecon, Coffey Projects, Group 5 Building and WSP
Structures, among others, the Nedbank Phase 2
building has become more than just an office with
a desk.
We all know the term ‘sick-building syndrome.’ Al-
though this definition may refer to a human health
condition where infections are caused by exposure
to contaminants within a building as a result of
poor ventilation, this term also applies to the de-
sign and architecture of a specific building. When it
comes to the layout of a building, the colour palette
235 >
used, the interior design, the internal and external
lighting, among others, the imperative is to create
the perfect work environment through correct struc-
tural and design implementation.
“The aim of architecture is to create environments
for people to work and live in that they are proud
of and that they are happy to associate them-
selves with. Paying attention to a work environ-
ment does a lot in terms of increasing the employ-
ees’ performance and in keeping staff. The quality
of the work environment is very important to us,”
says Huyberechts.
“The client wanted to create a large office, which
would bring departments together. By bringing
people together, it would in turn make communi-
cation stronger between departments. We pride
ourselves in having created a work environment

that people like to work in and creating a building
that works and does what it is intended do. Our
primary aim was to create an office, but for us, it
was going beyond functionality. By achieving that,
we have reached where we want to be. If you
speak to people in Nedbank, they are positive and
happy people,” adds Huyberechts.
The simple offices, canteens, amenities, little shops
and green openness of the parks, allow for the mixing
of people, creating a relaxed way of working. “It is a
building that people want to go to work in. Nedbank’s
employees love going there. For them, work is more
than just a desk,” explains Huyberechts.
Greenery within cement
In order to improve on the previous working environ-
ments of Nedbank’s employees, it was essential
for the architects to go back to the original design of
the past offices. Before the Nedbank Head Office was
built in Sandton, the staff were housed in various of-
fice blocks across the Johanneburg CBD. Johannes-
burg’s inner city, often referred to as the ‘cement jun-
gle’, is crowded with developments, busy roads,
traffic-jams and over-bearing office blocks. Essentially,
the offices were housed in dense office buildings
which were seen as alienating to the employees.
237 >
As nature, with its green elements, affects the work-
ing environment, Nedbank Phase 2 was designed
to surround two beautiful spaces of greenery in
the form of two parks. The greenery has given the
employees of Nedbank an exceptional type of work
environment. With flora and fauna, large lawns of
grass, wild geese, birds, winding walking paths and
seating benches, this is truly an escape from the
city hustle-and-bustle where employees can spend
their lunch breaks relaxing and decompressing.
“When you are in the park, you cannot hear the
buzzing of the city. This, in itself, is an achievement,”
says Huyberechts.
A timeless piece
Imperative to the design is the creation of a time-
less building, one that shows the bank’s long-last-
ing duration and stability within South Africa, whilst
differentiating its design and appearance from oth-
er banking developments. For the architects, it was
important to design a building that ‘ages well’.
“We used a slightly classical look for the building,
avoiding falling into a neo-classical appearance.
People are not scared of this type of architecture. It
has already been assimilated through the Nedbank
Phase 1 building. As the architectural ‘handwriting’
238 >
had already been done in the first phase, we made
a strong reference to the past architectural styles
and forms that are recognised by the general pub-
lic.” A solid identity, from an architectural point of
view, was developed. “Each of our clients has an
architectural ‘handwriting’ which inevitably be-
comes their identity,” says Huyberechts.
The architecture, with its modernity and palette of
light colours, is very striking, creating a distinct pres-
ence within the Sandton area. It was about being
strikingly different, yet easy recognisable.
The architecture, although not alien to global architec-
ture, does not fall into the pitfall of trends. “Following
popular trends in architecture can be dangerous, as
one day a building is trendy, but then the next day it is
dead. We did not want to fall into international trends,
where you take an international architectural extract
and place it in South Africa,” adds Huyberechts.
It was important to the client that Phase 2 be kept
in line with Phase 1 in terms of development, con-
struction and design. “This proves that we did not
go wrong in the development of phase 1,” con-
cludes Huyberechts.
A landmark in Sandton
Nedbank Phase 2 is located on a prime site in the
heart of Sandton and although the building itself
is not tall enough to feature as part of the skyline,
it however can be said that “anyone who knows
Sandton, knows the Nedbank Phase 2 building,”
says Huyberechts.
The building seeks to benefit the whole of Sand-
ton by bettering and integrating city living. This is
accomplished by opening the building up to the
street via an active face. “There are no other build-
ings like this that are ‘open’ and active. This is an
 239 >

innovation,” says Huyberechts. After convincing

the client not to have a hard edge, the active edge
along Maude Street was established through retail
shops, a high end restaurant and a Nedbank
branch which are open to the public.

“It is a landmark in Sandton because of its size and its

presence within the precinct,” adds Huyberechts.

Walking through Nedbank Phase 2, the immense

effort that has gone into making this development
an eco-friendly work environment becomes appar-
ent. With people spending a substantial amount of
their lives working in offices, it’s imperative that
office environments encourage good health and
provide a place in which people can reach their full
career potential. Nedbank Phase 2 is already cre-
ating the dream work environment for the lucky staff
that will work within this development. For them,
this is truly a reality. <
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 241 >

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ings around the tremendously popular Nelson

JOINING THE STYLE HUB OF

Mandela Square in Sandton are Legacy products.
The latest to join the fold are the Da Vinci Hotel
and Suites supported by the Legacy Corner Mall.

The Legacy Group was founded by Bart Dorrestein and

the late Bruno Corte just over a decade ago. The inten-
tion was, just as the group’s name suggests, to
leave a legacy of hospitality and residential prop-
By Bev Hermanson erties, an African portfolio built and run to the highest
international standards, located across Africa and
the Indian Ocean islands.

It’s not just fine four and five star hotels that feature in
the Legacy portfolio. There are a host of bush lodges
and lifestyle retreats such as Kwa Maritane, Bakubung
and Tshukudu in the Pilanesberg, the Kruger Park
LEGACY CORNER:

Lodge in Mpumalanga and The Windhoek Country

JOHANNESBURG

Club in Namibia that add spice to the selection on

offer. In addition to straightforward hotel accom-
modation, the group also sells sectional title hotel
suites and fractional ownership in the Legacy Private
Residences and develops mixed-use lifestyle prop-
erties that include gaming and retail facilities as
well.

A winning formula
If you are fortunate enough to be invited to the tri-
ple storey penthouse of the Michelangelo Towers,
you will get a bird’s eye view of just how substan-
tial the Legacy foothold is in Nelson Mandela Square.
Once the Gautrain’s station has been completed,
adjacent to the square, the Legacy stable of the
Michelangelo Hotel, Da Vinci Hotel, Michelangelo
Towers, Raphael Penthouse Suites and the Da Vinci
Suites will come into their own as demand in this
vibrant business hub surges.

The classic Michelangelo Hotel made waves when

it was first built on the new retail square across
from Sandton City. Its success prompted further
Legacy corner external view from the street. 242 >
hospitality development and subsequently the
Michelangelo Towers broke the mould offering exclu-
sive apartments in a lavish style in the tallest building
in Sandton. With the Legacy formula of elegance, cha-
risma and commitment to service firmly entrenched in
the area, Sandton’s latest offering has now arrived to
complete the picture.
Legacy Corner is 17 storeys of mixed-use facilities situ-
ated on the corner of 5th Avenue and Maude
Streets in Sandton, directly opposite the stalwart
Sandton City retail and office complex, the Sandton
Sun Hotel, the Sandton Towers Intercontinental
Hotel and the Sandton Convention Centre.
The retail component of this new development is
situated on three levels that are linked with the upper
and lower retail levels of the existing Nelson Mandela
Square. BAI are renowned for their retail excel-
lence – and the new Legacy corner Mall is testament
to this excellence. Already open, the mall has met with
great approval by shoppers and tenants alike.
Below the two shopping mall levels, is the glamor-
ous Marco Polo entertainment centre offers 300 state
of the art interactive electronic bingo terminals as a
diversion. Themed as a Venetian venue, the Marco
Polo celebrates the life and times of the famed medi-
eval Italian explorer that traversed the globe on nu-
merous journeys of discovery. Owned and operated
by Galaxy International, a UK company with over 15
years’ experience in Bingo development, the Marco
Polo has an intimate piano bar with a romantic
dance floor as well as a show bar and a dedicated
smoking room called The Crystal Room.
The Da Vinci Hotel has 166 en suite hotel rooms,
50 single, double and triple bedroomed apartment
suites as well as two levels of four luxury duplex pent-
houses. A fitness gym, infinity pool and wellness
spa are amongst the perks.
The architects who have helped with the success
of the Sandton Legacy portfolio are Bentel Associ-
ates International (BAI) who designed the iconic
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Michelangelo Towers and who are now responsible
for Sandton’s new addition, Legacy Corner.
“We are most excited about the completion of Leg-
acy Corner, which we believe will be a fantastic new
addition to the Sandton skyline – the building is a
careful balance between embracing classical ele-
ments which is in keeping with its neighbours, es-
pecially Nelson Mandela Square, and modern ar-
chitecture” says Franc Brugman, architect
responsible for both the Michelangelo Towers and
Legacy Corner. “We have also strived to include
sustainable technologies in the design of the
building as far as the commercial budget of the de-
velopment would allow. We are proud to have been
able to decrease the energy demand of the building
by as much as 15% through the inclusion of: solar
panels that assist the electrical boilers, heat ex-
change technology that collects the hot water pro-
duced by the air conditioning chiller units, insula-
tion to hot water pipes, the use of performance glass
245 >
Mens boutique in Legacy Mall.
where required to reduce the AC heat load and sim-
ple specifications like low flow shower heads to de-
crease water consumption. Furthermore, the
building will have a building management system
(BMS) installed which will assist in monitoring the
energy consumption of the building in the future.”
Dining in style
Intended to be run as a 24-hour operation, the Da
Vinci Lounge & Bar will be a welcome addition to
Sandton’s portfolio of hip and happening entertain-
ment venues. The Wine & Cigar Bar promises to be
another popular spot, although undoubtedly one of
the main draw cards will be the graciously elegant
Maximillien Restaurant, with its expansive windows
and extended deck giving patrons the opportunity
to enjoy the outdoors and views of Sandton.
Given a New York French bistro character, Maximil-
lien exudes a sense of grandeur thanks to the rich
246 >

dark brown bamboo flooring, the pewter pressed

ceilings, the antique mirrors framed by rectangular
glass light boxes and the Douglas Jones tiles.

The interior designers, Varoom Interiors, took on

the challenge of converting a long rectangular
space into something inviting, classy and sophis-
ticated. “The idea was to mirror the style of the
renowned Balthazar restaurant in New York. Balt-
hazar is a converted leather wholesaler’s ware-
house and is known for its exceptional design,”
says Vanessa Preston of Varoom Interiors. “It has
a French bistro/patisserie style, but with a very
warm vibe. That’s what our brief was for Maximillien,
but we wanted to make it a smarter, sexier version.
The silvery pewter moulding around the bar kept
to the Balthazar theme and we added in the lions
heads to give it the African context.”

The rectangular space was subtly divided into ‘stag-

es’, with the welcome area and the bar at the front, a
raised section that could be cleared for entertainment,
the main eatery area and then the outdoor terrace.

The shopping, gaming and dining treats aside, Legacy

Corner has another treat up its sleeve. Spanning
three levels, the Legacy TV wall, wrapped within
the granite clad escalator atrium, offers exception-
al exposure to premium brand names wanting to
reach a pre-qualified premium Sandton consumer.

Through the growth of the Legacy portfolio, the

key decision makers have appreciated that it’s the
details that count. At Legacy Corner, this is certainly
one of the philosophies that has been integral to
the design. Mosaics in the reception area and on the
pillars in the retail mall, lower lux levels in the lighting
to give the shops ‘centre stage’ and hotel décor de-
signed by world-renowned interior designer, Stephen
Falcke, all contribute to the heightened sense of
grandeur of the final piece of the Legacy collection
on Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. <
 Maximillien Restaurant with raised stage (the flooring is darkened bamboo) and the bar.
247 >

The Crystal Room in Marco Polo. Marco Polo bingo machines. The bar at the Maximillien Restaurant.
248 >

THE JUXTAPOSITION OF
OLD AND NEW
AT MONTECASINO
By Bev Hermanson

Conceived as a walled Tuscan village, in line with the previous phases built at
Montecasino, The Pivot is a unique blend of office, retail and hospitality spac-
es that offers convenience and style to those looking for accommodation and
business facilities in the upmarket suburb of Fourways.

The Pivot courtyard showing part of the office complex, the conference block, the ‘Pivot’ sculpture designed by
renowned Johannesburg artist, Marco Cianfanelli, and the entrance to the hotel.

The open plan kitchen creates a ‘theatre of cooking’ interactive with the guests in the dining room.
Easily accessible from the N1 freeway, the Lanseria
and OR Tambo Airports and the business hubs of
Sandton and Midrand, the casino complex known
as Montecasino offers an excellent blend of enter-
tainment to the residents of Johannesburg. The
first phase of Montecasino, comprising a gaming
floor, various upmarket restaurants and boutique-
styled stores, along with a Pieter Toerien theatre,
NuMetro cinema complex, fast food court and kid-
dies entertainment zone, was opened in 2000.
Launched amidst much fanfare, Montecasino rap-
idly became one of the most popular gaming desti-
nations in Gauteng.
Initially, the 5-star Palazzo Hotel built alongside
the casino, was the only hotel accommodation
nearby, but as subsequent phases came on stream,
offices, an additional theatre – the 1 900 seater
Teatro – and another hotel ‘on the square’ added
more spice.
249 >
The latest offering at Montecasino, in the form of
The Pivot, adds a great deal of value as an extra di-
mension to the already popular entertainment
node. A joint venture between Tsogo Sun, Abland
and ABSA, The Pivot fulfills a number of needs, one
of which was the provision of extra parking. Further-
more, for those living in the vicinity and for those
living north of Wit-koppen Road, The Pivot offers
an excellent business premises alternative to the
congestion experienced in Rivonia, Sunninghill and
Sandton. Over 16 000 m2 of rentable office space is
available in blocks of between 50 m2 right up to
13000 m2. Each office block has its own core facili-
ties in the form of lifts, stairs and toilets, with access
to the open air communal square.
A dominant feature in the square is the huge sculpture
by renowned Johannesburg artist, Marco Cianfanelli.
The brief to Cianfanelli was to create a tall sculpture
that would add a touch of modernity to the Tuscan
surroundings. “I tried to capture the idea of a pivot
250 >
Multiple volume reception area of the Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel and the sweeping staircase leading off the
reception area.
being both a point of origin and a source of energy,”
explains Cianfanelli. The interpretation suggests that
the pivot represents centrifugal forces and Cianfanelli
decided to depict this by arranging multiple fins
around a single point, to create the effect of energy
radiating outwards. The result has been quite a
feat of engineering, at 18 metres tall, weighing six
tons and wired to light up at night.
The office facilities are complemented by a choice
selection of retail outlets and restaurants. In fact,
every convenience has been considered, from renta-
ble meeting rooms and boardrooms, to hairdress-
ers, dry cleaners and even printers. In addition, ten-
ants of the office accommodation have access to
the facilities in the new four star Southern Sun
Montecasino Hotel that is part of the new develop-
ment – in particular the 120 seater restaurant, the
lounge area and the Venetian bar.
“The addition of another hotel increases our total
room stock to over 600 in the Montecasino node,”
says Kevin Page, director of development for the Tsogo
Sun Group. “This has been a welcome extension to the
accommodation already available. The additional of-
fices have further added an exciting business oppor-
tunity, especially since we have included a 1 200m2
conference centre as an extra attraction.”
Modelled on the Palazzo Corsini, a fifteenth century
villa nestling on the slopes between Gianicolo and the
Tiber River in Italy, the new Southern Sun Monteca-
sino Hotel, with its distinctive pink and cream exterior,
offers 194 rooms and boasts a theatre-style open
plan kitchen interactive with the restaurant, a high
tech gym in the basement and a spacious lounge
and bar. An extensive wooden decked terrace out-
side overlooks the pool and wetland area on the
northern side of the hotel, which, although it faces
 "Design is a plan for arranging
elements in such a way as best to
accomplish a particular purpose."
- Charles Eames

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Laila Interiors have been involved in the
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-Lombardy Estate Lodge, Pretoria
-Port Khalib Hotel Project Egypt
-Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria

Tel: +27 011 474 1431

Email: lailainteriors@wol.co.za
www.lailainteriors.co.za
252 >

The Southern Sun Montecasino Hotel enjoys prime position as part of The Pivot development in Fourways.

one of the busy traffic circles, is effectively shielded
from public view.
“What is special about this development is the unique
fusion of old meeting new,” says Ryan Illgner, inte-
rior designer for the hotel and conference facilities
and Director of Blacksmith Africa Interior Design
Consultants. “The juxtaposition is evident throughout
the development and especially in the hotel, which
resembles an old Venetian building that has been
refurbished.”
“The Pivot project was a wonderful experience in
that it combined the talents of some of the top con-
sultants in all disciplines within South Africa, who
were given the creative freedom by the client to create
a unique development where every detail has been
carefully considered and tested,” Illgner adds.
“The future for The Pivot can only be successful. Its
beautiful classic Venetian appeal is seamlessly in-
tegrated with contemporary design and all the
convenience afforded by modern technology.” <

The ‘remnants’ of the ‘old’ building are evident in

the antique furniture pieces, the refurbished ceil-
ings, reclaimed oak floors and timber work. A contem-
porary element is added through the use of glass
for the balustrades, stainless steel detailing and
the intermingling of classic contemporary furni-
ture pieces accented in places with strong colours.
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 255 >

AND CORAL A PERFECT COMBINATION

CAPE TOWN, BEACHES, SAND
CORAL INTERNATIONAL CAPE TOWN HOTEL:

Cape Town, with its beaches, wine farms,

Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens
and the V & A Waterfront, is considered
one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
And, the perfect hotel to experience its
riches is the Coral International Cape
Town. For the first time in South Africa,
By Stacey Rowan

guests can experience the ideal combina-

tion of Coral Hotels & Resorts’ distinctive
hospitality, through the operation of the
Coral International Cape Town Hotel, and
Cape Town’s beauty.
256 >
An evening view of the Coral International Cape
Town Hotel.
Al Zaeem has the shisha for every occasion.
The client, Cii Holdings, is one of the most established
business houses in South Africa, with a wide range
of commercial activities spread across diverse seg-
ments, including Cii Hotel & Resorts Cape Town
(Pty) Ltd, and is now poised to be a major player in
the hospitality industry.
A 5-star brand
Coral International, being the 5-star brand that it is,
has brought its blend of refinement, elegance and
luxury, topped by its state-of-the-art facilities, to
the South African shores in the form of this new
hotel. “It has the look and feel of a 5-star interna-
tional hotel,” says Clive Shepherd, managing direc-
tor, DSA Architects International. Featuring 137 spa-
cious rooms and suites – each equipped with the
finest amenities – Coral International Cape Town com-
bines world-class comfort with outstanding service. A
swimming pool with a pool deck, meeting rooms, a
business centre, two restaurants serving internation-
al cuisine, a lounge area, spa and gym facilities on
the mezzanine floor, are also available.
The Coral International Cape Town Hotel provides
beautifully decorated rooms and suites with amen-
ities including luxurious linens, plasma TVs, cable
TV, high speed wired and Wi-Fi Internet access. “The
rooms are spacious and those on the top level are all
suites, which are very large in size,” says Rob Low,
director, DSA Architects International.
A hint of Arabesque flavour
With regards to the interior feel and design, the cli-
ent wanted to have a hint of Arabesque theme
throughout the hotel, with a combination of mid-
dle-eastern and oriental elements.
“Coral International Cape Town brings a new con-
cept to Cape Town with a powerful architectural de-
sign. The idea from the outset was to explore a
strikingly different approach to design which is re-
flected in the hotel’s distinctive architecture. Basi-
cally, the hotel incorporates the best of modern
258 >

architecture with a touch of Arabesque and African

design such as the beautiful chandelier in the lob-
by, the arches at the entrance and the ornate chairs.
It gives you a feeling of a courtyard – this is such a
signature element of Arabian design. While develop-
ing the public spaces, much attention has been
given to creating comfortable and relaxing zones
while giving our guests a unique experience.

Extensive amenities and facilities are interwoven

into the layout to offer opportunities for social interac-
The architectural style of the hotel blends into the
tion, leisure and recreation. Exquisite traditional
historical context of the Bo-Kaap precinct.
African touches and attention to detail bring a sense
of familiarity and harmony from our local cultures. The
restaurants are equally imaginatively designed in
terms of colours and décor. The rooms are gener-
ously proportioned and provide a relaxed ambience
with a sleek and ultra-modern look. Overall, Coral In-
ternational Cape Town is a vibrant, high-quality prod-
uct that embraces the future while valuing the tradi-
tions,” says Jacqui Booyzen, General Manager,
Coral International Cape Town.

The Bo-Kaap
View of the spacious lobby.
The hotel, being located adjacent to the Bo-Kaap,
a Muslim community in Cape Town, created chal-
lenges for the team at DSA Architects Internation-
al, who, from a design point of view, had to mould the
hotel into the precinct and work within the Bo-Kaap
context.

The ‘Bo Kaap’, or ‘Cape Malay Quarter’ as it is also

known, belongs to the culturally and historically most
interesting parts of Cape Town. Many of the inhabit-
ants are descendants of immigrants from Indone-
sia, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia.

The Cape Malays have preserved their cultural iden-

tity and Muslim faith. The old Malay Quarter with its
steep and narrow streets, the simple artisan’s
houses, Mosques and Minaretts reaches from
Buitengracht Street right up to the slopes of Signal
Hill. The houses have been restored and colourfully
painted. The architectural style is a synthesis of Cape
 259 >

Views of the pool deck.

The business centre. One of several meeting rooms.

Boasting 137 rooms and suites, Coral International Cape Town takes modern luxury to a higher level.
Each suite includes an elegant and relaxing living area with stunning views of Table Mountain.
260 >

The hair salon and nail bar. The state-of-the-art gym.

The Al Nafoora restaurant specialises in Mediterranean cuisine.

The Mezbaan restaurant takes the best elements from India and Arabia and adds a
modern twist to create one of Cape Town’s most original restaurants.

View of the steam room.
The hotel’s two restaurants provide diners with
distinctive experiences, signature dishes and
ambiance.
261 >
Dutch and Edwardian. “It is a residential area with
lots of colourfully painted cottages,” says Shepherd.
Challenges faced
With the Coral International Cape Town hotel locat-
ed on a very prominent, but restricted, corner of the
precinct, at the base of Table Mountain, there were
a few design challenges that needed to be ad-
dressed.
“From a design point of view, the hotel had to sit
well aesthetically. To ensure that views of the
mountain and other well-known features of Cape-
Town were not obstructed by the building, the au-
thorities imposed height restrictions on the build-
ing. To compensate for this, we went out of our
way to optimise the views of the Waterfront and
Table Mountain from every aspect within the hotel
and especially made an effort to give every bed-
room in the hotel a view,” explains Shepherd.
The site restrictions required improvisation to
mould the building with the corner. The courtyard
terrace and spa were given privacy through the
use of form, which shields both facilities from pub-
lic view.
“Another challenge we faced was the construction
of the parking. As the hotel is bound by three
streets it had limited space for parking. Our solu-
tion was to build all the parking for the hotel in the
basement,” says Low.
“We’ve managed to achieve a 137 room hotel of a very
high quality, as requested by the client. It fulfills
the client’s vision of an Islamic Hotel within a Muslim
community, while incorporating all of the necessary
facilities to serve an international clientele,” concludes
Shepherd. “We embraced the aesthetics which are rel-
evant to the environment of Cape Town, and suc-
ceeded in meeting the client’s expectations of return
on investment.” <
262 >

SOCIAL
The City of Cape Town has signaled its inten-
tion to bid for IDA World Design Capital™
(WDC) in 2014. The WDC project is a biennial
international designation created to identify

CONSCIOUS and recognise cities that have effectively

used design to revive the city and improve its

DESIGN
quality of life.

The WDC designation forms part of the bat-

tery of projects of the International Design

FOR A
Alliance (IDA), which consists of the Interna-
tional Council for Societies of Industrial Design
(Icsid), International Council of Graphic Design
Associations (Icograda) and the International
Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI).

SUSTAINABLE Under the direction of Icsid, the WDC desig-

nation promotes the importance of good de-

FUTURE:
sign by strengthening and empowering cities
to use design to position their competitive
advantages from social, cultural and econom-

WORLD
ic points of view.

This status will give Cape Town the opportu-

nity to showcase its vision and its achieve-

DESIGN
ments through a year-long programme of
design-led events and activities similar to
what World Design Capital 2010 Seoul is cur-
rently doing and what Torino achieved in

CAPITAL
2008.

Socially conscious design is at the core of Cape

FOR 2014?
Town’s bid: design that seeks solutions to
the City’s challenges whilst creating an envi-
ronment that is sustainable and inclusive.
 263 >

Flowerball light by Heath Nash.

264 >

Cape Town Stadium. Image

courtesy of City of Cape Town.

Design Indaba 10x10 Housing

Project with architect Luyanda
Mphalwa.

Nested bunkbeds by Tsai.


Cape Town is already home to numerous
cutting-edge designers and the breeding
ground of award winning, groundbreaking
designs. Designers like Haldane Martin with
his Zulu Mama chair which draws on indig-
enous knowledge and craft techniques,
Heath Nash with his refashioning of used plas-
tic products, Luyanda Mpalhwa’s 10x10 Hous-
ing Project submission, Tsai Design’s stacking
beds and Mokena Makeka’s public buildings,
are all examples of how designers are applying
a more holistic approach to design; seeing
it as part of a greater system instead of as a
single item detached from social or environ-
mental context.
But, the City’s urban landscape and lack of
social cohesion reflect the planning archi-
tecture of apartheid and latter day political
economic policies which resulted in the ma-
jority of citizens living on the urban fringes,
condemned to poverty, unemployment and
a lack of access to resources.
In 2014, when South Africa commemorates
20 years of democracy, Cape Town will hope-
fully have a compelling story to tell of design-
led transformation. Socially conscious design
is already evident in a number of public sector
projects like the Violence Prevention through
Urban Upgrade project in Khayelitsha, the
upgrading of public spaces in the broader
Cape Town area through the Dignified Spaces
programme and the legacy left by the 2010
Soccer World Cup. The latter has seen infra-
structure investment, which has emphasised
pedestrianisation and embedded ‘people-
first’ design in its development of urban parks,
pedestrian and cycle routes and the begin-
nings of an Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT)
265 >
system. The Cape Town railway station and
the airport terminal have also been completely
transformed. All of these have a substantive
impact on people’s connection with, and in,
the city.
All these projects aim to give the poor greater
access to employment, give them parts of
the city from which they were displaced and
the relief from monotonous, bleak aesthetics.
Socially conscious design acknowledges cur-
rent world dynamics and uses design in in-
novative ways that seek to weave solutions
into the way in which design is conceived,
how its application is used, how its products
or services are consumed, and lastly how its
waste products are absorbed back into the
ecosystem. Socially conscious design em-
ploys methodologies that make use of local
techniques, are labour intensive and that
create employment. It uses products that are
not harmful, scarce or non-renewable and
which can be reabsorbed into the ecosystem
without obstructing the planet’s ability to
regulate itself.
Cape Town’s WDC 2014 bid aims to catalyse
a new way of thinking in which socially con-
scious design is integrated into the language
of design and embedded into a curriculum
of all design-led thinking. <
For more information about the World Design
Capital or how to enter your project, visit
http://www.capetown2014.co.za/
Images courtesy of Design Indaba.
266 >

MAKING
SENSE OF
STRATEGY &
POLICY:
By Jennie Fourie

THE
CURRENT
STATE
OF DESIGN
PROMOTION

Most designers from disciplines across the board
have little or no interest in design promotion strat-
egies and policies. Truth be told, they most prob-
ably don’t spend a minute thinking about these
issues while there are deadlines to meet, plans to
be made and projects to present.
In a study to support the activities of a South African
task team on design promotion, Jacques Lange,
past president of the International Council of
Graphic Design Associations (Icograda), collated
information on design promotion strategies and
policies globally. This study found that Finland
and South Korea were the only countries in the
world that have a complete design system that
implements design support programmes target-
ing business, the general public and design edu-
cation with national design policies operating at
government level.
Asia and the Nordic countries, in which South Korea
and Finland reside respectively, are the most vig-
orous regions when it comes to design promotion.
In fact, Asia stands out with different design pro-
motion structures in China (including Hong Kong),
Japan (with no less than four organisations), Ma-
laysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and
Thailand. Over and above Finland, the Nordic
countries have organised design structures in
Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The majority of
European Union countries have active national
and regional design promotion agencies.
Traditionally, design promotion activities were estab-
lished to support and stimulate the manufacturing
industries of countries. A developed manufacturing
industry is regarded as a prerequisite for design
stimulus to be effective. This might explain one
of the reasons why Africa lags behind with South
Africa’s SABS Design Institute as one of the only
267 >
design promotion structures on the continent.
Africa is known for craft-based industries and it
might well be that now is the time for new mod-
els of related design promotion activities to be
developed.
In a previous edition of DESIGN> (No.13, 2009),
thought leaders from different African countries
gave their opinions on what was needed to boost
design on the African continent. They unani-
mously agreed that the design sector did not re-
ceive appropriate, if any, support from their gov-
ernments. As Lindi Ndebele Koka from South
African stated in the article: “Comparatively, de-
sign does not receive enough governmental sup-
port as opposed to the craft and film sectors that
were identified by government as potential sectors
for economic growth in South Africa, despite the
fact that design is also part of the creative indus-
tries. Currently governmental stakeholders do
not seem to have adequate understanding of the
potential of the design sector. The support of the
sector requires political advocacy backed by
enough research that will motivate the contribu-
tion of the sector to benefit and impact on major
government imperatives like job creation, pov-
erty alleviation and more.” She added: “Design is
still viewed as an ‘elite’ sector, so to speak, where
there are serious barriers of entry for ordinary
people.”
Although no national design policy exist in South
Africa at present, the SABS Design Institute, es-
tablished in 1969 and funded by government,
promotes design to support the economic and
technological development of South Africa. The
Institute’s initiatives include a number of award
schemes and design publications, with a focus
on education, industry and development.
268 >
There is growing emphasis on the creation of de-
sign and innovation structures in South Africa
through ad hoc initiatives such as a well-defined
craft strategy.
Why should governments
care about design
promotion?
The simple answer to the question why govern-
ments should care about design promotion is
that it makes economic sense. Let’s take South
Korea as an example.
In a McKinsey quarterly publication, titled South
Korea: Finding its place on the world stage, five
essays explore the miracle of South Korea, Asia’s
fastest growing economy. During the four dec-
ades following the Korean War, this country
evolved from one of the most wretched states in
the region to one of the most vibrant. It has
turned into a manufacturing powerhouse that
has virtually eradicated poverty, malnutrition
and illiteracy.
In a global economic climate that is struggling to
recover from the ravages of last year’s recession,
South Korea is performing exceptionally well.
This country’s economy accelerated in the first
quarter of 2010 as rising global demand boosted
sales at the nation’s carmakers and electronics
manufacturers. Exports surged to more than
30% from a year ago and the South Korean gov-
ernment forecasts that exports will rise 13% this
year to $410 billion, with the Hyundai Motor Cor-
poration increasing sales and Samsung Electron-
ics posting a seven-fold increase in profit. Finally,
the central bank has raised its 2010 growth fore-
cast to 5.2%.
In an essay titled Designing a Distinctive National
Brand in the McKinsey publication, Christopher
Graves, states that “South Korea’s investment in
design has been substantial, from the Korea In-
stitute of Design Promotion to its 230 design
schools to the design institutes at both LG and
Samsung”.
Graves postulates that South Korea’s investment
in design is paying off. “South Korean designers
are driving the most innovative designs in the
auto industry – the revival of the Camaro, the new
concept crossover Cadillac Provoq, the electric
Chevy Volt, and the Lincoln MKT. In fashion, South
Korean designers have been sewing up excel-
lence as well. In 2008, according to the Financial
Times, half of the most talented emerging design-
ers chosen to be honoured in Gen Art’s Fresh
Faces fashion exhibition were from South Korea or
were Korean American, and at Parsons, The New
School of Design in New York, nearly a third of all
students are Korean. At Cannes last year, ten Korean
films were screened – a record – and one (Thirst)
won the Jury Prize…Companies such as LG and Sam-
sung have been sweeping international design
awards. In the prestigious iF design rankings, award-
ed by International Forum Design in Hanover, Ger-
many, Samsung is number one in the world –
ahead of number-two Apple. LG is number eight,
ahead of German design legends BMW, Miele, and
Gaggenau.”
Korea Institute Design
Promotion
Design became a national imperative in South
Korea in 1970 with the establishment of the Korea
Institute of Design Promotion, or KIDP. KIDP was
established by the Korean government to pro-
mote the design industry and expand exports. As

a national government design organisation, KIDP
promotes Korea’s mid to long-term design policies
and engages in various exchange programmes
with countries around the globe. To meet the de-
mands of the digital design era of the 21st cen-
tury, KIDP particularly focuses on leading Korea’s
economic development and enhancing quality of
life. KIDP intends to do this by promoting research
and development activities pertaining to design
and implementing projects to promote design in
effective and systematic ways.
With a full-time staff of more than 300, KIDP is based
in the six-storey Korea Design Center in Seongnam
City and is supported by 16 regional design inno-
vation centres.
The design promotion policy that exists in South
Korea is legally enforced through the Industrial
Design Promotion Act.
Several award schemes forms part of KIDP’s initia-
tives, including the Good Design Awards (product,
packaging, environmental, communication, materi-
als & surface, and processing design); the Young
Designers Competition (from elementary to high
school level); and the Korea Industrial Design Exhibi-
tion that showcases the President’s Award and
Prime Minister’s Award.
The strength of Korean design can be ascribed to
an embedded design culture and comprehensive
government support programme that addresses
all levels. A very clear example of this is that Seoul
T: +27 (0) 12 428 6326
F: +27 (0) 12 428 6546
E: design@sabs.co.za
W: www.sabs.co.za
269 >
has been successful in its bid to become the IDA
2010 World Design Capital and has declared a strat-
egy to be the Global Centre for Design by 2015.
And the rest of the world?
An economic case has been made for design pro-
motion by taking South Korea as an example, but
this does not mean that the substantial efforts of
other countries should be ignored. The most promi-
nent is the well-known British Design Council in
Britain which served as model for many design pro-
motion programmes for many decades. In Europe,
Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany,
the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, to mention
just a few, have well-established design promo-
tion initiatives. The Americas and Oceania also
have professional bodies, award schemes and
the like to promote design. Although the primary
goal of design promotion is commercial, the cul-
tural identity of a country or region plays a sig-
nificant role in the nature of the promotional pro-
grammes.
And the point of all of this? It is clear that designers
should start paying attention to regional, national
and international design promotion activities if
they would like to elevate the status of their profes-
sion on the global platform. By adding their voic-
es to those of pressure groups that are lobbying
governments to formalise design strategies and
policies, designers can be instrumental in secur-
ing a prosperous future for themselves. <
40 YEARS
OF DESIGN
EXCELLENCE
270 >
REBRANDIN
A FEW LEGA
CONSIDERA
At some point during the life cycle of most organisa-
tions, there will come a time when it is considered
appropriate to change the corporate identity or its
flagship brands. This happens for various reasons,
such as with mergers and acquisitions of two or
more businesses or purely for the sake of rejuvina-
tion or repositioning. Sometimes the reason for
rebranding may be connected to a desire to shed
a ‘tainted image’. For example, it has recently
been reported that the global oil and gas giant,
BP, may be considering a re-brand in light of the
negative publicity it has received as a result of the
oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. Closer to home it
has been reported that the South African Football
Association (SAFA) may be considering a change of
the popular national football team name BAFANA
BAFANA due to the fact that this mark has been
registered in the name of another party.
There are a few basic intellectual property considera-
tions which businesses would do well to keep in
mind in the rebranding process.
Perhaps a good starting point is the recognition
that trade marks or brands are a valuable form of
intellectual property. Their function is to indicate
to the public that ‘these are the goods or services
of me, the trade mark owner.’ Their role in attracting
custom should not be underestimated since con-
sumers generally stick to the brands that they know
or hold in high esteem. That is the power of a good
brand. Nowadays the value of trade marks can be
reliably calculated and determined, and this is an
everyday process accepted by none other than the
Receiver of Revenue, as well as financial institu-
tions and the business community. For example,
Business Week has ranked COCA-COLA as the
most valuable brand in the world with its notional

NG:
AL
ATIONS
value exceeding US$65 billion. Obviously very few
brands can be compared with COCA-COLA, but
this brand illustrates well the point that trade
marks are valuable property.
It stands to reason that a sizeable chunk of the val-
ue of a trade mark can be attributed to the exclu-
sivity attached to it. It is therefore critical to ensure
that this exclusivity is maintained at all costs,
which can normally be achieved through trade mark
registrations, domain name registrations and pre-
venting others from diluting the mark.
When rebranding, consideration should be given
to the protection of the ‘old’ as well as the new brand
in order to prevent potential losses as a result of
diverted custom. If a registered trade mark is being
discontinued, the registration should be main-
tained for as long as possible. There will obviously
271 >
be a cost implication in maintaining and promoting
the brand, which would have to be considered, but
in the vast majority of cases the benefit in main-
taining the trade mark registration will far outweigh
the related cost as this would provide a relatively
easy and inexpensive way of preventing potential
competitors from profiting from any goodwill in
the brand. It will also always be possible for the
trade mark owner to sell the brand if it is consid-
ered to be expendable, as opposed to merely
abandoning it.
An important consideration in relation to discon-
tinued brands is that in most jurisdictions trade
marks which are not in use in the course of trade
will at some point become vulnerable to removal
from the Trade Marks Register. In South Africa reg-
istered trade marks become vulnerable to such an
attack after a period of five years of non-use. In
272 >
order to prevent this from happening, the mark will
have to be used in the course of trade at least peri-
odically. As some beer drinkers would be aware,
for example, SAB MILLER has discontinued its
LION LAGER brand, but in order to prevent the mark
from becoming vulnerable to an attack based on
non-use, LION LAGER beer is now available in South
Africa only during the festive season.
When rebranding, protection for the new brand
should definitely be secured prior to its launch or
publication. Typically this would entail conducting
searches of the Registries in all the countries in
which one has or intends to have a viable business
undertaking, to ensure that the proposed trade
mark is available for use and registration. If the mark
is available it should be registered immediately in
all the relevant classes. This applies equally to
business names as well as domain names. In the
case of Fletcher Challenge Ltd v Fletcher Challenge
Pty Ltd news of the incorporation of A under the
name of Fletcher Challenge, which was formed
through the merger of three New Zealand compa-
nies, was announced to the Stock Exchange of
New Zealand on 22 October 1980. The next day the
news appeared in a number of newspapers and
financial journals. On the same day, B reserved the
company name Fletcher Challenge. In Glaxo Plc v
Glaxowellcome Limited, A issued a press release
on 23 January 1995, announcing a takeover bid
which, if successful, would form a new entity
called Glaxo-Wellcome Plc. On 24 January 1995 B
filed an application to register the company name
Glaxowellcome Limited. Both matters had to be
resolved through litigation.
An often overlooked aspect of trade marks is that
some of them also enjoy copyright protection. If a
mark is in the form of logo or a combination of
words and a design or device, such as the BP and
COCA-COLA trade marks, it will generally also enjoy
copyright protection as an ‘artistic work.’ The term
‘artistic work’ as it is used in the Copyright Act No.
98 of 1978 has no reference to artistic quality, and
should therefore not be misunderstood. Even
‘plain looking’ logos or visual devices will in most

instances enjoy copyright protection. Another little
known fact is that copyright generally belongs to
the author of the particular work and can only be
transferred in writing. It makes no difference that
the designer was remunerated for creating the
logo. Unless there is a written agreement in terms
of which ownership of the copyright in the logo or
device is transferred to the trade mark owner, the
copyright subsisting therein belongs to the designer.
So what happens if during the course of A’s re-
branding exercise the designer of A’s new logo, as
the legitimate owner of the copyright, sells it to B,
a competitor of A?
In terms of section 10(12) of the Trade Marks Act
194 of 1993 (“the Act”) a trade mark shall not be
registered, or if registered shall be removed from
the Register if its registration is contrary to any
law. In the circumstances mentioned above if A
tries to register the new mark he can be blocked in
terms of section 10(12) of the Act. If he uses the
mark he will infringe B’s copyright and can there-
fore be stopped in terms of the Copyright Act.
273 >
Consequently, A’s rebranding exercise could be
stopped dead in its tracks. Depending on the extent
of A’s outlay at that stage this could potentially
result in a substantial loss, or at least some embar-
rassment. It is also arguable that a trade mark
‘owner’ who does not also own the copyright in the
mark cannot be the bona fide owner of the mark. In
terms of section 10(3) of the Act, a mark in relation
to which the applicant for registration has no bona
fide claim to proprietorship shall not be regis-
tered. All of this points to the importance of ensur-
ing that the ownership of the copyright in logo and
device marks is secured.
Rebranding signals change. A new image will cause
consumers to take a fresh look at a business. It
would be a pity if they find a business which has
unwittingly opened itself up to litigation as a re-
sult of failing to adequately secure its intellectual
property. <
274 >

TRANSFORMING
RURAL VILLAGES INTO
WEALTHY TOWNS
THROUGH THE
INDUSTRIALISATION
OF CRAFT
ENTERPRISES
By Leonard Shapiro

The production of craft products is a major con-
tributor to economies in countries the world
over. In some countries, functional craft products
are produced in volumes large enough to be sup-
plied to major chain stores.
In South Africa, craft-making and the harnessing
of hand skills and creative talent into the design
and production of craft products for national and
global distribution is key to a sector that can contrib-
ute significantly to our economy. To achieve this, the
set up of purpose-built production line facilities
and appropriately mechanised manufacturing
275 >
Paper mâché crafter Themba Masala and
product developer Leonard Shapiro.
systems are primary components in the continued
supply of craft in large volumes to satisfy market
demand.
Common stereotype: people who live in rural areas
in South Africa are typically poor and unemployed.
This blinds us to the fact that there are an abun-
dance of sophisticated hand skills and design
knowledge available in these areas, which re-
main untapped and undeveloped. These skills
represent a valuable inherent asset that can
form the basis of thriving and sustainable crafts
enterprises.
276 >
If more employment is created in rural areas,
these areas will become more wealthy and the
more municipal services rural inhabitants will be
able to afford. In addition, individuals will be
able to afford better housing, private healthcare,
university education, more nutritional foodstuffs
and luxury goods. It’s that simple.
To this end, investment in the rural village becomes
attractive for certain retail outlets and banks as
the demand for their goods and services become
affordable.
Poverty alleviation funding from the South African
National Treasury is directed to a number of govern-
ment departments who are tasked with using these
funds to develop crafts enterprises. The main focus
behind the use of poverty alleviation funds in the
craft sector is to create sustainable crafts enterpris-
es and jobs based on the utilisation of existing
Raaswater Paper Craft and Design enterprise.
hand skills. This policy and process has been im-
plemented steadily and successfully since 1994.
Many crafters have benefited from product develop-
ment and business skills training interventions
provided by service providers contracted to various
government departments.
Consequently, there are a growing number of craft
enterprises that have reached the point where their
production rate cannot keep up with the demand
for their products. As such, the next logical step in
the development of the craft enterprise is the indus-
trialisation of the production system in order to
increase manufacturing efficiency and product
output, whilst still maintaining product quality.
The industrialisation of crafts enterprises that are
at the point where they can justify taking this de-
velopmental step, leads to a dramatic increase in
jobs and wealth. Industrialisation needs to be in-
troduced sensitively and the maintenance of the

important hand-processes in the manufacturing
process needs to be kept so that craft products
still have the characteristics that made them desir-
able in the first place.
It is assumed that an enterprise that is ready for
industrialisation has typically been in existence for
at least three to five years with consistent monthly
orders, but now the orders for their goods are now
outweighed by their ability to produce and supply.
It follows logically that the development of a purpose
built production facility, a ‘production workshop’
or ‘factory’, and the introduction of a production
system aligned to the manufacturing process of
the craft product, will increase production output.
Currently, there are crafts enterprises that are at the
stage where they can justifiably take this next step
and establish a purpose built production facility
whilst introducing the appropriate intervention of
277 >
manufacturing technologies to assist the people
involved in the manufacturing process.
It is important to note that any intervention of technol-
ogy is solely for the alleviation of the drudgery of
human labour. To elaborate, the stages in the pro-
duction process that are repetitive and suited to
mechanical intervention should be mechanised.
However, machines can never replace the unique-
ness and desirability achieved by hand crafted
products, and therefore those stages of production
such as hand decorating must obviously never be
applied through an automated process.
Take moulding for example. Mould making machinery
can be used to replace human labour when a crafter
is making a numerous ceramic plates by hand, where
the size of the plate needs to be regular and where
the decorative process is irrelevant. The decorative
process will of course not be mechanised but will
278 >
remain a hand process. The reason for this is that
the decorative process gives the final product its
real value, where the consumer is buying the
plate primarily for its hand decoration. Mecha-
nising the process of shaping the plate means that
many more plates can be made and orders can
be taken from retail outlets and chain stores that
require supply in large quantities. As orders in-
crease, more people will be required to decorate
the plates and consequently more people will be
trained and employed for this purpose. The more
the merrier!
By supporting the development of sustainable
enterprises in rural areas through the industrialisa-
tion process, will result in fewer people who live in
rural areas needing to seek work in urban areas.
Raaswater Paper Craft and Design enterprise.
South Africa is a relatively young democracy and
although great strides have been achieved in the
crafts sector in the last 15 years, development of
the craft sector is embryonic when compared to
craft development in other countries. However, im-
portantly, indigenous knowledge skills that form
the foundation for the manufacturing techniques in
the making of South African crafts are part of South
Africa’s knowledge bank of skills. These skills are
home-grown.These techniques have been passed
on from generation to generation and although
they may employ low-technology in their mak-
ing, many of these techniques are in fact highly
sophisticated.
After the industrialisation of a crafts enterprise
has been successfully piloted in one village, its
 279 >

methodology for development can be applied in all purpose built factory space is what is needed. If
of the provinces, to craft enterprises that are ready you or your organisation would like to support the
for this next important step in their development. Raaswater Paper Craft and Design initiative,
please email me at leonard@craftsouthafrica.co.za
There is a craft enterprise in a small village in the
Northern Cape province of South Africa called, Raas-
water Paper Craft and Design. It was founded in 2002 ABOUT LEONARD
by paper mâché crafter and designer, Themba Masala.
At this time Leonard Shapiro mentored Masala for Leonard Shapiro is the director of CraftSouthAfrica,
a period of 18 months. Today, Masala’s craft enter- an organisation dedicated to the development of craft
prise now employs 20 people and supplies retail enterprises in South Africa. <
outlets in South Africa, Germany, Switzerland,
France and the United Kingdom. This enterprise is
now at the stage where the demand for products
exceeds the ability to supply timeously. As such,
this craft enterprise is a perfect candidate for
mechanisation/industrialisation. In essence, a
280 >

WHAT’S MORE WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU™

(WMATY) is an original Italian project

ALIVE
producing fashion-art collections of shoes,
bags and accessories based on designs
by creatives from across the world. The
project targets young students of art,
architecture, fashion and interior design
colleges as well as all those – regardless of

THAN YOU?
age – who have a penchant for fashion art
and want to see their ideas realised and
rewarded.

WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU™ col-

lections are unique and include designs
developed after artistic and stylistic re-
search, which tell tales from all over the
world and use innovative materials and

original patterns as the expression of a
distinctive style for those who want to
stand out.
There is a substantial difference between
standard competitions and WMATY’s crea-
tive calls. With WMATY, participants are
all on a par, provided that their ideas are
new and original. There is no classification
with a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, but a reward
for those projects which are consistent
with the creative call theme, the organiser’s
corporate strategies and the nature of
their collections. WMATY aims to promote
cultural diversity and giving a platform to
everybody’s artistic and design skills. It is
a thread of creativity spinning around
281 >
the globe, which brings to life the story
that lies behind each artwork.
Designers of selected artworks receive a
net 6% royalty fee calculated on the sales
price of their artworks as long as they stay
in the WMATY collections. Selected design-
ers and artists are also promoted through
an international communication campaign.
Their images and profiles accompany each
of the artworks on sale. It is the designers
themselves who introduce and explain
their artworks and tell buyers about their
LTR: Floral Shoes designed by Victoria
Geaney, United Kingdom. Pebble Bag
designed by Tomás Trenchard, Ireland.
282 >

underlying stories. The real protagonist including Material Connexion, Vibram

is the designer with his/her artwork.
Following several years’ work, the inter-
national project finally got underway in
May 2009, when the first call for submis-
sions was launched. Submissions came
from 82 countries and included concepts
for fashion art which encompassed shoes,
bags and accessories. The first selection
took place last October at the Triennale,
Milan. The selection panel comprised of
WMATY’s design supervisors, a technical
committee of pattern makers and product
development managers and a scientific
committee of representatives from part-
ner universities. The panel short-listed
projects by 15 designers from 12 countries
and as soon as the results were announced
the process was set into motion to get
these products into production.
and Gruppo Giovanni Crespi. The product
development process is backed up by ex-
tensive research into materials and every
part of the production phase is first sub-
mitted to the designers for approval be-
fore production proceeds. All this makes
WMATY not only a manufacturer of
shoes, bags and fashion accessories,
but above all a true incubator of projects
which invests in innovative people and
creations to give a new perspective to
fashion.
WMATY is also committed to protect and
safeguard the designers’ creativity and
intellectual property not only for short-
listed projects, but for all projects submit-
ted in response to creative calls. WMATY

Projects selected among those respond-

ing to the creative calls are individually
developed for production by WMATY’s staff
with the support of outsourced specialists

TOP: Recycled Shoes, designed by Liza

Fredrica Åslund, Sweden.
RIGHT: Myjaba Money Bag designed
by Akiko Tanakashi, Japan.
FAR RIGHT: PostModernGeta designed
by Akahito Shigemitsu, Japan.
283 >
284 >

TOP: Sushi Cover shoes designed by Premrudee

Leehacharoenkul, Thailand.
ABOVE: Temporary Night clutch bag designed by
Premrudee Leehacharoenkul, Thailand.
RIGHT: Up Shoes designed by Claudia Civilleri, Italy.

also rewards any technical ideas, inven-
tions or innovations which may be selected
from both short-listed and non-short-
listed products. For example, if a shoes
project contains an interesting idea for a
sole, an innovative material or a special
construction which can be submitted for
a patent application, WMATY will pay the
relevant designer a 3% to 10% royalty fee
in addition to a standard 6% if the project
has passed selection and thereby engages
to protect the designer’s intellectual prop-
erty rights, name and personal image at
all times.
WMATY might also call previously short-
listed artists to complete further on-
commission projects for collections or co-
ordinates. In such cases, designers will be
rewarded with both a standard royalty
fee and an additional recompense for
contributing to research on style.
The first two creatives who’s products went
to market was Premrudee Leehacha-
roenkul’s Sushi Cover shoes and Temporary
Night clutch bag, and Akahito Shigemitsu’s
PostModernGeta mini-shoe range. Since
product development is a time-consuming
process, collections are launched in phas-
es. To date, five more ranges have been
launched, including Akiko Tanakashi’s
Myjaba Money Bag, Claudia Civilleri’s Up
Shoes, Liza Fredrica Åslund’s Recycled
285 >
Shoes, Tomás Trenchard’s Pebble Bag
and Victoria Geaney’s Floral Shoes. Other
ranges will soon follow.
After a prototype is developed, WMATY’s
design supervisors decide which collection
is assigned to either the Permanent, Limit-
ed or Private Collection. The Permanent
Collection is the core collection and gathers
together the largest number of newly
developed fashion artworks. Best-selling
artworks are presented as part of this col-
lection. Here, artworks could remain on
sale for years. The Limited Collection con-
sists of the most precious, creative, com-
plex, visionary and even crazy fashion
artworks. They are designed for short-run
production, individually numbered and
signed by designers. The Private Collection
is targeted at existing customers – those
who have already accessed WMATY’s
universe by purchasing an artwork to wear.
A copy of the catalogue of this collection
and its updates are sent to customers
on a regular basis and as with the Per-
manent Collection, some items may re-
main in this collection for years.
“People and our collections are the real
strength of our project, so we tell you who
they are, to give them a name and an
identity that are reflected in their crea-
tions as well,” concludes Giuseppe Reo,
WMATY communications manager. <
286 >
PACE:
THE PAN
AFRICAN
CRAFT
EXHIBITION
By Stacey Rowan. PACE 2010 presented a bold
new vision for a continent that is as contemporary
as it is African. This showcase of pieces from around
the continent was a must-see for visitors who were,
and still are, interested in a vision of Africa that chal-
lenges their preconceptions and hackneyed ‘curio’
stereotypes. Having highlighted exciting new direc-
tions in hand-made African craft, the exhibition pre-
sented African crafts, with an edge.
Hosted at the Gauteng Craft and Design Centre,
Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, from 17 June –
31 July, PACE 2010 was supported by the South
African Department of Arts and Culture, the Gau-
teng Provincial Government, the City of Johannes-
burg and the Gauteng Craft and Design Centre.
Curators Adam Levin and Andile Magengelele,
commissioned by Create Africa Trading, scoured the
continent for unusual new pieces and contemporary
African handmade designs that based their
identity less on ethnicity and more on shape,
modernity, texture and individual creativity.
“It was aesthetically challenging to envision
something that had not yet been done in terms
of art pieces and the exhibition as a whole, but it
was also a great joy. Logistically we had to work
with 20 countries in a short time frame at a time
when South African customs and air-freight
were beyond busy, due to the 2010 Soccer
World Cup,” says Levin.
“When selecting the art, we first figured what
we did not want and then, through a very good
network of contacts, we simply worked on piec-
es that blew us away. We didn’t want to just
settle on anything mediocre to fill up the space.
It worried me at times that we’d have nothing,
but in the end, the art and design pieces were
very fresh. All the pieces presented a great fu-
ture for arts and craft in our continent.”
Exhibitors at PACE 2010 included: Kente Digital,
Tekura, Aboubaker Fofana, Okechuku, Cheick
Diallo, The Lover’s Drum, Kpando Pottery, Aida
Duplessis and Seringa, among others. When
considering some of his favourite pieces in the
exhibition, Levin said that he favoured the Ali
Lamu Canvas, Cheik Diallo’s Banana Rocker
and Tekura’s Walking Table.
Tekura, creators of the Stool and The Walking
Table, amongst other pieces in the show, focus
on converting the traditional and decorative
into the functional for example, turning a mask
into a table leg or a drum into a chair. For the
Tekura team, it’s about separating curios from
design products, focusing more on design func-
tionality, yet continuing to keep the cultural
aspect of a design.
 287 >

Kind of Blue. The combination of whimsy and fine sculpting bears the
unmistakable signature of the House on Fire collective, Swaziland.
288 >

LTR: Exhibits were housed in a series

of well-lit futuristic pods designed by
Nicholas de Klerk. Dolos Light. This
new Moonlight and Magic design is
based on another South African
invention, the iconic concrete Dolos
blocks which work as wave breakers
along coastlines. Aloe Lamp. This new
design from Moonlight and Magic
(South Africa) who pioneered the
design of much copied paper mâché
animal lamps.

TOP: Calabashes. The application of rafia to the
traditional Tuareg calabash adds an intriguing textural
quality to a traditional design from Niger. ABOVE:
Banana Rocker. The striking rocking chair by Cheik Diallo
(Mali) is covered in tie-dyed Tuareg leather.
TOP: The Walking Table by Tekura placed on top
of The Hunted rug by South African artist Conrad
Botes and Paco Rugs. ABOVE: Ndebele Chair.
The new design by South Africa’s foremost
textile artist, Ronel Jordaan.
 289 >

House on Fire, designers of the Kind of Blue

and Black Napoleon Chair and Open Bust, among
other pieces in the show, played a dominant
role within the exhibition. For House on Fire,
designing continues to be about exploration and
going beyond the norm. It’s about having an
enthusiast spirit, a driving force behind a certain
design. Exploration, for the team at House on Fire,
creates opportunities where we can share ideas
and learn different things. To be a designer, one
has to hold onto a vision, a place where one
ultimately wants to be.

Loren Kaplan, ceramic artist and designer, de-

signed the Light Rose Window Chandelier. “I
look at the value and importance of the object I
create and the process it will take to create a par-
ticular thing. There must be a large importance
placed on the ‘sensory’ – how it will feel to the
end user and how it will look. The end user will
think about who made it and what the product
is made of. What does the user think when they
use the product? As a designer you have to ask
yourself – who is going to use it, who is going to
touch it and experience it? It’s about getting into
the head space of the end user,” says Kaplan.

PACE 2010 allowed African design to stand its

own ground on a global stage because previ-
ously is has been surpassed as naïve, ethnic
visions and clichés. “Through this exhibition
we have been introduced to a whole new wave
of African design. We tend to focus a lot on the
wonderful local scene, but now we can see the
continent is moving forward. I’m all for Afro-
futurism. I think PACE has been a landmark in
setting that mood on the continent. It’s always
great to see your identity through fresh eyes. In
Black Napoleon Chair. Carved from reclaimed
our continent, there is a sense of building … de-
wood by the House on Fire collective, Swaziland.
signers and crafters are always building. We
have to continually keep thinking of how we
have to up our game as crafters, designers and
artists,” concludes Levin. <
290 >

A PICTURE
IS WORTH A
THOUSAND
WORDS
By Stacey Rowan. The adage ‘A picture is worth a
thousand words’ refers to the thought that multi-
faceted stories can be described with just a single
image, or that an image may be more influential
than a substantial amount of text. This may stand
true in some cases, but in the case of Greener on
the other side, an exhibition by Kudzanai Chuirai,
the words within the artworks spoke volumes over
the images.

Greener on the other side, hosted from 9 July – 7

August at CO-OP in Johannesburg, was Kudzanai
Chuirai’s third poster series in collaboration with
Dokter and Misses. Featuring eight posters and six
drawings in total, the show explored the franchise
of democracy. “The franchise is open for business,
but can you afford the product? Many have come
to accept that they are simply window-shoppers.”

Although the theme of democracy played a dominant

role within the exhibition, what was more prominent
were the words used within the artworks and the
titles that were given to each piece. One can look
at an artwork title and immediately create an idea in
 291 >

TOP: Kudzanai Chuirai.

ABOVE: Detail from Virgins of the

Atlantic. The words within the
artworks speak volumes over the
images.

LEFT: Virgins of the Atlantic. Acrylic

and wax crayon on board. 1 500 x
2 500 mm.
292 >
 293 >

one’s own head, projecting his or her own pre-

conceived perceptions and thoughts on it even
before viewing the artwork. Not only are some of
the titles, like the posters named Disarm, Dismay
and Displace, thought provoking, but it is the words
used within the artworks themselves that truly
evoke emotions and give the exhibition its tone.

“The titles, Displace and Disarm are linked to a

space, a mood or character within the space. A per-
son can be transported to a place somewhere and
disarm themselves within that displaced space.
It’s how the words used for the titles connect to
an environment,” says Chuirai.

In Virgins of the Atlantic, words like disassociated,

disconnected, discarded, discourage, disbelieve
and discriminated evoke a negative tone, yet an
almost realistic one – considering that these words
speak true of our circumstances in which we live ABOVE: Cazal. Charcoal and wax crayon on
board. 594 x 840 mm.
(Take South Africa for example, where the poor is
discarded and different races are disconnected.) OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Drawings by Kudzanai
These words allow us to focus on issues that are Chuirai.
normally swept under the carpet. “In this piece,
I used a sequence of words. I looked through the FAR LEFT: Scott Tissue. Charcoal and wax
crayon on board. 594 x 840mm.
dictionary and put the words in an alphabetical
format that followed in sequence. The text in this LEFT: Rolex. Charcoal and wax crayon on
artwork, and the other works, lead the way of how board. 594 x 840mm.
you look at the show.”

Sentences used in other artworks like “A diamond is

forever. Eeny Meeny, Miny, Moe, catch a black dia-
mond buy its toe, if he hollers let him go, Eeny Meeny
Miny Moe”, used in De Beers, is humourously char-
ismatic yet has a cynical undertone. There is an
underlying meaning here that could be perceived
as relating to the slavery and exploitation of black
people, the black diamond, who mined diamonds
in African countries. The posters titled Let Them Eat
Cake and Working Hard for You, also pertain to
294 >

TOP LTR: Disarm. Dismay. Displaced. Let them
Eat Cake. Lithographic prints on Munken pure
unlimited edition. 420 x 594mm. Working hard
for you. Lithographic prints on Munken pure
unlimited edition. 420 x 594mm.
LEFT: Greener on the other side and Greener
on the other side invitation and posters.
295 >
this matter in that they almost symbolise racism
and the subordination of the black working class.
Combine these two titles with an image of a black
man and a black woman, and the titles’ meanings
are supported.
“Men talk about woman, sports and cars. Women
talk about men in sports cars”, in the artwork
Mercedes-Benz, is of a gender-based nature. Join
that sentence with the statement “picture me
fucking” (which is in a speech bubble pointing at
a male hyena’s penis) and you create a world of
stereotypical ways in which men and women are
viewed and ways in which they both think.
Not only does Chuirai focus on gender in his use
of words, but the topic of violence comes up in the
words “Machine Gun Funk”, used in Rolex. The
words are also illuminated next to the artwork
imagery. A lady lays naked with her legs open and
machine gun bullets are flying into her genitals.
Now, if this does not evoke emotion, then what
does?
“Flaunt our taste”, in the artwork Hennessay and
“When you are working tomorrow, wear a Rolex”,
in the artwork Rolex, have an underlying snob-
bish tone. These statements portray a sense of
mockery – a mockery at the rich, who seem to think
that material things define them as a person.
Not only does the wording used in the titles of the
artworks and within the artwork themselves, have
the power to create the tone for the entire show
and evoke our thoughts and emotions, but it’s
the wording and the imagery in combination that
truly create something beautiful and artistic. <
296 >
BOOK REVIEWS
IMAGING OURSELVES:
VISUAL IDENTITIES
IN REPRESENTATION
AND ARCHITECTURE
OF THE THIRD LANDSCAPE:
AWARD WINNING BUILDINGS
OF THE FREE STATE
Imaging Ourselves: Visual Identities in Represen-
tation, edited by Leora Farber and published by
the FADA Research Centre and the Visual Identities
in Art and Design, presents a collection of essays on
how visual identities in South Africa are constructed
and represented across a range of art and design
disciplines.
The cover is cleverly designed to act like a mirror.
Upon looking at the cover, the reader is able to see
a reflected image of him or her self on the cover. This
supports the title of the book, which speaks of im-
aging ourselves and identities – we are able to see
our image, and imagine our identity on the cover.
The chapters within the book look at topics like
advertising, creating mean in architectural and
furniture design, ideologies in digital artist’s books,
social identity, and the mutability of identification
in artworks, defiance and touristic representation,
amongst others.
One could classify Imaging Ourselves: Visual Iden-
tities in representation as the perfect vessel, or
course material, for theoretical studies within a
course that focused on representation or identity.
Being text heavy and image shy, this book would
not be recommended for a leisurely light read.
With essays from numerous sources, it is easy to
see how much research, time and effort went into
the creation of this literature. What is another no-
table characteristic is the diversity of approaches
that the essays encompass – it is interesting to see
different points of views and opinions.
With the literature being placed within the South
African context, together with the use of South
African imagery and information, this book is cer-
tainly home-grown, and proudly South African.
The intention of the authors was to highlight the
central role that art and design plays in the forma-
tion and expression of post–1994 South Africa
visual identities and, in doing so, to contribute to
the broader redefinition of South Africa’s social
and cultural identities, which is still ongoing on
multiple levels. After reading through the book, it
is obvious that the intention has most certainly
been achieved.

Architecture of the Third Landscape: Award
Winning Buildings of the Free State, written by
Pattabi G Raman and Jako Olivier, goes beyond a
mere description of the architecture of the build-
ings and locates them in the specific physical and
cultural landscape of the Free State. Focusing on
conservation, buildings in the city and the uni-
versity, houses and house extensions, architec-
ture of the industrial town and the Free State land-
scape, this book is your A-Z guide of all things Free
State and all things architecture.
In this book, each development is dissected into
a description, floor plan, elevation, drawing, sketch
and locality map, together with providing the archi-
tect’s details and awards given for the develop-
ment. Within this dissection, the developments
are looked at with a detailed eye, analysing the
pros and cons of the architecture.
Some of my personal favourite developments,
showcased within the book, are House Van Rens-
burg by Kobus de Preez Argitek, the refurbish-
ment of the main building, University of the Free
State and Vaal Estate Studio by Elphick Proome
297 >
Architects. With a whole selection of develop-
ments to choose from, the reader is bound to have
his or her favourites!
If you are looking for architectural images, this is
the book for you. Sporting countless pages of im-
ages and graphics of interior views, exterior views
and façades, this book does not fall short of visual
appeal. Viewing these architectural buildings, it
is clear the that South Africa, particularly the Free
State, have come along way in terms of architec-
ture, and this in itself is an achievement that
South Africans can hold proudly.
With limited text and a casual tone to the writing
style, Architecture of the Third Landscape: Award
Winning Buildings of the Free State is an easy
and enjoyable read. This book is an inspiration
for the architect and the Free State lover alike. <
Reviewed by Stacey Rowan.