6 minute read
Revelstone products used in Baxter Theatre garden upgrade
(Below): One of the retaining wall benches dressed with Saxon Split Cladding and topped with Kent Random Edge paving. and some of the stairs dressed with Revelstone’s Saxon Split Cladding and paved with Kent Random Edge paving. (Photographer: David Beer)
Cladding and flagstone paving, manufactured by CMA member Revelstone, has played a crucial role in the redesign and revamp of the garden at Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre. The revamp was undertaken to prepare an outdoor venue for the Rolex Arts Weekend, one of the world’s most important and prestigious international arts events, part of which was staged at the Baxter on 7 and 8 February 2020.
Project architect Julius Burmeister van der Merwe of Masterpiece Architects says that prior to the revamp, the garden consisted largely of grassed slopes fringed with flowerbeds. “The Rolex event required level spaces where furniture could be accommodated and where people could gather and mingle. Timber decking had initially been mooted, but on closer analysis, this solution proved impractical. As an alternative, I proposed levelling the slopes into a series of stepped terraces which would not only provide a venue for the Rolex event, but also serve as a userfriendly outdoor sanctuary for students and theatre-goers, as well as for staging subsequent events.
“This approach required extensive
earthworks and an upgrading of the garden. In addition to four level terraces, a retaining wall was built to shore up the cut face of the ensuing vertical embankment below what remained of the upper-slope section. We wanted to use natural rock for dressing the retaining wall and for the paving, but we had neither the budget nor the time to quarry natural rock. Instead, I approached Revelstone, whose cast-stone concrete
products show no discernible difference from their quarry-sourced equivalent; in fact, they look completely natural.
Aesthetic appeal
“For example, Revelstone’s Kent Random Edge flagstone pavers mimic the striations and colour of the surrounding rocks at Falling Waters, a residence in Pennsylvania, USA, designed in 1935 by the famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
“We chose Revelstone’s Saxon Split Cladding to dress the retaining wall, as it presents an uneven, stone-like surface which resembles cut sandstone. We also used it to clad the plant boxes built into the retaining wall and to dress the risers on the stairs which link the terraces. We opted for another natural-looking
(Left): Visitors to the Rolex Arts Weekend enjoy the newly-created terraced garden. (Photographer: Marc Wessels)
(Below left): The Baxter Theatre garden prior to the commencement of the earthworks. (Photographer: Julius van der Merwe)
(Below): The revamped Baxter Theatre gardens showing the terraces, stairs and retaining wall which were dressed with various cast-stone precast concrete products manufactured by Revelstone. (Photographer: David Beer)
Revelstone product, Devon Wall Capping, for overlaying the top of the wall.”
Revelstone MD Alex Cyprianos says that although Saxon Split Cladding is manufactured in one standard size for ease of installation, no face repetition is apparent after installation. The lower and largest of four terraces was surfaced with a combination of Kent Random Edge paving and grass. This large flagstone paver has a slightly irregular edge and a subtle hewn surface with natural indentations, which lend it a time-worn appearance. It was also used to pave the top of the steps and the stone benches which were built into the retaining wall.
“The Revelstone products were much quicker to install than natural stone and they’ll last much longer,” says Van der Merwe. “We had to create a path on the lawn for high-heeled users and we laid the Kent pavers in a random pattern, which I designed for the other terraced areas as well.”
Green space
Masterpiece Architects was responsible for the conceptualisation and all the design work. Landscape architects Annette Zulch Designs handled the project management of the installation work. It also managed the greening of the new spaces and a garden upgrade, which included plant selection with input from Signature Gardens. The earthworks, the construction of the retaining wall and the paving and cladding work were done by main contractor, the Uvuyo Group.
Baxter Theatre marketing director Fahiem Stellenboom says upgrading the Baxter garden was a great decision on several levels. “It’s created a beautiful space which patrons and audience members can enjoy while visiting or attending performances at the theatre. Most importantly, it’s enabled the Baxter to offer the public the opportunity of hiring the space for weddings, functions
and corporate events. This means we can generate additional income for the theatre, especially after its seven-month closure during lockdown. A little-known fact is that the Baxter isn’t funded by the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture, so it’s vital that we find innovative ways to generate additional income by attracting new audiences and the public to our spaces and venues.
“The Rolex Arts Weekend was the culmination of a year’s planning which saw more than 200 renowned artists and arts leaders from SA and around the world gathering at the Baxter. The weekend involved a series of talks, readings, exhibitions and performances and featured the work of the 2018/19 protégés of the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative, along with their mentors. Highlights included dance, architecture, literature, music, arts symposia and cinema.
Well attended
“Distinguished guests included celebrated artists such as Wole Soyinka [playwright, poet, writer and Nobel Prize laureate for literature], American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, South African artist William Kentridge, Sir David Adjaye [Ghanaian-born British architect], Colm Tóibín [renowned Irish novelist, short story writer and playwright],
(Left): The revamped Baxter Theatre gardens showing the terraces, stairs and retaining wall which were dressed with various cast-stone precast concrete products manufactured by Revelstone. (Photographer: David Beer) Garden furniture blends in perfectly with the newly-created terrace garden in preparation for the Rolex Arts Weekend. (Photographer: Marc Wessels)
film-maker Mira Nai and Zakir Hussain [Indian musician and composer[, among many others. Tennis star Roger Federer also made an appearance,” says Stellenboom.
Well over 500 000 patrons attend over 2 700 performances at the Baxter annually, making it one of the busiest theatres in southern Africa. Founded in 1978, it has stayed true to its promise of always being open to all and to stage work of the highest artistic quality. It aims to reflect the cultures of all South Africans on its stages and in its foyers and spaces, thereby promoting an interactive and meaningful relationship with its audiences and patrons, while generating a spirit of goodwill and nurturing creativity.
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