Back to the future

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID SOUTHWOOD, LINLEY MEAVERS

Set on the historical Keerom Street in Cape Town’s CBD, among legal chambers and commercial buildings, the bold, sculptural form of the 11-storey Tuynhuys, a compact apartment building with 47 units ranging from 24m 2 to 80m 2 , makes a dramatic, eye-catching addition to the surrounding cityscape.

Not only does its ‘mini skyscraper’ approach – partly inspired by Japanese architectural landmarks drawing from the Metabolist school such as Nakagin Capsule Tower designed by Kisho Kurokawa – introduce a new approach to compact-living in Cape Town’s CBD, on a scale suited to the character and grain of the city, but its exuberant, anthropomorphic design marks a decisive statement about the return to decorative architecture before the mainstream takeover of utilitarian modernism in the early 20th century.

In fact, lead architect Robert Silke makes the strong case that to forge new directions in architecture and urbanism – in many ways a return to traditional values in city-making more appropriate to our own times than the modernist urbanism that dominated the 20th century – it is necessary to return to a time before the dominance of mainstream modernism and pick up another path where decorative and utilitarian modernism diverged.

The bold and exuberant design of Tuynhuys Apartments in Cape Town's CBD, by Robert Silke & Partners, combines Italian futurist and postmodern influences with elements of Japanese Metabolist architecture to pioneer a new direction in architecture and street-making in the city.

While many commentators note the building’s Art Deco influences, Silke places more emphasis on its origins in a crossover between Italian futurism and postmodernism, tracing a line from early Art Deco via the futurists, through to the Googie movement on the US west coast and in Miami, and on to the likes of Zaha Hadid – one of the few giants of contemporary architecture who kept the flame of decorative design alive.

Silke points out that, apart from the firm’s philosophy and approach being rooted in an insistence on the value and appropriateness of decorative design to Cape Town’s character as a luxurious holiday destination, the boldness of Tuynhuys’s design was also a strategy to make the building commercially viable.

The site itself is long and narrow, just 13 meters across, and without any of the usual Cape Town selling points such as views, light and location, so the architects and developers knew the building would have to distinguish itself on high design.

At the same time, it had to remain sensitive to adjacent heritage buildings and deal cleverly with various zoning restrictions, while “not shrinking apologetically”, as Silke puts it, and failing to make a significant architectural contribution itself. Tuynhuys is, nevertheless, respectful towards the charming Victorian turrets of Keerom Street Chambers next door. Rather than stepping back horizontally, however, in a more literal reading of the heritage and zoning restrictions, it steps back vertically along its façade. This approach immediately distinguishes it from the more common solution of topping off block-like towers with a ziggurat after reaching the height of their neighbours, which results in a somewhat weak and unattractive architectural and urban character.

The capsule-shaped windows that feature throughout the building do wonders for otherwise unremarkable views simply through their own shapeliness.

Thus, Tuynhuys not only gives breathing space to the significant architectural features of its neighbour, but it also creates a more intentional and aesthetically resolved solution to the restrictions.

“Once we started carving the building back like that, we couldn’t resist doing it with a curved finesse on it, and it started becoming quite organic,” says

Silke. Also, because the façade had already been voluntarily stepped back in plan, the step back in elevation required after a height of 25m could be aligned to create a continuous shaft along the front of the building, and a clean curved corner to run its length.

The asymmetric shape also cleverly opens up what restricted views were available towards Table Mountain – particularly for the penthouses – through curved corner windows at a 45-degree angle from the front façade, while editing out the bland urbanity and nondescript neighbours directly ahead. In fact, Silke points out that the building’s distinctive capsule or lozenge-shaped windows do much to enhance otherwise unremarkable views simply through their own shapeliness.

Silke says that the artisanal skill of the contractors, JLK Construction, brought a remarkable level of finesse to the finishes, particularly the plastering on the façade. “They did it beautifully,” says Silke. “It’s like icing. The curves are perfect.” He says that through their workmanship, many details were beautifully resolved, and the quality of such local skill and labour precluded the need for imported finishes or skims.

At street level, the main entrance appears prominent, despite its narrowness and the necessity for two parking entrances on the narrow plot. The parking entrances are recessed and deemphasised with motion-sensing lighting, which is only activated when a vehicle approaches. Simple chain-link roller shutters, reminiscent of traditional inner-city shopfront security, provide a sense of permeability and an unfussy aesthetic while allowing for the natural ventilation of the parking and basement. The tarmac finish on the sidewalk not only fits in with the black-and-white aesthetic of the building, but seems to bring the urban streetscape up to and into the building itself. The resulting sense of continuity with its context further reduces the visual impact of the vehicle entrance, while allowing prominence to the main entrance and foyer.

The modest size of the futuristic white foyer is visually doubled with a mirrored wall. Opposite, another tiled wall runs seamlessly from the inside out, and the slim window frame facilitates an almost imperceptible transition from interior to sidewalk – another device that adds to its exaggerated sense of space. Its sleek monochrome approach and sinuous curves seem to hint at the cinematic urban landscapes seen in the likes of Blade Runner or the interiors of 2001: A Space Odyssey – introducing further futuristic cultural associations, while adding a sense of drama and imaginative playfulness to the experience of arriving and departing.

The sleek monochrome approach around the foyer and entrance hint at the cinematic urban landscapes seen in the likes of Blade Runner or the interiors of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

While the overriding impression of Tuynhuys might be its aesthetic exuberance and almost frivolous emphasis on fun, it makes a serious proposition about the future of architecture in Cape Town and offers refreshing and compelling new directions that come as a breath of fresh air after a century of the dominance of utilitarian modernism.

Drawing on futurism, and not forgetting the influence of Japanese high-density residential architecture, Tuynhuys demonstrates that both citymaking and heritage concerns can indeed be compatible with bold contemporary design. “There are a lot of very small, nicely located, quaint sites in nice parts of the city that have yet to be developed properly,” Silke points out.

The “mini-skyscraper”, as he likes to refer to Tuynhuys’s proportions, is an “appropriate scale for Cape Town, given our city grid and the fact that this is not really a city that wants Dubai-scale buildings. South Africans aren’t really used to buildings cheek-byjowl like this, but I’m pretty certain it’s the future,” he concludes.

The 'mini skyscraper' dimensions of Tuynhuys, seen here from Long Street, are appropriate for the scale and grain of Cape Town's city grid.