Archi- Camo

Agora 202, a new residential development in Observatory, Cape Town,designed by Two Five Five Architects, deploys ingenious design techniques on its façade to integrate it into its natural and architectural environment.

Photography: Karl Rogers/Vignette

This residential building along Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, aims to revitalise the residential property market in the area with a contemporary forward-looking offering for young professionals, while remaining respectful of the history and cultural diversity of the area and its community.

To be financially viable, the development required nearly six levels above ground, built to zerometer building lines on four boundaries. The surrounding context, however, consisted of predominantly one- and two-storey structures at the time of planning, although the area has been undergoing drastic changes for at least the past three years.

Two Five Five Architects, who designed the building for Agora, a new developer in the industry, found themselves considering how they could design a building that would be sensitive to the scale of the area and relate to the context in a manner that was familiar and fresh at the same time.

Given the feasibility requirements, a certain height and architectural presence was unavoidable, but the architects devised a type of architectural camouflage to integrate it into its environment and lessen its impact.

They captured drone footage of the key contextual markers: Table Mountain on one side and Cape Town harbour and the wide-open sky on the other. They pixelated the images and, from these abstractions, extracted a base colour scheme. These colours were in turn applied in block-like patterns to the façade of the building – the greens of the mountain on one side and the blues of the ocean on the other.

Following in the tradition of brightly coloured row houses characteristic of areas like Observatory and Bo-Kaap, the distinctive colours at once helped the building to blend in and to stand out, without appearing alien or insensitive.

Setbacks were created (some over kitchens and others recessed into the façade) to provide natural light and ventilation on the zero-meter building lines, which added to the texture and variety on the façade while enhancing the living quality within the apartments.

Drone footage of the building's broader context - views of Table Mountain and the harbour - was pixelated to extract a base colour scheme, which was in turn applied to the façade in a block-like pattern as a form of architectural camouflage.

Two Five Five Architects went further in their treatment of the façade and sought out examples of as many of the distinctive plaster techniques they could find within a one kilometre radius of the development. They found a tremendously diverse range of techniques, from fishs cales and scallops through to banana plaster.

Every plaster technique found within a one-kilometer radius of the development was introduced into the façade

They introduced these local architectural references to the façade in a modular ‘pixelated’ fashion similar to the paint colours. Many of these techniques have fallen into disuse, and the architectural team involved retired artisans from the local community to train the young team onsite, helping to revive not only the styles themselves, but also the skills used in their application. These techniques and textures resonated with the community, garnering positive feedback and widespread acceptance of the new addition among established residents.

To further integrate the building with its context and activate the pedestrian edge on Lower Main Road, a retail space was introduced alongside the public entrance to the apartments. Trees were planted on the Nansen Road sidewalk to further soften the public engagement of the scheme.

For the interiors, Two Five Five Architects went to lengths to support contemporary local designers. They commissioned custom light fittings from the likes of Joe Paine. Custom terrazzo tops in a playful green colour were manufactured by Notation Design and custom-made steel kitchens and lighting were commissioned from Kink design. A unique brand identity was designed for the development by Carina Comrie from Büro Comrie, and this in turn was introduced into the wayfinding elements and signage.

The vibrant exterior of the building is carried though in the interior fittings with a high-quality but playful approach. The fittings favoured local designers and artisans. Joe Paine, for example, was commissioned to design custom light fittings for the development.

Furthermore, purposemade door handles with somewhat cheeky but ultimately positive messages throughout the building were introduced by the architects, with a range of messages along the lines of: ‘Go get them’ and ‘Hello good looking’.

This development has become an icon within Observatory and has been well received by the community and its new tenants.

Professional team Architect & Principal Agent: Two Five Five Architects Structural Engineer: MISC Engineering Fire Consultant: Frame Mechanical Engineer: De Villiers & Moore Electrical Engineer: Frame Quantity Surveyor: Vusela Consulting Main Contractor: HFO Health & Safety Consultants: Construct Safe