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Contents VISI

UP FRONT

ED’S LETTER p26

CONTRIBUTORS p30

VISI.CO.ZA p32

VISION DESIGN MIAMI p38

MULTI-FUNCTION STORAGE SOLUTIONS p46 TRAVEL DIARY p56

VOICES ZANELE KUMALO p59 ROSA LYSTER p61 RUPERT KOOPMAN p62

DESIGN DECONSTRUCTION: MEMPHIS GROUP p52

FEATURES CAPE TOWN PENTHOUSE p68 CAPE TOWN ICON p78 PRETORIA CAMPUS p86 PRETORIA BUNGALOW p96 SOMERSET WEST CHURCH p106 OVERBERG CABIN p116 NORTHERN CAPE RESERVE p128

REASONS

1. Portuguese ceramic brand Bordallo Pinheiro’s new Amazônia collection p144 2. One charge, one island – driving the Jaguar I-Pace around Mauritius p146 3. Nespresso and Vélosophy turn recycled coffee capsules into bicycles p148 4. Sealand Gear, the local eco-brand making waves here and abroad p150 5. Prefab cabin Zenkaya gets a new home just outside Pretoria p152 6. Living pods designed by award-winning furniture maker, David Krynauw p156 7. SA ceramic brand Ardmore has a new ceramics and fabric range p158 8. Bring nature indoors with these plant stands, pots and hangers p162 9. Smart planters – the simple urban gardening solution p164 10. African Sketchbook’s Rousseau-inspired, hand-painted wallpapers p166 11. Athi-Patra Ruga reinterprets the iconic Lady Dior handbag p168 12. SA-born photographer Kevin Mackintosh’s new exhibition of portraits p170 13. Highlights from the second edition of the Lagos Biennial in Nigeria p172 14. Multimedia artist Dineo Seshee Bopape’s remarkable installation pieces p174 15. We profile Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama ahead of the Design Indaba p176 16. Primary colours are making a splash – we pick some of our favourite items p178 17. Neglected narratives and cultural flavours are what we’re reading this month p180 18. If you love pizza – and pink – visit this new eatery in Cape Town p182 19. We pick our favourite wine label designs p184 20. A new range of motorised standing desks from office furniture brand, Cecil Nurse p186

WIN p64 SMART IDEA p192 COVER IMAGE CREDIT Photograph Dook Production Annemarie Meintjes

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PORTRAIT JAN RAS

e’re coming at you from two angles in this issue. Both are part of a thread resonating around the globe as, perhaps for the first time in human history, we are all genuinely thinking about our future on this planet.The notion that unless we change things, we might not actually have a future has moved from fringe activism to the collective zeitgeist. It’s even moved into our second bedroom. I have a very woke teenage daughter. So, as both a nod to key design and architectural trends, and an attempt at some hard-to-come-by Dad Points, issue VISI 106 looks at: SMALL SPACES Along with the fact that owning property has become less and less affordable in major urban areas, there’s been a conscious move to making do with less. Small spaces compel us to live with less clutter, simplify our lives, and reduce our carbon footprints. In this issue we look at some exceptional contemporary local designs and, in the case of the Holyrood apartment block (page 78), one 80-year-old example. Quite coincidentally, it turns out the VISI team has a connection with this Art Deco gem. Our deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes happened to have lived there with her now ex-husband. “So many stories,” she says with a twinkle in her eye ... and my own grandparents stayed there for six months just after my grandad returned from the war in 1945. SUSTAINABILITY From local brand Sealand Gear and its very cool upcycled bags, to iconic Portuguese ceramic brand Bordallo Pinheiro and its new Amazônia collection that contributes to reforesting the Amazon, a bicycle made of recycled Nespresso pods, and Jaguar’s new emission-free I-Pace electric vehicle, our Reasons section has a strong sustainability theme. Yes, sustainability is about as buzzwordy as it gets, but it’s genuinely beginning to seep into the way I live my life. I know – woke teenager, etc – but if it can shift the perspective of this set-in-his-ways 50-yearold, I’d like to think it’s happening to a lot of people. COVER STARS You may have noticed three people on our cover. They’re standing on the middle balcony of the wonderful new Tuynhuys apartment block. Adding a dash of primary colours to this issue of VISI are: • Red – Samantha Charles,VISI managing editor • Yellow – Michaela Stehr,VISI content producer • Blue – Robert Silke of Robert Silke & Partners, STEVE SMITH, EDITOR the apartments’ architects.

L I V E YO U R PA S S I O N L A D I E S A U T O M AT I C f r e d e r i q u e c o n s t a n t . c o m . P i c o t & M o s s +2 7 1 1 6 6 9 0 5 0 0

constancehotels.com MAURITIUS

• SEYCHELLES • MALDIVES • MADAGASCAR

Contr butors What is your favourite piece of design of the 21st century so far, and why? The Glass Tea House Mondrian, created for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 by Hiroshi Sugimoto. It is pure architecture – an experiment with pavilion typology that fuses Western and Eastern cultures with sculpture and even elements of jewellery design. Maybe last year’s World Rugby Cup or this year’s Olympics have led to my current affinity with the Zen aesthetic! As part of our VISIon section, Pieter shares travel tips for Dutch Design Week on page 56.

ROLI O’TSEMAYE, WRITER, ART CRITIC AND CURATOR What is your favourite piece of design of the 21st century so far, and why? Ethnik by Tunde Owolabi: these are designs inspired by hand-woven aso oke fabric from western Nigeria. I love the versatility with which the designer works with the fabric – across furniture, clothing and accessories – to yield such an exotic yet minimalist finish. Owolabi’s designs simply lure you to want to own them. Roli describes the highlights of her visit to the 2019 Lagos Biennial on page 172.

LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING, VISI ONLINE EDITOR What is your favourite piece of design of the 21st century so far, and why? To highlight one standout design is difficult, but I really love the V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first dedicated design museum. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma took on this project, creating a truly striking piece of architecture that resembles a Scottish cliff face. I could just stare at it for hours. Lindi goes to Mauritius to test-drive Jaguar’s luxury I-PACE electric vehicle on page 146.

EDITORIAL

Editor Steve Smith Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes Creative Director Mark Serra Designer Mpumelelo Bhengu Managing Editor Samantha Charles Acting Features Editor Robyn Alexander Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring Content Producer Michaela Stehr Contributors Adele de Lange, Amelia Brown, Aviva Singer, Biddi Rorke, Celeste Jacobs, Dook, Iga Motylska, Jan Ras, Jeanri-Tine van Zyl-Punt, Marĳke Willems, Martin Jacobs, Olupitan Olusanya, Paris Brummer, Pieter Mathews, Roli O'tsemaye, Rosa Lyster, Rupert Koopman, Stephen Steyn, Tracy Lynn Chemaly, Zanele Kumalo

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Key Account Manager Diane Lubbe 083 391 1651 Key Account Manager Eva Cookson 076 662 0785 Key Account Manager Hannelie Stemmet 083 448 2074 Key Account Manager Elna Coetzer (Cape Town) 021 417 5151 / 082 971 9715

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Group Account Director Raiël le Roux Production Manager Shirley Quinlan

MANAGEMENT

Managing Director Aileen Lamb Commercial Director Maria Tiganis Brand Strategy Director Andrew Nunneley Chief Financial Officer Venette Malone Head of HR Camillah West CEO: Media24 Ishmet Davidson

DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Distribution RNA Distribution Print and digital subscriptions 087 405 2005 (local) +27 21 045 1809 (international) subs@magsathome.co.za

Reproduction New Media, a division of Media24 (Pty) Ltd Printing CTP Printers Cape Town Published by New Media, a division of Media24 (Pty) Ltd, New Media House, 19 Bree Street, Cape Town 8001 PO Box 440, Green Point, Cape Town 8051 021 417 1111 / newmedia.co.za / visi@visi.co.za

All rights reserved. Whereas precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information, neither the editor, publisher nor New Media can be held liable for any inaccuracies, injury or damages that may arise. The opinions expressed in the articles may not reflect those of the publisher.

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PHOTOS CARLA CRAFFORD <PIETER M>, SUPPLIED

PIETER MATHEWS, ARCHITECT, DESIGNER, CURATOR, STUDENT AND RACONTEUR

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WIN WITH NUTRiBULLET

One lucky VISI reader will win a NUTRiBULLET Pro 900, valued at R2 699. This 900-watt appliance is the ultimate summer accessory, transforming individual ingredients into nutrient-packed superfood. To enter this competition, go to VISI.co.za/win.

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#READERLOVE Can’t put down the latest issue? Tag us in your pics on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Your snaps brighten our day! Not a bad way to spend a friday afternoon – @cassidymaetaylor

Saturday = reading... #pink #magazine #interiordesign #interior #design #home #glasses #visimagazine #southafrica #vsco #vscocam – @andrewconradie

... and chill @visi_mag – @jacokotze

So this happened. A major milestone. Thank you so much for the feature @visi_mag… it’s such an honour to be one of your “Reasons” Pick up this month’s issue and let me know if I sound smart. – @iamsaintrose

Such a fabulous @visi_mag cover. #visi #visimag #visimagazine #inthepink #design #creativity #beauty #southafrica #contrast – @ljct

INSTANT INSPIRATION Follow @visi_mag on Instagram, where we share some of the best and most beautiful designs from around the globe.

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WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING FIND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE COMPETITION ON PAGE 64

More than 500 of you took our poll online to let us know. Here are the results:

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JOY FROM AFRICA TO THE WORLD The V&A Waterfront showcased a new approach to festive season décor for 2019/20 – one that was beautiful, sustainable – and entirely African.

INSPIRING THE WORLD “As neighbourhood custodians, we wanted to create and curate a space that looks after the interests of the people who come here and the environment, we’re in,” says Tinyiko Mageza, executive manager of marketing at the V&A. “By partnering with more than 140 African artisans to create a vibrant wonderland made from upcycled materials, we were able to tell a uniquely African story that’s both joyful and inspiring.”

SUSTAINABLE DÉCOR TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS he V&A Waterfront reimagined the 2019/20 festive season as a celebration of local talent and environmental sustainability. Centred on the theme of “Joy from Africa to the World”, the V&A presented an experience aligned to its purpose of creating the world’s most inspiring waterfront neighbourhood. Every decoration on display was handcrafted by African artisans using recycled and recyclable materials. A team, with the help of Platform Creative Agency’s Cathy O’Clery and Laurence Brick, mixed modern and traditional pieces to create a rich display of the many intricate crafting techniques handed down from generation to generation. As a result, every cent of the Waterfront’s R16-million investment in the festive décor went back into African economies.

“In 2017, we announced our commitment to eliminating single-use plastic,” says Tinyiko. “Our aim is to reduce use by 40% by 2020. This ambitious goal carried into our festive plans for this year. We decided to lead with purpose and prioritise the things that matter most to us.” The V&A repurposed past décor through the use of wastepaper collected in its waste-recovery recycling centre, and chose sustainable, recycled materials. “We considered our economic impact and dedication to creating jobs. We wanted to support the local economy at every level of our supply chain.” In addition, it provided a platform for local businesses and entrepreneurs, including Monkeybiz, which empowers women to sell their beadwork. These beaders made the 59 exquisitely crafted creatures that perch around the Summer Palace in the Centre Court. Wola Nani crafters contributed the papier-mâché planets, trees and upcycled baubles. The Wola Nani trust aims to raise awareness of HIV/Aids through research, advocacy, resources and more to improve the wellbeing of communities and those living with HIV/Aids. Langa-based Our Workshop created the upcycled plastic chandeliers, while the baskets came from artists and weavers from all over Africa. All their work was on display to the over three million visitors who visited the Waterfront over the holidays. waterfront.co.za #JoyAtVandA

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“SOME OF THE MOST AVANT-GARDE CONTEMPORARY DESIGNERS WORKING OUT OF AFRICA.” – DESIGN MIAMI/ ON THE SOUTHERN GUILD EXHIBITORS

CHEMICAL REACTION Porky Hefer's Molecules,a collection of leather hanging pods,formed the centrepiece of the Cape Town-based Southern Guild Gallery's booth at Design Miami/ 2019. Turn over to find out more.

southernguild.co.za PHOTOS HAYDEN PHIPPS COURTESY OF SOUTHERN GUILD PRODUCTION JO YOUENS

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Vs n MIAMI DESIGN MACHINE

We visited the recent Design Miami/ to pore over the 70 exhibitions from 13 countries – including one very popular one from right here in South Africa.

own here at the tip of Africa, exotic Miami may be better known for a pair of good-looking detectives who drove fast cars and rolled up their jacket sleeves (and Doc Doc Doc Doc Doctor Beat, obviously) but it’s also home to the annual Design Miami/. Hosted by Lexus, the design fair’s official automotive partner, we attended the 15th edition of this influential design

week, located behind Miami South Beach’s wonderful Art Deco-adorned beachfront and held in conjunction with Art Basel art fair across the boulevard. And yes, the latter was the geocentre of the $120 000 banana conceptual art drama that saw said fruit subsequently eaten by another artist. Google it… it’s worth the read. Design Miami/ though, which involved gallerists and designers showcasing anything from 19th-century pieces to contemporary items, drew less controversy. Here are some highlights.

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS STEVE SMITH

3 1. LES ATELIERS COURBET A collab with the estate of 20th-century French filmmaker Jacques Tati, Les Ateliers Courbet showed some bright and cheerful mid-century designs sourced from Tati’s 1958 film Mon Oncle (my uncle). These included the yellow The Rocking Chair and a simple but not entirely practical Mrs Arpel’s Sofa. 2. FUNCTIONAL ART GALLERY A fascinating reinterpretation of the Abstract Gallery, which was part of Peggy Guggenheim’s groundbreaking and highly inluential "Art of This Century" exhibition that ran in New York from 1942 to 1947. 3. AGO PROJECTS Based in Mexico City, Ago Projects' space was a riot of colour and texture with Fernando Laposse’s charmingly odd long-haired pink coffee table made of jute fibre, sisal and wood.

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4. MERCADO MODERNO Dedicated to Brazilian design, the gallery’s specialties are vintage design from the 1950s to 1980s and at Design Miami/ it celebrated the life and works of Portuguese-born Joaquim Tenreiro, creator of the first examples of modern Brazilian design. 5. GALERI PHILIPPE GRAVIER Appropriately titled Splash!, the neon-coloured, abstractly shaped lacquered wood tables were more of an attention-focusing showpiece than anything you’d necessarily get comfy around. 6. SOUTHERN GUILD One of the standouts was a collection of South African designers represented by Southern Guild. Described by Design Miami/ as “some of the most avant-garde contemporary designers working out of Africa”, its stand included work by Zizipho Poswa, Rich Mnisi, Justine Mahoney, Madoda Fani, as well as Porky Hefer’s hugely popular Molecules.

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7. GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN Charlotte Perriand, a pioneer among women designers and currently the focus of a major exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, was the big drawcard here. An icon of mid-century design, the major piece on display was her cabinet made for the Cite Cansado in Mauritania. 8. LEXUS SUNSHOWER To showcase its new LC 500 Convertible, Lexus’ response to the Design Miami/ theme of “Elements: Water” was to commissioned an installation by Tokyo-born New Yorker Nao Tamura, who created a relaxing space with fabric and lighting that reinforced the brand’s commitment to omotenashi (hospitality), takumi (artisanship) and the indooroutdoor philosophy of engawa .

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Vs n MULTI FUNCTION

Living comfortably in a compact home is about maximising the space you have. A great way to accomplish this is with furniture items and storage pieces that do more than one job.

TRANSFORMER TIME Trix, designed by Piero Lissoni for Kartell, is made up of three differently sized foam polyurethane cushions, which are connected by an elegant system of elastic bands that enable you to transform and adapt the sections to three different uses through easy rotation. Snap from an ottoman to a chaise to a comfortable bed for sleeping in no time.Â Plus, it all weighs in at just 13kg. kartell.com, truedesign.co.za

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PHOTOS MARIJKE WILLEMS PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE MEINTJES

W O R D S A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S

Vs n FOLD THE SIDES DOWN WHEN YOU DON'T NEED THEM, THEN FLAP THEM UP TO SERVE YOUR GUESTS

HINGED VICTORY A sleek bistro table with a top that’s just 37x57cm in size, with hinged flaps on each side of the same measurements, Flap is a mini metal version of the classic drop-leaf table. Fold the sides down when you don’t need them, then flap them up to serve your guests. Designed by goldsmith turned furniture manufacturer Nadia Cerva of Iron Banister, it retails at R2 500. ironbanister.co.za

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HOOKS LIFT EVERTHING OFF THE FLOOR THAT SHOULDN'T BE THERE.

OFF THE HOOK The humble hook is not just for hanging hats, coats and scarves: hooks lift everything off the floor that shouldn’t be there. You can even hang up your dining chairs, Shaker style, when the guests have gone home. Collect special shoppers and use them as storage pockets for stationery, catalogues and brochures to Neverland. This multi-hook is R750 from Iron Banister. ironbanister.co.za

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HANG UPS Not enough hanging space in your (tiny) bedroom cupboard? Pick these sturdy hangers with linkable hooks and you can use the back of the door. They're brilliantly budget-friendly too: these black Spaceo metal hangers with hooks cost just R69 for four at Leroy Merlin.Â leroymerlin.co.za

Vs n Design Deconstruction

MEMPHIS GROUP

This global group of '80s designers challenged the design status quo with a dazzling and ultimately influential range of furniture and objects.

The Memphis Group of design took its name from the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, a song that was played on repeat the night of the international group’s first meeting in Milan in 1980. Considering the juxtaposition of extravagant fantasy and age-old mysticism embedded in the objects created by its members, its name seems rather appropriate if one recalls that Memphis – home to Elvis’ Graceland – was named after Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Launched during the Milan Furniture Fair of 1981, with 40 pieces by the likes of Marco Zanini, Michele De Lucchi, Martine Bedin and Nathalie du Pasquier, the Memphis Group created an uproar – both of disgust and delight. Here were odd, unexpected forms of decor – some of indeterminate function – painted in audacious colours like blinding fuchsia and popping pastels, in which

curious-looking creations such as his tendril-like Ashoka lamp of painted metal, and colour-loaded Carlton storage unit resembling a human-tree hybrid. Memphis member Andrea Branzi said the aim of such designs was “recuperating decoration and colour as signs of freedom and nobility of creative invention” while “going beyond ergonomic limits and concentrating on an affective relationship between man and his things”. Even single-colour pieces, such as Matteo Thun’s nude porcelain vases, maintained this notion of challenging perceptions in their almost cartoonish shapes. It was fine that Memphis wasn’t embraced by the masses, because its principle of being partly handcrafted and produced in very small quantities was a precise reaction to the limitations and repetitiveness of mass production at the time. It’s something we can relate to in a country where handcraft is part of the cultural narrative, and where

LAUNCHED DURING THE MILAN FURNITURE FAIR OF 1981, THE MEMPHIS GROUP CREATED AN UPROAR BOTH OF DISGUST AND DELIGHT plastic laminate and terrazzo found bizarre unity. At the time, Modern and Minimalist design still reigned supreme, and puritanical ideas about form and function prevailed. Furniture was clean-lined and spare, pattern and ornamentation were minimal and material was based on hierarchical conventions – marble for sophisticated livingroom tables; laminates for kitchen floors. If colour was introduced to interiors, it would be a “safe” primary hue. But architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, regarded as the group’s protagonist, was interested in enriching objects rather than paring them back. His fascination with Eastern and African spiritual traditions, Pop design and the arts-and-crafts movement resulted in individualistic,

vibrant tones and heritage patterns are ingrained in our collective psyche. Trend analyst Li Edelkoort highlighted the similarities when she curated Totemism: Memphis Meets Africa at Design Indaba 2013. Even now, seven years on, and more than 30 years since the Memphis Group disbanded in 1988, parallels can be seen here at home. Atang Tshikare’s graphic surface patterns could be the modern-day counterpart of Du Pasquier’s expressive motifs, while Porky Hefer’s Molecules collection of colour-loaded leather-pod seating, just launched at Design Miami, is sure to have Sottsass et al. wishing Hefer had been part of their ’80s crew. In a world tackling grievous issues, it’s a relief to know that furniture can still be zany enough to make us smile.

1. Ashoka table lamp by Ettore Sottsass. 2. Kae-kapa-kae table by Atang Tshikare. 3. First chair by Michele De Lucchi. 4. Kristall end table by Michele De Lucchi. 5. Colorado ceramic teapot by Marco Zanini. 6. Carrot ceramic flower vase by Nathalie Du Pasquier. 7. Cucumber ceramic vase by Martine Bedin. 8. Labrador sauce boat in silver or silver-plate by Andrea Branzi. 9. Sirio blown-glass vase by Ettore Sottsass. 10. Titicaca vase by Matteo Thun. 11. Super fibreglass table or floor lamp by Martine Bedin.

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PHOTOS HAYDEN PHIPPS, PARIANO ANGELANTONIO, STUDIO AZZURRO COURTESY OF MEMPHIS SRL, MILANO, GUILD/SOUTHERN GUILD

W O R D S T R A C Y LY N N C H E M A LY

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FEEL MORE DANISH

Vs n Travel Diary

PIETER MATHEWS

Architect Pieter Mathews and his team were in Eindhoven for the annual DUTCH DESIGN WEEK. He has some tips if you’re planning a trip there in October. WORDS PIETER MATHEWS PHOTOS PIETER MATHEWS, CARLA SPIES, EUNESE BEUKES

BUY AN ALL-ACCESS DDW TICKET ONLINE Your once-off pass is all-inclusive and costs just less than €20. For that you get access to all DDW’s locations, exhibitions and transport. The value of DDW lies in the broad spectrum of topics, themes, materials, workshops, lectures and exhibitions. DO YOUR RESEARCH AHEAD OF TIME There are legions of exhibitions, so avoid the paradoxof-choice problem or being paralysed by indecision. This is a huge event with more than 350 000 visitors and 2 600 participating designers in over 120 locations. BOOK A GREAT APARTMENT WITH A VIEW As DDW is such a stimulating experience, I find it beneficial to wind down at a beautiful location. I’d recommend paying a bit more for a location close to the action with a scenic view for a nightcap. Supporting local supermarkets and markets by dining on your balcony saves Euros and affords an opportunity to experience local living first hand.

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EXPECT TO BE SURPRISED AND AMAZED We found clothing made from apples, dinnerware from orange peels, houses from cardboard, vodka distilled from Chernobyl rainwater, living jackets, a saddle for Bigfoot, and a virtual reality train ride. SOME OF MY FAVOURITE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL THINGS . The Growing pavilion: construction panels made from hemp and mycelium (mushroom spores), which create a waterproof insulation when baked. One day we may be able to grow our own houses! . The Wikkelhuis (Wrap house): a modular house made of layered cardboard. . The main pavilion, titled Biobasecamp, demonstrates the potential of timber in sustainable architecture. VISIT THE PHILIPS MUSEUM FOR FREE Eindhoven was the initial home of electronics giant Philips (founded in 1891) and nostalgia might kick in when

Vs n Travel Diary

PIETER MATHEWS

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you recognise your gran’s old Philips radio. However, the exhibition also gives a proper glimpse into the future. The Philips headquarters have since moved to Amsterdam, but the Dutch are known for innovation and have transformed the city of Eindhoven into an innovation hub. They've subsidised creative and technological startups while excelling as a world leader in design thinking and new patents. Eindhoven is not as steeped in history and touristy as Amsterdam, Delft or Keukenhof, but its robust, contemporary, challenging but sublime industrial beauty add to its authenticity. You can obviously top up your trip with a more “popular” destination if you choose. maaa.co.za ddw.nl

4 5 THINGS I NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT n An open and inquisitive mind. n One carry-on size suitcase, which helps with station-locker storage and mobility – less is more. n Energy booster sachets in my pocket for the dead hours. n A power bank to assist my smartphone in finding my way. n Antibacterial ointment for the nose, as well as small bottles of hand sanitiser and immune boosters. Prevention is better than cure.

1. Wikkelhuis (Wrap house) and its construction cardboard. 2. Pieter Mathews in front of the Growing pavilion. 3. Growing fur from sprouted chia seeds by Dasha Tsapenko. 4. Philips Museum. 5. Biobasecamp – Main pavilion. OPPOSITE Freestanding wall made from recycled plastic by Precious Plastic.

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Big Space Energy

From the four-roomed house in Kimberley that belonged to her grandparents to intimate concert spaces, ZANELE KUMALO sets out a case for small spaces with ‘‘big space energy’’. he four-roomed house is ubiquitous in townships everywhere in South Africa. It is the home that my father’s father built in Galeshewe, Kimberley, which got added to from time to time during my childhood as the bathroom finally moved inside.When my age was still a single digit, holidays and visits there saw an overflowing house (our nuclear family would bring six extra bodies), which meant sleeping head to toe with umakhulu to economise on space. Compact living brought us closer together in more ways than one. It also presented the sort of great storage solutions and practices that the Japanese have perfected. It used to amaze me how my aunt could quickly produce, say, a set of crockery I’d never seen before, or a ballroom-sized blanket, from unexpected corners, kists and those heavy freestanding wardrobes in the bedroom. I would have awarded her the perfect score for packing and arranging if it were a game of Tetris. Though space is one of the luxuries fewer and fewer of us are able to afford, even when it isn’t a choice, the small-space lifestyle has great advantages. It is the discipline of owning only what you need, the intimacy of arms and hips brushing against your loved ones and It is the favourite guests, and a sensitivity to the discipline of owning environment. It flirts with sustainability. In fact, it’s similar to what a musician does with the audience in a pocketsized bar. In general, I’d rather watch my the intimacy of favourite performer in a Tiny Desk concert setting than catch glimpses on screens at The Dome. (Tiny Desk features short music sets that literally take place behind someone’s workspace brushing against your at the National Public Radio offices in Washington D.C.). loved ones... That said, there is a time and a place for everything – and someone like a Beyoncé needs a stage and stadium of epic proportions so we can enjoy maximum Beyoncéness. I won’t lie, my attention still gets arrested by the monumental scale of double-volume spaces, forest-like gardens and larger-than-life artworks. Some of the grand houses in Netflix’s World’s Most Extraordinary Homes make my heart race a little too. But clever design can give a small home Big Space Energy (my take on the notso-suitable-for-work BDE – please look it up for yourself if you don’t know). A ceiling-tofloor window that lets in lots of light is BSE. A well-placed mirror is BSE. Spring cleaning is BSE. A stoep or balcony is BSE. Ditching curtains is BSE. Many black South Africans come from humble beginnings, which means sustainability and small-space living were a lived reality long before they became buzzwords – umleqwa were the organic chickens raised in the backyard; supporting local was a trip on foot to the more green-fingered neighbour who supplied imfino ‘‘spinach’’; costs were lower to heat and light a home. I love continuing the tradition in my own way.

ONLY WHAT YOU NEED,

PORTRAIT CEDRIC NZAKA

ARMS AND HIPS

ZANELE started out as a newspaper sub-editor and reporter, and has worked as beauty editor, bureau chief, features editor and editor at top glossy magazines. She recently founded a content studio and digital platform, where she works as a writer, content creator, editor and project manager. In her spare time you’ll find her spinning tunes at private parties with her sister or planning their next travel escape. whatzandidnext.com

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How Small is Small?

Very tiny spaces have a special charm, writes ROSA LYSTER, but that doesn't mean you want to live in one permanently.

n Stranger on a Train, Jenny Diski’s extraordinary and uncategorisable book about, as the subtitle has it,“daydreaming and smoking around America with interruptions”, the author spends a lot of time squeezed up into a variety of small spaces: cubicles, ship’s cabins, sleeping compartments on trains, smoking sections, mobile homes, dining booths, etc. It’s not necessarily part of some wider plan she has, this business of wriggling into one cramped space after another, but rather an inevitable side-effect of sustained periods of transit. If you are going to travel by freighter ship from Hamburg to Tampa, and then all the way around the perimeter of the US by train, the chances are that you will spend a lot of time lying in a tiny bed for a mouse, or eating your dinner on a tiny fold-out tray with your tiny knife and fork, or pressing your back against the wall as one more smoker muscles his way into the hellish room designated for those outcasts who have not yet managed to pull themselves together and stop being addicted to cigarettes. Diski is a great fan of these sorts of spaces, as am I: she talks with passionate fondness about a sleeping compartment on a train that is “essentially a lofty coffin, an enclosure almost exactly the width of the bed with head room but no standing room”, and about the doll’s house-esque mobile home she spends a few days in, this “small, highly ordered, ship-shape living space, where everything could be done that needed to be done, life could be lived, but with not an inch of space to spare”. She gets a massive kick out of the whole thing, as I do just from reading about it. All that order, that forethought, the sense of things being where and as they should be. Lovely. My own experiences of being squeezed into tiny spaces are just as happy: a compartment on a train going from Varkala to Hampi, a night spent in the cabin of a creaking wooden sailboat in Southampton, a houseboat in Kerala. I have a great time in places like this, and part of what I love about them is that they allow me to entertain the totally implausible fantasy of myself as the kind of person who could live like that permanently. I am not that kind of person. I don’t need a lot of space – I have lived in smallish flats for the vast majority of my adult life, and find myself at a bit of a loss when given the run of an entire house. I do need some, though. Just a little bit of space where I can pile up my books, and leave my coat in a heap on a chair that does not have a particular purpose other than being a place to leave a coat. It would make me insane, having to put my shoes in the same place every single day at the risk of chaos being All that unleashed and the whole carefully planned ship-shape living space that falling into madness. Impossible. Unsustainable for anything longer than a very long train journey. I understand, of course, that for literally billions of people around the world, living in a the sense of of things very small space is not a cute lifestyle choice, but the only option being where and available. What I do not understand is the people who seek this out deliberately.Tiny bed, tiny table, tiny knife and fork. One spot for the shoes, one spot for the one dress that can fit into your one tiny wardrobe cubicle that doubles as a desk. Unthinkable. I cannot speak for Jenny Diski, but I feel sure that she would have agreed with me that one of the very best things about being squeezed into teeny-tiny spaces is the fact that you are able to leave them, at some point, and to return to the smallish flat you call your home, and throw your coat on the coat-throwing chair with a powerful sigh of relief.

ORDER, FORETHOUGHT,

PORTRAIT SUPPLIED

AS THEY SHOULD BE.

ROSA is a writer living in Cape Town. rosalyster.com

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Small and Achievable

Doing something simply sustainable in the garden, suggests RUPERT KOOPMAN, might just be learning to accept that less (water) really is more. spend a fair amount of time wondering why human behaviours that have quite profound negative effects on nature persist. Considering the concept of social inertia – which posits that through our engagement with social space, we often develop behaviours and habits that serve to maintain the status quo – has helped. Of course, it’s much easier to ponder themes like the effects of climate change on range-restricted fynbos endemics than to examine this inertia at a household level, as in the case of this botanist’s garden. In 2015, my wife and I moved out of the sunny 100m2 flat in Cape Town where we’d lived for the first few years of our marriage, enjoying all that it had to offer. Before we knew it, we were expecting a baby and so the frantic search for a real house with a garden and a kitchen slightly bigger than a bathroom drain had begun. We found this place in the form of a spacious home in Cape Town’s northern suburbs – one with a lush buffalo-grass lawn and Australian brush cherry shrubs trimmed into lollipops. My wife started nesting immediately. She was six months pregnant and with the kind of Herculean effort that only seems to reside in people with deadlines, deftly organised our new home so that the family heirloom ball-and-claw radiogram had its own new place right beside the newly varnished cot I had once slept in. Outside, I did nothing. In retrospect, I was in the grip of droughtinduced ecological grief and could not countenance “wasting” a single drop of water keeping a lawn going when farmers were pondering which block of fruit trees they had to sacrifice,and emergency boreholes were being sunk in ecologically sensitive places. In the months immediately after the arrival of our child, my wife continued to fill all the spaces we never knew we needed, giving our penchant for whimsicality a new lease of life. I still did nothing as the lollipops in the garden shrivelled and died. And as humans do, I found a text to support my position. In this case, Benjamin Vogt’s excellent garden rant, Native Plants are a Moral Choice. Living in a place where almost 70% of our indigenous plants are found here and nowhere else on the planet, it was an easy premise to support. If we have a responsibility to maintain our personal green spaces in a way that welcomes and supports suburban animal life to personally, if largely symbolically, offset some of humanity’s displacement of nature – then surely it was also morally right to not water. Back to social inertia: we rarely interrogate what impacts our values have. Growing up, many of us had the in the face of an chore of watering the garden,which was often much more about wasteful water guzzling than the seasonal delights crisis? of fynbos – who among us questioned the thousands of litres of drinking water used to keep the lawn green? So, what can one do in the face of an intractable crisis? Accept that in summer, vegetation in the Cape tends to crackle and dry up in preparation for fire season, see many swallowtail butterflies, hear the rodent-like rustling of the thrush in the shrubbery and the glint of the common slugeater in the compost. Learn that it is possible to change the view from your window if you start with something small and achievable.

WHAT CAN ONE DO

RUPERT is a botanist who has spent more than a decade obsessed with the enjoyment and protection of some of South Africa’s most threatened species and habitats. When not practising Darwinian gardening (survival of the fittest), he is conservation manager of the Botanical Society of South Africa. Follow @rk_ct on Twitter and Instagram.

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Win! With Incanda Furniture Two lucky readers will win a 2.2 m Swellendam couch from INCANDA FURNITURE, worth R16 950 each.

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WIN! Go to VISI.co.za/win to enter these competitions. Entries close on 29 March 2020.

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| Cape Town Penthouse

WORDS STEVE SMITH

PHOTOS DOOK

PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE MEINTJES

BERTHED AMONG KEEROM STREET'S ROWS OF STOIC OFFICE BUILDINGS IS A RATHER REMARKABLE NEW DECO-MEETS-POMO-MEETS-OCEAN LINER APARTMENT BLOCK.

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| Westcliff Ridge Home Curves, portholes and bisecting lines reflect the Art Deco principles of futurism and costeffective creation of decorative shape and form.

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| Cape Town Penthouse

STRIKING NEW VESSEL has steamed into view and dropped anchor among the venerable advocates’ chambers that line Cape Town’s Keerom Street. Home to 43 small apartments, four minipenthouse suites, and sporting a striking white visage, Tuynhuys makes a bold statement – both to anyone standing below it and to the plethora of boxy monoliths currently being Rubik’s-cubed across the city. It’s also very obviously a long-awaited sibling for Holyrood, the Mother City’s iconic Art Deco apartment block located around the corner and featured on page 78. And that’s no coincidence. Tuynhuys architect Robert Silke, of Robert Silke & Partners, lives in Holyrood and is a devotee of the architecture style popular during the 1920s and ’30s. Not that Tuynhuys is pure Deco – the design also folds ’70s and ’80s Postmodernism into Deco’s principles of futurism and its cost-effective way of creating decorative shape and form. As a result, instead of the ubiquitous glass and laser-cut alloy cladding, Tuynhuys employed the seldom-used technique of using plain old concrete, bricks and plaster to create its repeated curves, portholes and bisecting lines. “It was always going to be a critical part of the build,” says Robert. “There were no frills. All this building had was the plaster to create its shape and form, but contractors JLK Construction approached the whole thing with skill and love, often resolving the geometries for us.” Somewhat more of a worry were the neighbours. Constructing a new building in an established neighbourhood inevitably draws legal objections, but when your neighbours all have the ability to bring an interdict free of charge – Tuynhuys is surrounded by advocates’ chambers and the Cape High Court – that possibility does ramp up. “Objections were indeed lodged,” says Robert, “but the strength of the design won out. Actually, the objectors all loved the building and it was more the disruption of the building process that was the problem.” And like that good ship whose passengers, once aboard, seldom give up their cabins, the Tuynhuys project attracted similarly inclined buyers. Rather than a big property developer, it was funded by a consortium of 14 investors who all proudly own a piece of this remarkable build. Wisely retaining a piece or two of his project, Robert owns one of the small 25m2 apartments – “the worst one in the block” – and co-owns the penthouse suite showcased here, of which the opposite could be said. By overblown penthouse standards, it’s a relatively small 82m2 and does not have the requisite rooftop views. Yes, there’s a majestic vista of Table Mountain and Signal Hill from one corner, although this outlook is interrupted by other buildings. Look out of the living room window and you’re confronted by the personality-free facade of the Huguenot Chambers, while altogether more quaint greened copper turrets belonging to the Keerom Street Chambers peer back at you from the balcony. Naturally, it’s even more of an issue for apartments on the lower floors. Or not. On the premise that even a poor view can have appeal if framed correctly, Tuynhuys’ capsule-shaped apertures do a remarkable job, even for apartments whose view is across the alley to the neighbouring building. By contrast, it’s impossible not to be impressed when you stand outside to take in the building's full height from the street below, or inside this penthouse suite with highly original interiors that marry Art Deco to the Memphis Group. “There are no excuses for ugliness,” says Robert. “We showed that on a fairly mediocre site, with a fairly mediocre budget, beauty can be achieved. It’s what they did with Holyrood.” He’s absolutely right. Tuynhuys, in contrast to the current host of dull, formulaic construction projects, demonstrates the basic Art Deco tuynhuys.co.za principle that you can cost-effectively create a beautiful building. OPPOSITE Architect Robert Silke perches on a vintage leather and chromed steel Le Corbusier chaise longue from Ride A White Swan (Facebook @rideawhiteswanmidcentury), his face concealed behind a book on iconic Modernist/Postmodernist architect, Philip Johnson. Herringbone parquet flooring by Oggie (oggieflooring.com); the glass and brass coffee table, as well as brass pharmacist's lamp, are both from Ride A White Swan.

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IT'S CERTAINLY INSPIRED BY DECO, DEBUT ROBERT SILKE & PARTNERS' DESIGN ALSO FOLDS '70s AND '80s POSTMODERNISM INTO DECO'S PRINCIPLES OF FUTURISM.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO BE IMPRESSED BY THIS PENTHOUSE SUITE WITH ITS HIGHLY ORIGINAL INTERIORS THAT MARRY ART DECO TO THE MEMPHIS GROUP.

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| Cape Town Penthouse

LEFT The focal point of the dining area is a custom-designed granite table made by Sangengalo Marble & Granite (ske.co.za). The ceramic centrepiece is by Colin Braye of Vorster & Braye (vorsterandbraye.co.za), and the 1928 Cesca chairs by Marcel Breuer and vintage brass and lucite server are from Ride A White Swan. Wrapped Figure artwork (1982) is by Eris Silke (erissilke.co.za). ABOVE The combination of '80s-style vintage leather chairs by Cape City Modern (Facebook @capecitymodern), circular rug from Hertex (hertex.co.za) and gilt mirror from Strauss & Co (straussart.co.za) lend an ironic hint of Alexis Carrington's ColbyCo Tower penthouse in the first season of classic TV soap Dynasty. Track spotlights by Megalite (megalite.co.za) illuminate a bevelled leaning mirror by Glass Rack (glassrack.co.za).

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OPPOSITE the Keerom Street Chambers' green copper turret is a pleasant interruption to a panoramic view of Table Mountain. The granite table is by Sangengalo Marble & Granite and is surrounded by chairs from Chair Crazy. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Curved balconies reflect the building's Art Deco influences; In the main bedroom, a wall-mounted custom granite headboard by Sangengalo Marble & Granite is set above a king-size bed from Cloud Nine (cloudnine.co.za). The artwork is by Karin Jaroszynska and the 1983 Aero Desklamp was designed by Ettore Sottsass for Bieffeplast; The guest bedroom features a bookcase by Spotlight Joinery (spotlightjoinery.co.za), reading lamp from Ride A White Swan and shag throw cushion from Woolworths (woolworths.co.za). Bold circular pedestals with sliding storage in both bedrooms are from Chair Crazy (chaircrazy.co.za); The exterior was created using concrete, bricks and plaster for the building's repeated curves, portholes and bisecting lines.

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"WE WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ON A FAIRLY MEDIOCRE SITE, WITH A FAIRLY MEDIOCRE BUDGET, BEAUTY CAN BE ACHIEVED."

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| Cape Town Penthouse

OPPOSITE Distinctive capsule-shaped windows frame the view from the main bedroom. The brass dumb valet is from Ride A White Swan, hanging lights from Maxim (maximdecor.net), spotlights from Eagle Lighting (eaglelighting.co.za) and bedding from Woolworths' David Jones collection. BELOW A porthole allows light into the main bathroom. The solid-granite tiling is from Mazista (mazista.co.za), the Villeroy & Boch bath and champagne Meir showerhead and faucets are from Flush Bathrooms (flushbathrooms.co.za). The shower screen is by Showerline (showerline.co.za)

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DECO MINI

Situated on the 8 floor of Cape Town’s iconic Holyrood building, this ultra-compact apartment combines the best of Art Deco with one of the city’s most enviable locations. th

WORDS ROBYN ALEXANDER

PHOTOS PARIS BRUMMER

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PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE MEINTJES THIS PAGE From just inside the front door, the living-sleeping area is to your left and the bathroom and kitchen on the right. OPPOSITE Holyrood's distinctive pink exterior paint and curvaceous Art Deco facade make the building instantly recognisable.

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here simply isn’t a better view in Cape Town than the outlook from a Holyrood apartment on a summer evening. Sorry, denizens of the Atlantic Seaboard and devotees of Boyes Drive. Apologies, everyone in Bloubergstrand and Bishopscourt. But if you one day stand on a curvy, postage-stamp-sized balcony at this, one of the Mother City’s best-known buildings, you’ll understand. Set out directly below you is the Company’s Gardens, green and verdant, with its blend of landscaped formality and whimsically wandering humans. Beyond that to the left is downtown Cape Town and its various unfortunate high rises – and then to the right, the dramatic sweep of the City Bowl and the face of Table Mountain. But the view is just one of the many reasons why you might want to live in Holyrood. As one of the few Cape Town buildings that can properly be called “iconic”, this narrow Art Deco apartment block is instantly recognisable and very beautiful. Plus, it’s also always attracted what one of its best-known current residents, architect Robert Silke, broadly describes as “outcasts and eccentrics”, among whom this maverick designer would undoubtedly include himself. The building was designed by an architect named Cedric Melbourne Sherlock and constructed in the very late 1930s, on a site where two old Georgian townhouses had previously stood on Queen Victoria Street. Sherlock was also the developer and owner of the building, and designed Holyrood as holiday accommodation for working-class families visiting Cape Town, speculating that this was the best and quickest way to make the most money from them. Unfortunately for Mr Sherlock in this case, the start of the Second World War in 1939 prevented almost everyone from taking a holiday for quite some time, and when the war ended six years later, as Robert says, “the architectural style of the building had fallen completely out of fashion”. And so, the tiny apartments – the original layout fits four small flats into each of Holyrood’s ten floors – quite quickly fell into disrepair and were almost entirely neglected for the rest of the 20th century. In 2000, Robert was a recent architecture graduate and already an admirer of Holyrood due to his training, design proclivities and the fact that he’d walked past the building for years because his father, an advocate, had chambers close by in Keerom Street. He’d also visited New York and London where, as he says, “any apartment situated alongside a park is automatically some of the city’s most expensive real estate”. Not in the Mother City at that time, though: when he told an estate agent that he longed to live in the building “one day”, the agent laughed. He told Robert that he could buy a flat in it immediately for a pittance – in spite of the fact that, at the time, Cape Town was experiencing the first of several huge recent increases in property prices. Robert now owns several apartments in Holyrood, as well as living here himself. “I’ll never leave,” he says. Among them is this jewel of a property on the 9th floor, which he has meticulously restored to something very closely resembling the original. That was a process that involved a great deal of effort and time, including “spending every weekend at Milnerton Market”, he says. It was worth it. The details of the interior design – think oak parquet floors, restored monochrome tilework on sensuously curved walls and divinely Deco pieces that include classic light fittings, a wall-mounted heater and built-in porcelain soap dishes – are utterly lovely. And they make this very compact space, which is just 35m2 in size, immensely appealing. The apartment is divided into three rooms: a minuscule kitchen, a beautifully planned small bathroom, and a living-sleeping area that still includes the bunk beds originally built in at one end. These were, of course, intended for the two children of the fourperson family that was once expected to be holidaying here. And on the far side of this charming and beautifully organised space is the balcony – and that view. robertsilke.com

THINK OAK PARQUET FLOORS, RESTORED MONOCHROME TILEWORK ON SENSUOUSLY CURVED WALLS AND DIVINELY DECO PIECES.

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In keeping with the fact that it was designed to be used as holiday accommodation, the apartment's main room is intended for both living and sleeping, studio-style. The built-in bookshelf and mantelpiece around the heater, and the hanging light fitting, are both original fixtures of the apartment. The Art Deco armchairs were found on Gumtree and upholstered in a flamingo print fabric from Hertex (hertex.co.za).

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THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT A view from the minuscule "hallway" into the bathroom and kitchen; the electrical box is one of the original elements brought back into the kitchen when Robert restored the apartment; all the bathroom fixtures and fittings are originals too, including the mirrored cabinet set into the wall. OPPOSITE The linoleum used on the kitchen and bathroom floors is "the real thing" from KBAC (kbacflooring.co.za), made from linseed and cork dust, says Robert.

THERE 'S A MINUSCULE KITCHEN, A BEAUTIFULLY PLANNED SMALL BATHROOM AND A LIVINGSLEEPING AREA.

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| Pretoria Campus

Aptly nestled in a spot where human beings and nature thrive together, Future Africa Innovation Campus offers thought leaders from across the continent a space to connect, innovate and transcend boundaries.

WORDS ADELE DE LANGE

PHOTOS DOOK AND MARIJKE WILLEMS

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Adding a touch of fun and lightness to the mostly neutral tones of natural concrete, facebrick and steel, bold splashes of colour articulate the places created for spontaneous gathering, chatting, or simply to admire the view.

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| Pretoria Campus

VIVID SPLASHES OF BLUE, RED AND YELLOW

SPARKLE LIKE JEWELS IN THE SHIMMERING

summer heat of the capital city, offering enticing views from within the Future Africa Innovation Campus across lush pastoral fields and the mushrooming high-rises that dot the skyline of student mecca Hatfield, beyond. Situated in the heart of the University of Pretoria’s Experimental Farm, Future Africa has its sights set on becoming a hub for pan-African trans-disciplinary research – a fresh, co-operative way of doing research where a variety of disciplines can join minds to find new, holistic avenues for their research together. Very much in keeping with this innovative and collaborative vision, Earthworld Architects proposed a design concept that would rise above the conventional to create an integrated live-work environment for post-doctoral students – one that encourages the spontaneous sharing of ideas, as well as the fostering of science leadership. “This space is not an institute or a campus, at least not in the traditional sense... it’s a place animated by ideas,” says Professor Bernard Slippers of the University’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute. Even at first glance it’s quite obvious that a different energy animates this campus, setting it apart from its traditional counterparts. Beautifully sculpted exteriors define the overall sense of space, while avocado trees and other edible greenery line the pedestrian pathways to encourage human and non-human residents – mostly of the flying and crawling varieties – to “forage for food” as they meander between buildings. “Our vision for the campus is that it will become a blueprint for urban living,” says project director and architect André Eksteen of Earthworld Architects. Buildings were carefully placed in areas unsuitable for vegetation and where they would disturb the existing landscape as little as possible. “We believe that simple interventions like edible gardens and smaller private spaces coupled with generous shared areas can minimise our footprint on the natural environment,” he adds. The campus consists of 280 one-, two- and three-bedroom living units, interspersed with communal living, research and conference facilities to encourage social interaction and collaboration. Floating steel walkways, colourful balconies and pop-out light boxes playfully punch through the concrete and brick façades, inspiring residents to maintain eye contact with the broader community. “Our continent is renowned for its vast cultural diversity and the custom of sharing thoughts and ideas around ‘the dinner table’, which was central to the design of the living units,” says Eksteen. To encourage residents to spend dinner time in the “kgoro” or “village centre”, as he refers to the communal areas, the individual living units have limited kitchen facilities, with their design focused rather on being an inner sanctuary to their inhabitants – places for moments of private pause and reflection. Despite the compact size of each unit, the lounge and study area has a bright and spacious feel to it, with bespoke laminated veneer lumber (LVL) cabinetry providing plenty of storage and desktop space integrated into the overall design. Beautifully detailed wood and steel sliding doors screen the bedroom and bathroom from casual view, adding to the versatility of the space. Putting an African spin on Fourth Industrial Revolution technology, the industrial look of the residential units shamelessly flaunts the process that defined the open building approach that was followed.The concrete and brick structure was completed first, followed in various stages by the steel and timber “plugin” components of the interiors, which can be disassembled, adapted or reused elsewhere with very little effort. Reflecting on the entirety of the process, Eksteen reveals one of his key design principles: “Our goal is to future-proof our buildings for generations to come,” he says. “That’s why we design with sustainability, adaptability and flexibility in mind.” ewarch.co.za

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Floating steel walkways, colourful balconies and pop-out light boxes punctuate the concrete and brick faรงades of this dynamic living, learning and research environment.

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| Pretoria Campus

A design collaboration between Earthworld Architects and Raw Studios (rawstudios.co.za), RAW developed and manufactured the stilt-system built-in furniture specifically for this project. It can be disassembled and adapted with little effort, allowing for maximum adaptability. The compact, lightweight table is available from RAWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard Meeting range. OPPOSITE Set within raw concrete walls, small round windows filled with colourful glass and a handwoven bean bag from Ashanti Design (ashantidesign.com) brighten the study nook.

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THE INTIMATE SCALE OF THE UNIT MAKES IT FEEL LIKE A HIGH-TECH COCOON FOR PRIVATE PAUSE AND REFLECTION.

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PLYWOOD AND LVL DESIGNS WERE DIGITALLY CONVERTED INTO PUZZLE PIECES AND HAND-ASSEMBLED ON SITE.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Ideal for enjoying breakfast in front of the Bo-Kaap view are a wooden-topped café table and vintage chairs that “have just always been around…”. Grouping collectibles in shades of white and Thearich coloureffect; of the red panelling and theFlip tactile textures the WISA-Birch cream creates calming the brick artwork is an original Coaton fromof around 1965. Theplywood small guest room is slidingjust doorunder act asthe a privacy between the living areas, adding to the tucked eaves. screen The white canvas onsleeping the walland above the wooden pewwarmth is the perfect industrial style created by the steel andartworks concretedisplayed structure.beneath it. counterpoint to the plethora of collectibles and

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Bright individual living units have limited kitchen facilities to encourage residents to share meals and socialise in the communal areas; Inside the compact bathroom, slim storage features, minimalist lines and neutral colours are combined with a mirrored cabinet to create an illusion of spaciousness; A retro-style Acapulco Egg chair from Leroy Merlin creates a laid-back feel for the private balcony. Artificial grass rounds off the playful effect; Enabling students to maintain a constant visual connection with each other was intrinsic to the overall design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even when moving between private and public spaces. OPPOSITE Continuing the plywood and LVL theme into the bedroom, the eye-catching bedside pedestal adds extra storage space while creating an element of fun. The modular system used throughout means even built-in furniture can be adapted and added on to by combining with any of the other matching pieces from RAW Studios' Stilt range.

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| Pretoria Campus

"WE DELIBERATELY CURATED LOCAL SKILLS INSTEAD OF USING HIGHLY SPECIALISED IMPORTED BUILDING SYSTEMS." – ANDRÉ EKSTEEN

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| Pretoria Bungalow

PHOTOS MARIJKE WILLEMS

PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE MEINTJES

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WORDS STEPHEN STEYN

DREAM SMALL

AN ARTFULLY COMPACT HOUSE IN PRETORIA’S OLD EAST ANNOUNCES THE ARRIVAL OF AN URBAN SENSIBILITY IN THE SUBURBS OF THE CAPITAL. Architect and occupant Cobus Bothma's design for the dwelling and garden represent a complex mediation between the exhilaration of urban living and the relative tranquility and isolation of the suburbs.

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| Pretoria Bungalow

UDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE’S FAMOUS DICTUM, "LESS IS MORE" refers to the removal of inessential material from architectural artefacts and details – but we could read it more literally. Should we do so, one important way in which less can be more has to do with the concept of density. Decrease the size of something without removing material, and its density increases. What you lose in breadth, you could gain in richness, texture and control. Such is the case with Pretoria Bungalow, a jewellery box of a house tucked away in the recently densified interior of a suburban city block. The designation "bungalow" was carefully chosen to reflect the home’s balance between the discipline and frugality of dense living, and the relative freedom afforded by a freestanding form. Cobus Bothma of Laboratorium Architects – who is the architect, owner and occupant of the house – designed it while living in a penthouse apartment in Sunnyside, the city’s most densely populated, high-rise residential neighbourhood. And the resulting dwelling and garden represent a complex mediation between the exhilaration of urban living and the relative tranquillity and isolation of the suburbs. Stylistically, the house falls into one of the many fringes of contemporary modernism, with notable regionalist inflections in the materials palette, in particular. The most striking formal gesture of the design is the large, continuous envelope of the roof – a rectangular bubble of steel floating on a strip of glass above the solidly grounded facebrick plinth. For the interior, the effect is remarkable. By packing together the majority of the functional spaces on the southern side of the square plan, the architect left a comparatively large emptiness on the inside, luxuriously framing his collection of unique objects (paintings, ceramics and midcentury furniture) in dazzling white. Somewhat like a dome, it lends a modernised baroque drama to the living spaces beneath. The strictly controlled, rational geometry necessary for containing the kitchen, bathroom, storage and circulation tightly under the mezzanine is offset by opulent textures, finishes and fixtures throughout. The use of colour-splattered terrazzo on the floor grounds the stark volume, while extensive solid kiaat cabinetry, stairs and details demarcate the functional spaces, firmly weighing the volume down on the southern side. The vertical stacking of the house creates the effect of space cascading from the bedroom on the mezzanine into the main volume, and from there down onto the terrace and the garden beyond. The garden benefits from the same reduction in breadth in exchange for depth which lends the house its unusual richness.The removal of a suburban staple, the lawn, and the addition of a few carefully placed slopes, thickly blanketed in succulents and grasses, results in a fine-grained, verdant carpet. In the living room, the house’s most poetic trick is revealed. By placing a continuous strip window at 750 millimetres from the floor, the architect has found a way to keep a sense of connection with the city. When standing, the views from the interior point downwards into the garden, creating a sense of privacy and containment, but when seated a vista is revealed to the northwest – where the setting sun washes the Union Buildings in flaming orange, purple and pink. laboratorium.co.za OPPOSITE The designation "bungalow" was chosen to reflect the house's balance between the discipline and frugality of dense living and the relative freedom afforded by a freestanding form.

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A REDUCTION IN BREADTH IN EXCHANGE FOR DEPTH LENDS THE HOUSE AN UNUSUAL RICHNESS.

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STRICTLY CONTROLLED, RATIONAL GEOMETRY IS APPLIED TO CONTAIN THE KITCHEN, BATHROOM, STORAGE AND CIRCULATION UNDER THE MEZZANINE.

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| Pretoria Bungalow

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| Bo-Kaap Loft

VERTICAL STACKING CREATES THE EFFECT OF SPACE CASCADING FROM THE BEDROOM INTO THE MAINÂ VOLUME BELOW. The light-filled dining and living area opens onto a terrace via aluminium sliding doors. Mid-century furniture has been collected over the years and each piece has its unique story. The brown leather couch was inherited from Cobus' grandparents and the solid kiaat dining-room table was customdesigned by the architect.

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THE ROOF, A RECTANGULAR BUBBLE OF STEEL, FLOATS ON A STRIP OF GLASS ABOVE THE FACE-BRICK PLINTH.

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| Pretoria Bungalow

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The bathroom features kiaat cabinetry and a custom-designed kiaat door handle. The towel hook is from Pedersen + Lennard (pedersenlennard.co.za); The terrace overlooks the slopes of the garden below, thickly planted with succulents; In the bedroom a clerestory window connects to the sky and the open balustrade allows for views down towards the garden.

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| Somerset West Church

PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE MEINTJES

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AN IMPOSING CIRCULAR SILO

WORDS BIDDI RORKE

IN THE HEART OF THE WINELANDS

IS A PLACE OF WORSHIP

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AND AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE.

PHOTOS PARIS BRUMMER

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HEN AN EXISTING CHURCH IN THE WINELANDS OF SOMERSET WEST became too small for its growing congregation, architect Jo Noero created an extraordinary new space. “As the new church needed to expand and contract easily to accommodate 450 to 900 people depending on the occasion, we converted the original church into a hall and performance space and built a new one approximately 25 metres away,” Jo says. A grassed courtyard links the two buildings – now converted into a hall and performance space – while the covered colonnade provides access to all spaces from the entrance gate. Working closely with the minister, Gavin Millard, who trained as an architect before entering the ministry, Jo conceptualised a circular inner “drum”, large enough to accommodate 450 people. To incorporate the additional Christ Church congregation, a roofed square space fans out from the main circle, like a generous skirt. The dramatic vertical dimension of this circular space means the minister is never more than 15 metres from anyone in the audience. Inside, natural light streams into this circular volume and a dramatic cross is formed by the play of the solid and void elements of the roof light. Fittings and finishes are pared down to the bare essentials: ash wood and white steel-framed chairs; a polished concrete floor; a white steel spiral staircase that leads to the sound control desk at the back of the church. Multifaceted brick interior walls constructed breeze-block style further enclose the upper reaches of the main floor, creating an effective acoustic shell. “Circular forms are notoriously difficult acoustically and the brick wall was designed to mitigate this problem,” Jo explains. The result is such superb sound quality that the wider community is now using the space for concerts and other events. Outside, additional breeze-block walls in concrete make for a friendly boundary between public and private, providing security while allowing cross-ventilation plus light and sun control. Rendered brickwork, galvanised steel and white painted concrete (rather than pricier off-shutter concrete) were the materials of choice throughout. “The palette was selected to reflect and highlight the difference between luxury and necessity,” says Jo. “I have always loved the unabashed utilitarian nature of the buildings in the surrounding wine estates and Christ Church reflects some of the forms and materials found on these estates. I wanted to create a space in which everything was elevated from the necessary to the beautiful. Too much architecture nowadays is impoverished by the exaggeration of luxury and expensive materials.”

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Rendered brickwork, galvanised steel and white painted concrete were the materials of choice throughout.

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| Somerset West Church

EVERYTHING IN THE SPACE HAS BEEN ELEVATED FROM THE NECESSARY TO THE BEAUTIFUL.

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| Overberg Cabin

Between the living and bedroom areas is a small desk by Wood Fusion Works (woodfusionworks.co.za), based in nearby Bot River. It also functions as a wood storage unit for the adjacent indoor fireplace. The outdoor couch is from Patio Warehouse (patiowarehouse.co.za) and KolKolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furniture design team made the wooden coat rack/towel rail for the hot tub.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT Wood and white steel-framed chairs and a polished concrete floor reflect the pared-down ethos of the building; a white steel spiral staircase leads to the sound control desk; brick interior walls create magnificent acoustics in the circular structure. The circular hanging light fitting was custom-made for the building. OPPOSITE The dramatic vertical dimensions of the space allow the orator to be no more than 15 metres away from the audience.

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| Somerset West Church

FITTINGS AND FINISHES ARE PARED DOWN TO THE. BARE ESSENTIALS. visi.co.za

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INSIDE, NATURAL LIGHT STREAMS INTO THIS CIRCULAR VOLUME AND A DRAMATIC CROSS IS FORMED BY THE PLAY OF THE SOLID AND VOID ELEMENTS OF THE ROOF LIGHT.

Architect Jo Noero conceptualised a circular inner "drum" large enough to accommodate 450 people. To incorporate additional congregation members for special events, a roofed square space fans out from the main circle.

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| Somerset West Church

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A grassed courtyard links the old church building â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now converted into a hall and performance space â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the new one, built around 25 metres away. OPPOSITE Additional breeze-block walls in concrete form a friendly boundary between public and private, providing security while allowing cross-ventilation plus light and sun control.

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| Somerset West Church

THE PALETTE WAS SELECTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LUXURY AND NECESSITY.

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CAbIN FEVEr

ON KOLKOL FARM IN THE MOUNTAINS OUTSIDE CAPE TOWN, RUDI AND KAREN OOSTHUYSE HAVE BUILT A CONTEMPORARY POD THAT COMBINES SMART DESIGN WITH METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. WORDS ROBYN ALEXANDER

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| Overberg Cabin

PHOTOS WARREN HEATH

The KolKol pod has been designed to blend into its environment with wooden exterior cladding and decking softening the strong lines of the concrete shell. The front opens up completely to the wooden deck.

PRODUCTION BUREAUX

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N ONE LEVEL, THIS SMALL DWELLING

in the Overberg is simply a holiday cabin – created and built so that city folk can come to the farm to relax and reconnect with themselves, nature and one another. But it’s also a cabin taken very much to the next level in terms of design. For a start, there’s the way it’s situated in the landscape, seemingly hovering above it, yet also at one with the slope of the mountainside. “Of course we carefully considered where to place it,” says KolKol owner and pod designer Rudi Oosthuyse, with his usual level of quiet understatement. You need only spend an hour with this innovative thinker to understand that when Rudi modestly says “carefully considered” he actually means, “I spent more than a decade getting to know all this land and then looked with the utmost care at precisely where this structure should be situated, taking into account the views, the movements of the sun, the prevailing winds and the impact on the indigenous fynbos plants that surround it.” Then there’s the design of the pod itself, which Rudi – along with his wife Karen – also dreamed up pretty much in its entirety. “I’ve always had this sort of shape in my head, so when the time came to build this, I drew it all, and then got an architect to make detailed plans for council approval.” From the outside, the pod is almost a rigidly rectangular box – except that the roof and floor are connected to the structure’s sidewalls via a gentle curve.The “box” shape was cast on site from reinforced concrete and the severe rectangular lines are softened by the curves, as well as by the fact that the exterior of the concrete shell is entirely clad in

THE INDOOR SPACE IS NOMINALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS – FOR LIVING AND SLEEPING – BY A CENTRAL FIREPLACE. rough-hewn, dark-stained timber. This softening effect is further enhanced by thick wooden panels that form the rear wall, in combination with large sliding glass and wood doors at the front. The latter allow for the views to be panoramic even when the pod is entirely closed to the elements, but can also be pushed away completely in front of the main living area and bedroom-bathroom areas. This is a compact structure: the pod features an indoor space nominally divided into two sections – for living and for sleeping – by a large central fireplace with an integrated copper chimney. The living-area side of this fireplace is open, and the back of it faces the bedroom, with a glass panel that adds a dimension of space-enhancing transparency to the interior while also allowing guests to go to sleep in the colder months with the glowing embers of a warm fire comfortingly visible through the glass. The wooden front deck of the pod runs along its entire length and outside the bedroom-bathroom is an outdoor shower. Then there is a sunken wood-fired hot tub and beyond that, an outdoor dining table, which is in turn adjacent to the interior living and dining area – as well as to the deck’s built-in outdoor cooking zone, right at the end. It all works together as an almost seamless and very pleasing open-plan space. Along with the many innovations and thoughtful details, it’s finishing touches such as these that make such a small abode both attractive and unique. kolkol.co.za

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| Overberg Cabin

The living area is orientated around the large central fireplace, which features a sleek copper-clad chimney, and is furnished with a slip-covered Coricraft couch (coricraft.co.za), the rugs from Hertex (hertex.co.za) and the blue velvet occasional chair was found at @home (home.co.za).

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THE POD IS ALMOST A RIGIDLY RECTANGULAR BOX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EXCEPT THAT THE ROOF AND FLOOR ARE CONNECTED TO THE SIDES VIA GENTLE CURVES.

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| Overberg Cabin

In the eat-in kitchen area, subway tiling is taken all the way up the wall and partially into the curve, making the space feel larger than it is. Patterned splash-back tiles are from Italtile (italtile.co.za) and black hanging lampshades are from Eagle Lighting (eaglelighting.co.za). A central hanging lampshade from Incanda (incanda.co.za) is suspended above a table by KolKol Furniture Design (kolkol.co.za), surrounded by dining chairs from Chair Crazy (chaircrazy.co.za).

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| Overberg Cabin

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GLASS SLIDING DOORS ALLOW FOR THE VIEWS TO BE PANORAMIC EVEN WHEN THE POD IS CLOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.

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THE CONCRETE SHELL IS SOFTENED BY THICK WOODEN PANELS THAT FORM THE REAR WALL.

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| Overberg Cabin

ABOVE Wood cladding runs up the bathroom wall through the curve that links it to the ceiling, adding a tactile, natural feel to the space. Rudi and his team made the wooden vanity shelf and put together the basin mixer as well as an ingenious bath spout. The basin and bath are by Crystallite (bathtubsandvanities.com) and the round mirror from Mr Price Home (mrphome.com). OPPOSITE Rudi and his team made the built-in bed and created the simple varnished tree stumps used as bedside tables. The chunky wooden shelf doubles as storage and housing for the bedside light switches. The rug is by Hertex and scatter cushions are from Anza Curtains, Hermanus (+27 28 312 4311).

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| Overberg Cabin

ABOVE KolKol owners and pod creators Rudi and Karen Oosthuyse with five-month-old daughter Liela – the youngest of three, including Ruan, eight, and Karmi, aged five. This part of the exterior deck houses an outdoor cooking area with a built-in fireplace. KolKol Furniture Design (kolkol.co.za) created the handmade wooden table. RIGHT The pod appears to ‘float’ gently above the landscape, which features a variety of indigenous fynbos plants unique to the Western Cape.

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THE POD SEEMS TO HOVER ABOVE THE LANDSCAPE YET IS ALSO AT ONE WITH THE SLOPE OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE.

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New Beginning The reimagining of

a southern

KALAHARI enables guests to interact with nature RESERVE white in an environment that beautifully reflects its exterior surroundings.

WO R DS M ICH AEL A STEH R

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| Bo-Kaap Loft

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| Northern Cape Reserve

The Motse is set in the largest private game reserve in South Africa.

PHOTOS DOOK

PRO DUCT ION ANNEM ARIE M EINTJIES

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| Northern Cape Reserve

estled in a corner of the Korannaberg mountain range, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve offers just what the imagination conjures up when thinking “Kalahari”. Tswalu means “new beginning” in Tswana and South African-Namibian architecture firm Savile Row took this very much into account when presented with the project of revitalising Motse, a “village” of nine private houses in the reserve. “The project upgrade client brief went something like this: ‘Returning regular guests must immediately notice the upgrade in comfort, luxury, intimacy and attention to detail, but it should all still feel comfortingly familiar’,” says Adrian Davidson, director at Savile Row. In order to avoid compromising on luxury while maintaining a strictly ecoconscious stance, Savile Row’s main focus was to create a symbiotic flow between the lodge and the landscape beyond, making a seamless transition between the two spaces. The result is that guests never feel a divide between themselves and nature. “Our intention was to emulate the ecology of [the area], resulting in an approach that sees the small and rare being as beautiful and valuable as the vast and awe-inspiring,” Davidson says. “As much emphasis was placed on small details as on the architecture, and many of the furniture pieces are one-off pieces designed by our studio.” As Motse is set in the largest private game reserve in South Africa, it would be easy for a lodge to get lost among the expansive grandeur of nature here. But Savile Row successfully brings the landscape and the human scale together via alterations to the public buildings and each individual legae (Tswana for dwelling). Areas of openness contrast throughout with pockets of intimacy designed for private and contemplative moments. “To this end, we created extensive shaded private outdoor patios at each unit, which allow guests to take in the stars at night or just enjoy during the day,” says Davidson. In addition, a pared-back and functional aesthetic offers Motse’s guests an authentic safari experience without the over-the-top visual clichés seen at many other reserves. The main bedrooms and bathrooms were extended to allow more light into the spaces as well as visual connection to the outdoors. Each bathroom opens onto a private garden with an outdoor shower, for example. The expansive sleeping areas posed a challenge in terms of creating intimacy while at the same time elegantly incorporating the requisite mosquito net and paddle fan. Savile Row’s unique solution was a suspended canopy over the bed, featuring a unique canvas map – illustrated by Davidson – of the entire Tswalu property. The result is an intimate room within a room, reminiscent of children’s games in which space is enclosed with sheets or blankets to create a special, extra-private zone. Also introduced was a new entrance and welcome bar area, which once again features uninterrupted views of the face of the Korranaberg. And then there is the much-heralded new restaurant Klein Jan, headed up by South Africa’s renowned Michelin-starred chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen. Scheduled to open at the end of 2020, it is set to elevate the level of dining experience at Motse to match the ultraluxurious lodge and its spectacular natural surroundings. “A lot of effort went into replanning the kitchen and creating opportunities for indoor and outdoor dining experiences,” says Davidson.“The aesthetic here is all about ‘casual elegance’ with natural materials, colours, textures and forms being used as our palette [for everything] from the building to the decor.” Motse’s gym, spa and a boutique store with art gallery were relocated to repurposed outbuildings, and a final new addition to the facilities is a photographic studio. Here, guests are able to spend time capturing and editing pictures taken during their stay, learning new photographic skills and making tangible mementos of their unique Kalahari experience. savilerow.co.za, tswalu.com OPPOSITE The lodge is built using local Kalahari sand and red clay, with thatch roofing for shade. The interior colour palette reflects the surrounding natural environment.

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| Northern Cape Reserve

ABOVE A layered bleached lattice pergola, reflecting the nesting style of the local weavers, extends a deep covering to the front facade of the main building, creating a choice of outdoor settings for guests to enjoy the tranquil view of the nearby watering hole. OPPOSITE FROM TOP A private, lattice-covered tsala with its own day bed; Boscia House, a humble dwelling that sits gently amid the landscape, will be transformed into Klein Jan, the exciting restaurant soon to be opened by Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.

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The focus was to create a

SYMBIOTIC FLOW,

between the lodge and the

LANDSCAPE BEYOND.

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| Northern Cape Reserve

The aesthetic is about

CASUAL ELEGANCE with NATURAL

materials, colours, textures and forms as a palette.

An organically shaped rim-flow pool, traditional thatch roofing and savannah colours allow the ultra-luxurious lodge to remain unobtrusive amid its spectacular natural surroundings.

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In the main bedroom of the legae, a suspended canopy over the bed features a hand-illustrated canvas map by Adrian Davidson, creating an intimate "room within a room" while elegantly incorporating the requisite mosquito net curtain and paddle fan. Extended spaces, high thatch roofing and whitewashed walls provide a counterpoint to polished wood floors and comfortable day bed and armchairs.

A custom-made

CANOPY

provides an

INTIMATE

room-within-a-room feel in the

MAIN BEDROOM.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT As guests enter their legae they are met by the soft, welcoming glow of the suspended pendants. A natural stone-clad armoire holds a selection of complementary refreshments; The living space of the two-bed family legae boasts a collection of local artworks and furniture curated by the design team; The pool area offers the perfect spot for sundowners. OPPOSITE A frame suspended from the high rafters above artfully holds a lightweight sheer mosquito net curtain that envelops the bed; Bathrooms were upgraded with new fittings and finishings throughout. The shower tiles are from Wolkberg Casting Studios (wolkberg.com).

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| Northern Cape Reserve

WIN Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving you the chance to win big and show off your skills! A huge cash prize/educational bursary is up for grabs, plus free exposure and industry recognition! ENTRIES OPEN: 1 January, 2020. ENTRIES CLOSE: 30 April, 2020.

The SWITCH Design Competition aims to inspire local designers to come up with the conceptual design of a practical product, focussing on uniqueness and aesthetic appeal. This is your chance to showcase your design talents and establish a name for yourself! Entrants will be required to design an innovative light that utilises solar power, improving the lives of struggling South Africans.

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VISI

"GREAT DESIGN... “... is RESPONSIBLE, INSPIRING and has ATTITUDE.” Alda Tomás – senior designer, Bordallo Pinheiro. See page 144. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Marmelo bowl R680; Buriti storage jar R2 000; Marmelo salad bowl R1 200; Water Lily centrepiece R4300 (European Product Design Award Winner 2019).

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AN AMAZONIA WATER LILY CENTREPIECE. SEE PAGE 64

Design, art, architecture, tech, books, booze & entertainment

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V I S I

R E A S O N S

Plant Based

Portuguese ceramics brand Bordallo Pinheiro and NGO Ecoarts Amazônia have collaborated on a lush botanical collection of functional art that celebrates the Amazon.

WIN

ordallo Pinheiro was founded in 1884 by Portuguese journalist, caricaturist and sculptor Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro. In creating the brand’s distinctive tableware and ornaments, he focused predominantly on flora and fauna, capturing his subject matter in a lively and whimsical way that has garnered a cult following. More than a century on, the highly collectable ceramics continue to be produced with little mechanisation. The traditional techniques, passed down through generations of ceramic artists, allow for the texture, colour and variance of nature – and the handmade. The brand’s contemporary pieces remain true to its founder’s interests and aesthetic, as evidenced in the Amazônia collection, created in collaboration with Ecoarts Amazônia, a Brazilian NGO. The inspiration for the range came from the book Viagens Philosophicas ("Philosophical Travels") by Brazilian naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira,

who undertook an extensive journey across the interior of the Amazon Basin in the 18th century to catalogue the agriculture, flora, fauna and inhabitants of the forest. Likewise, Bordallo Pinheiro’s handcrafted collection – including tactile bowls, platters and vessels – evokes the unique textures, colours and shapes of the Amazon rainforest. A shared goal of the collaboration is to celebrate and preserve environmental, cultural, social and scientific heritage. A portion of proceeds from the Amazônia collection will go to the reforestation of the Amazon’s Mato Grosso area, where Ecoarts Amazônia operates, by planting indigenous fruit trees in the cities, rural areas and indigenous villages of this region. Bordallo Pinheiro opened its first South African flagship store at 7 Bree Street in the Cape Town CBD at the end of 2019. Locals can also purchase the collectable ceramics online. bordallopinheiro.com

ABOVE The striking Bordallo Pinheiro Amazônia collection of tableware and ornaments employs texture and colouration to interpret and reproduce flora found in the Amazon Basin.

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PHOTO SUPPLIED WORDS AMELIA BROWN

AN AMAZONIA WATER LILY CENTREPIECE. SEE PAGE 64

TE RRA by Laurie Wiid van Heerden

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Challenge Accepted

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ush sugarcane fields that seem to stretch on infinitely, dreamy turquoise water and palm-tree-lined beaches. Postcards really do come to life in Mauritius. Taking a road trip along the coastline of this Indian Ocean island, from Bel Ombre to Port Louis, through Grand Baie and Belle Mare down to Souillac, was an enticing prospect. Taking this road trip in the zeroemission Jaguar I-PACE, the iconic marque’s first pure electric vehicle, even better. The aim: To drive the I-PACE around the circumference of the island on a single charge (one of the car’s key selling points is its 470km range). Having already experienced the I-PACE’s impressive acceleration on the open highway (0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, for

starters), the more confined and winding roads of Mauritius presented an exciting challenge. An early start from the luxurious Tamassa hotel took us to Heritage Awali Golf and Spa Resort, our meeting point for the journey ahead. Joined by our guide, Lucas Camangue, who would share his vast knowledge of Mauritius with us throughout the day, we set off towards the nation’s capital. Meandering silently and smoothly along coastal roads, we slipped past pristine beaches with fishing boats dotted along the shore, making our way through small villages lined with flamboyant, a summerblooming tree bursting with bright red flowers. Our first stop was the bustling

PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS STEVE SMITH

One high-performance, all-electric SUV. One charge. One island. Ready, set, go!

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PHOTOS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING AND SUPPLIED WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Interior and exterior views of the Jaguar I-PACE; cruising along the road to Port Louis; riotously colourful flamboyant trees are ubiquitous on the island; poolside tranquility at the luxury Tamassa in Bel Ombre; brightly coloured umbrellas at Tamassa; a view of the 5-star SALT of Palmar's Camille Walala-designed interior; the beach at Belle Mare. OPPOSITE FROM TOP Port Louis Central Market; the Jaguar I-PACE demonstrates its high performance and range.

Central Market in Port Louis. Here, we had the opportunity to sample the island’s fresh fruit and veg, rotis filled with fragrant curry, gateaux piments (Mauritian chilli cakes), and alouda, a refreshing milk-based drink that quickly cools us down, even in 35°C heat. As we left the capital, navigating the island’s many traffic circles allowed us to really test the effectiveness of the I-PACE’s regenerative braking system. The system maximises the SUV’s range and encourages single-pedal driving. In high regenerative mode, when you lift off the accelerator, the decrease in speed as the system harvests energy is so intense that you hardly ever use the brakes. And even when you do, it also has a system to reclaim energy. From Sunset Café and Trattoria in the popular village of Grand Baie, our next stop was for ice-cold coconut water at the

SALT of Palmar, a 5-star boutique hotel in Belle Mare that has become known for its focus on sustainability, as well as bold use of colour and pattern courtesy of French designer Camille Walala. The final stint of the challenge saw us turn back down towards the south, reaching Heritage Awali with a healthy charge still indicated on the I-PACE’s large, crisp dashboard display. In fact, employing the vehicle’s regenerative braking abilities maximised the range to such an extent that we beat the figure set the day before. Challenge accepted and vanquished! Outstanding performance may be one of the I-PACE’s impressive characteristics, but battery range remains one of the key factors persuading car owners to switch from internal combustion to electric-powered vehicles. Our single-charge road trip around this beautiful island certainly proved that the new Jaguar can put your mind at ease.

CHARGING The Jaguar I-PACE can achieve 0-80% charge in 72 minutes at a 60kW DC rapid charging station or can charge overnight with the 7.4kW AC wall box.

SPECIFICATIONS Outputs 294kW/696Nm Speed 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds Range 470km (90kW Lithium-ion battery) Price from R1 672 230 to R1 805 880 (depending on spec)

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Pedal to the Metal

Nespresso and the Swedish bicyle and lifestyle brand Vélosophy turn recycled aluminium coffee capsules into sustainably stylish bicycles.

reated for conscious-living coffee lovers, the limited edition Vélosophy Re:Cycle bikes are made from recycled aluminium Nespresso capsules. Aluminium can be remelted and reused to give waste a second life and, in this instance, showcase the potential of recycling discarded coffee pods. In a nod to Nespresso’s Arpeggio coffee, the Swedish bicycle and lifestyle brand reimagined its classic model in 1 000 bright purple units. The bike boasts a capsule-shaped bell and cup-holder, which gives cyclists the gap to enjoy beverages on the go. Vélosophy’s CEO and founder Jimmy Östholm (left) says, “We created Vélosophy with a clear purpose: to have a positive impact on the world. This purpose drives everything we do, from our promise to give a bike to a schoolgirl for every Vélosophy we sell, to producing our stylish city bikes from recycled aluminium. I see in Nespresso a strong commitment to sustainability, which is why this has been the dream partnership. “We are proud to have co-created a bike that takes on the future. It is beautifully designed, responsibly sourced and sustainably produced.” Re:Cycle bikes are available exclusively online from Vélosophy for R21 930 (exchange-rate dependent and excluding shipping). velosophy.cc

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS CELESTE JACOBS

WINNER

BATUMI INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL 2019

WINNER

BIOGRAFILM FESTIVAL 2019

SHOOTING THE MAFIA

SUNDAY 9TH FEBUARY

“An exquiste work of genius” -EVENING STANDARD “Cinema at its mightiest and holiest” -VARIETY

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The New Wave

Inspired by actual waves and making idiomatic ones, local eco-brand Sealand Gear is making a splash on the local and international urban adventure scene.

riven by sustainability and environmental awareness, Cape Town-based brand Sealand Gear produces a range of bags handmade from upcycled yacht sails, Bedouin stretch tents, advertising banners, recycled plastic bottles and other durable materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill and take years – or even centuries – to biodegrade.

Founders Mike Schlebach and Jasper Eales (pictured left) are both passionate surfers who have translated their love for adventure into a growing business that in 2019 enjoyed a watershed year. The young brand expanded from its kiosk at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, to launch its first “experience store” at nearby Dock Road Junction, as well as getting stocked on international online

PHOTOS AND PORTRAIT SUPPLIED WORDS STEVE SMITH

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"OUR MAJOR INITIATIVE IS TO BUILD A DIRECT ONLINE BUSINESS IN THE US."

stores Mr Porter, Matches Fashion, END Clothing and Liberty London. And this growth looks set to continue in 2020, as creative director Jasper reveals. “With our local online store getting more and more orders from New York, Colorado and California, our major initiative is to build a direct online business in the US. We’re also working with sustainable fashion store It's All Good Folk where, along with a few

like-minded brands, we’ll be part of a store-in-store set-up located in the new Thomas Heatherwick-designed Coal Drops Yard in London’s Kings Cross.” Exciting things are happening locally too, including the release of the seasonal collection ranges previously only available on the global online stores mentioned earlier, a tote bag with sneaker brand Vans, and an ecosneaker collab that we’ll tell you more about in June. sealandgear.co.za

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Weekend Hideaway

After launching some years ago to great acclaim, the original prefabricated Zenkaya cabin has found a new home just outside Pretoria.

With its boldly graphic shape and wooden cladding and deck, the Zenkaya both stands out from and blends into its new home in a forested hideaway just outside Pretoria.

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THE INNOVATIVE CABIN'S SECOND LEASE OF LIFE IS GREATLY ENHANCED BY ITS NEW POSITION WITHIN A FORESTED GLADE.

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In 2005, the Zenkaya concept was launched at Decorex Jhb and for the first time, designconscious South Africans were presented with a homegrown modular housing solution that was both innovative and aesthetically pleasing. After the prefabricated home was featured in VISI 23 (Summer 2005), the response was immediate and, as Peet van Straaten of RAW Studios now remembers it, “viral” in character. “People absolutely loved it” he says. Architect Eric Bigot had created something special: a structure that could, as that piece in the magazine explained, “function as a holiday home, studio, office, guest room or ‘chalet’”. Combining “zen” for enlightenment and “kaya” to suggest its orientation outwards to the African landscape, the idea behind Zenkaya was that one could simply order a home that arrived fully constructed – and in some iterations, fully furnished, too – on site for quick and easy installation. Unfortunately, after the initial enthusiasm had subsided, the design somehow never took off on a commercial scale. A prototype ended up at RAW Studios’ production space

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outside Pretoria, where it remained until Lourens Maritz (of creative agency Mighty Fine) and Peet decided to purchase the unit together. They planned to refurbish it, then move the cabin to a new home at The Greenhouse Café events venue on the capital city’s eastern edge. And that’s precisely what happened, with the freshened-up Zenkaya arriving at its new home, pretty much as originally planned, on the back of a flatbed truck in 2019. Interiors have been updated using RAW Studios’ innovative range of modular furniture pieces, including a built-in kitchenette, four-poster bed and smart storage, and the team is delighted to have “saved the ideal” of the Zenkaya concept in this way, says Peet. The cabin’s second lease of life is greatly enhanced by its new position within a forested glade on the Greenhouse Café-Rosemary Hill property. Says Peet, clearly pleased with the final result overall, “It’s finally found its spot.” And he’s right – Zenkaya is now living up to its name as the perfect place for a tranquil and private weekend retreat. thegreenhousecafe.co.za, rawstudios.co.za, zenkaya.com

PHOTOS MARIJKE WILLEMS WORDS ROBYN ALEXANDER

THE SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT RAW Studios (rawstudios.co.za) created the built-in fixtures and furniture; the compact bathroom; a fresh take on the classic four-poster bed; the large deck makes for seamless indoor-outdoor living.

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ZENKAYA'S INTERIORS HAVE BEEN SMARTLY UPDATED USING RAW STUDIO'S INNOVATIVE RANGE OF MODULAR FURNITURE PIECES.

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Peas in a Pod

Award-winning Joburg-based furniture maker David Krynauw has designed a series of Living Pods – small, moveable and low-impact habitable spaces.

space doesn’t have to be big to be beautiful, says David Krynauw. “Carefully considered and well-crafted design can add value to a small space. This permeates into the mind of the occupant which, in turn, creates a sense of wellbeing,” he explains. Sitting lightly on the earth was top of mind when David set about designing his Living Pods. The task involved careful planning and conceptualising to create something eco-conscious, mobile and aesthetically pleasing. “Coming from a product design background, I’d like to think of the pods as large-scale furniture pieces,” he says. “Each ‘piece’ is made for a specific application to suit its environment/space and specific requirements. It considers and interacts with its environment.” David’s life-long experience with wood and its potential to be sustainable made it an obvious material choice. “To my mind it’s the best building material in the world,” he

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says. “I’m interested in the encapsulation of the entire value chain, so we take the timber from seedling to end product. The idea is to use the entire tree and the waste associated to keep it as close as possible to the original material. “The Europeans have perfected this and it’s not really being done to full potential in South Africa. My aim is to change that. In theory, one could create a self-sustaining cycle with very limited external input in terms of materials and energy.” Completely modular, collapsible and lightweight, each Living Pod is easy to assemble – making it the perfect option for remote and secluded locations out in nature, or on rooftops. “It can take anything from a few hours on a small structure to two weeks on a bigger building. This process is also enjoyable as seeing the structure pop up in a short amount of time is very rewarding.” David’s first Living Pods are set to be erected at Kleine Rijke in 2020.

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE BOTTOM A-raam 1. OPPOSITE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ) Koepeldak 1; Skuinsdak 1; Boomhuis 1.

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS MICHAELA STEHR

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COMPLETELY MODULAR, COLLAPSIBLE AND LIGHTWEIGHT, EACH LIVING POD IS EASY TO ASSEMBLE.

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Animal Instincts

Iconic South African ceramic and fabric brand Ardmore has launched a new range inspired by the Sabie bushveld and the animals that inhabit it.

rdmore founder Fée Halsted drew inspiration for her latest Sabie range from her visual experiences in the Kruger National Park. Known for bright, bold and animated fabrics and ceramics, Ardmore’s newest addition to its extensive collection embodies all of these qualities, providing a truly local decorating option. Reminiscent of the vividly imaginative Rudyard Kipling Just So Stories, each ceramic or artwork on fabric narrates a story through bold colour, rich vegetation and lively animals. The signature Sabie design features dancing elephants, inquisitive monkeys, flowers and hanging palms. Available in three colourways – delta, dawn and moonlight. ”Camp

ABOVE A sketch by the Ardmore designers, who have created two signature limited edition sofas, 30 in Tanzanite and 30 in Delta, both in a rich, sensual velvet fabric. OPPOSITE Sabie Fabric Collection.

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Critters” is a calmer and more subtle fabric offering, featuring smaller birds and wildlife, alluding to dusk and sunset in the bush. The final design in the range, ”Cheetah Kings” focuses exclusively on these wild cats, using them as the centre of a repetitive motif, much like the patterns on their coats. The art created for the fabrics, the work of more than 70 local Ardmore artists, will be on exhibition at The Cellars Hohenhort Hotel from 13-16 February 2020 from 9am to 6pm. For more information, email catherine@ardmoreceramics.co.za.

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PHOTOS ELSA YOUNG AND SUPPLIED WORDS MICHAELA STEHR

ARDMORE'S SABIE COLLECTION TELLS A BOLD, WILDLIFE-INSPIRED STORY THROUGH CERAMICS AND FABRIC.

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THIS PAGE Abel Mohloakoana, a new designer at Ardmore, has put his love into fine-detailed drawings for the Sabie Forest, Cheetah Kings and Camp Critters designs that make up this collection. OPPOSITE Ceramic artworks will form part of the Sabie Exhibition.

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Space Savers

Minimise your use of space and bring nature indoors beautifully with plant stands, pots and hangers.

OUT OF THE BOX Wildcatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plant stands are a smart alternative to cut flowers and office pot plants. These custom-designed, handmanufactured planters are made by artisans in Johannesburg and display a weekly curation of lush indoor plants from the Wildcat greenhouse. If you love plants, but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not into the maintenance involved, these trendy attention-grabbers can be yours to rent and enjoy. wildcatplants.co.za

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PHOTOS KISS KISS PHOTOGRAPHY AND SUPPLIED WORDS CELESTE JACOBS

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LIVING SCULPTURES The Tuber range of planters is a collaboration between Indigenus and designer Haldane Martin, crafted from African iroko – a hard timber used for boats, flooring and outdoor furniture . The planters will weather all conditions, drawing their strength from individual cut pieces of wood bolted together with stainless-steel pins. The hand-assembled “vessels” sit as if rooted in the ground and work especially well in groups of three or more. Glass-reinforced concrete versions have also been introduced. indigenus.co.za

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A LEONARDO & CARLTON STAND. SEE PAGE 64

STACK ‘EM UP This graceful arching stand gives you the freedom to suspend hanging plants from the top hook, while the smooth bottom disc is ideal for table pots. The Atrium’s Leonardo stand is handcrafted by South African artisans from mild steel and powder-coated in matte black for a flawless finish. This compact piece is all about clean lines and highlights greenery without overpowering it. atriumplants.co.za

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A WAZ HANGING GARDEN. SEE PAGE 64

HANGING OUT The WAZ Outdoor Hanging Gardens Collection comprises giant kokedama of 50-85kg, and 50cm-75cm in diameter, which almost magically hover in the air. They make a spectacular botanical masterpiece to liven up a patio, atrium, walkway or any outdoor area. Each unique Hanging Garden is a living artwork – constructed using intricate stitching to form a lush tapestry of moss, soil and the crowning glory: a combination of 14+ expertly selected plants in a functional, aesthetically delightful design. Sold through decorators, designers and architects. wazoutdoor.com

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Seed Capital

Smart planters are the simple – and brilliantly compact – urban gardening solutions we didn't know we needed.

t’s the best way to be sure of what you’re eating – but growing your own fresh produce often isn’t easy to do in an urban environment. Now, even if you have the absolute minimum of space, smart planters help you make the most of it while also avoiding store-bought herbs and leafy veg in wasteful packaging. Smallerscale seasonal eating doesn’t get more local and flavourful than this.

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A VERITABLE SMART INDOOR GARDEN FROM PLANTR SEE PAGE 64

VÉRITABLE SMART INDOOR GARDEN 2. This award-winning little machine, designed and made in France, features built-in tech that means you don’t need a green thumb to easily grow and enjoy fresh produce. The LED grow lights are designed specifically to enhance the flavour of herbs and accelerate growth, while Adapt’light technology adjusts the LED intensity according to ambient light. An automatic silent watering system takes care of hydration, with a warning light for when you need to top up the water tank. Choose from more than 70 organic Lingots® (herb and veg refills). Prices start from R3 199 (including 4 refills/Lingots®). veritable.com

PERFECT FOR URBAN LIVING, SMALLER-SCALE SEASONAL EATING DOESN'T GET MORE LOOCAL AND FLAVOURFUL. MICROGARDEN HYDROPONIC HERB GARDEN 3. If you’re into healthy cooking and fresh produce without the hassle, this gadget offers an all-year-round solution. The clean hydroponic system has a compact footprint, thanks to its sleek design. And inside, herbs and microgreens regulate their own water intake by means of a hydroponic basin, while a fitted LED grow light ensures they get the light they need. microgarden.co.za

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS CELESTE JACOBS

CLICK-AND-GROW SMART GARDEN 1. This nifty product makes use of NASA-inspired Smart Soil, which regulates pH balance, oxygen and humidity levels across the lifecycles of plants. You can take it easy knowing your plants will always receive the right amount of water, light and nutrients at all times. The Smart Garden can grow up to three different plant pods simultaneously, with the option of choosing either preseeded plant pods or seedless pods, so you can choose to grow anything you like. clickandgrow.co.za

Our holistic approach to kitchens is why 25 years later, we are still the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading custom kitchen manufacturer.

CAPE TOWN

MIDRAND

SANDTON

FOURWAYS

UMHLANGA

DURBAN

HILLCREST

PARK RYNIE

GHANA

TANZANIA

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Green Fingers

An artisanal fabrics and wallpapers studio reinterprets Rousseau’s jungle scenes for a Winelands villa – and in doing so upskills a local comunity.

eclining on the bed in the master suite of Le Grand Jardin villa in Stellenbosch might just be the closest one can come to being completely immersed in French PostImpressionist Henri Rousseau’s 1910 fantastical-naïve jungle painting, The Dream. More than a century after the work was created, no virtual reality headset is necessary to be surrounded by Rousseau’s exotic reverie. Rather, it’s quite possible right here, thanks to the bold vision of the villa’s owner and the artisanal work of Cape Town studio African Sketchbook, known for its handpainted wallpapers and fabrics. On the wallpaper alongside the bedroom’s fireplace, a full moon bathes the setting in surreal tones. To the left, bordering the dressing room and en suite bathroom, cheeky vervet monkeys in a tropical tree steal fruit from its branches. Elsewhere, agapanthus and pink water lilies decorate handembroidered curtains, reflecting a localised interpretation of the jungle that references the wonderland garden beyond. “It was a relief to see the project come together as we had imagined,” says African Sketchbook owner and creative director Di Christian. “There’s since been a feeling of pride in the studio – everyone’s walking a little taller.” For

her team, working from a compact studio in Diep River, Cape Town, one of the key challenges the project posed was imagining what the completed installation would look like, as the studio’s limited wall space allowed slim opportunity to display the designs as they would be installed. But while the social entrepreneurs at African Sketchbook may have small premises, their hearts are big. For almost two decades, Christian and partner Anne Bicker-Caarten have looked to the surrounding impoverished communities of Lavender Hill and Retreat as recruitment grounds for studio staff. “These communities have many talented people who have nowhere to apply their talents. We give them the opportunity to shine,” says Christian. Applicants fill a fabric square with spirals, allowing the owners to identify those with a steady hand and discerning eye. “We upskill new team members by teaching them stencilling, hand painting and silk-screening, and as we all work together, new recruits get hands-on advice from me.” For some at African Sketchbook, the reward is a skill finely honed. For others, it’s realising that a project as creative as this is akin to an aesthetic dream. africansketchbook.com lejardin.co.za

PHOTOS KARL ROGERS WORDS MARTIN JACOBS

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AT LE GRAND JARDIN, IT'S POSSIBLE TO FEEL SURROUNDED BY ROUSSEAU'S EXOTIC REVERIE.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The hand-painted installation appears seamless in Le Grand Jardin’s master suite; surreal jungle imagery is painted onto fabric; lush tropical designs decorate walls and curtains. OPPOSITE Di Christian, African Sketchbook founder and creative director; staff require a steady hand and discerning eye – hand-painted curtains were then embroidered by Zolani Kweza.

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Bag That

Athi-Patra Ruga, one of SA's current art stars, has reimagined the iconic Lady Dior handbag in his image for a special-edition capsule collection by the brand.

outh African artist Athi-Patra Ruga was recently invited to participate in the fourth edition of the Dior Lady Art Project, alongside 10 other rising international art stars. And unsurprisingly, his two designs strike a precise balance between ideas that are highly conceptual, and a sensual reaction that leads one to instantly want to touch these exquisite accessories. The first of Ruga’s two bag designs is an enigmatic 3-D self-portrait made from pearls and framed by fabric, crystals and metal flowers. “I’m aware of the politics of representation and nothing emphasises that more than [the] face,” he says when asked about the decision to include a version of his visage in miniature. “There wasn’t much of a back and forth [with Dior] about putting the mask on the bag, but it was very much a technical feat; the larger conversation was about detail, with many hours spent crafting every facet – the reward being to create something beautiful for the owner to touch and behold.” Ruga’s renderings for his Dior Lady Art bags were sketched while on holiday in Hogsback in the Eastern

Cape, where he and his partner are in the process of creating a holiday home. He says that while working on them, he envisioned the Azania that he wants to create and decorate, which is exactly what their new home is too: a blank canvas to be fashioned after their imagination. Ruga adds that he thinks the ideas expressed in his designs would not have come out in the same way had he started drawing them in Cape Town rather than in the Eastern Cape. The second of his two Lady Art designs, a blue lambskin leather bag with a quilted scallop pattern, was inspired by Christian Dior’s iconic Junon evening gown, first created in 1949. “I am highly enamoured by luxury and being able to have a conversation with this fashion house that is the crown jewel of haute couture,” says Ruga. He also reveals that working with the Dior studio was a positive experience. “Instead of them grabbing what they want and going off to interpret it as they wish,” he says, the Lady Dior Art Project was an opportunity to work in a way that “is a luxury I don’t take for granted as a craftsperson”. dior.com

PHOTOS EMMA LEDOYEN WORDS JABULILE DLAMINII-QWESHA

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Mighty Real

n the 1950s and ’60s, trailblazing lensmen from Mali and Burkina Faso captured youth culture in a range of arresting and intimate portraits, using props and lighting to transform urban slicksters, party-goers and defiant motorbike riders into works of art. Now, South African-born photographer Kevin Mackintosh (below) builds on the techniques used by these artists to reimagine the formal portrait. “I’m inspired by the way West African photographers like the late Malick Sidibé, the late Seydou Keïta, and Sanlé Sory created ‘photo booth’ setups and used props, set design and styling,” says Mackintosh, who is currently based in London. “Their work has a real resonance for me in a modern stylisation of portrait subjects.” Mackintosh’s aesthetic approach for his latest exhibition, Hero, pays homage to these photographers, and in each

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portrait he combines a controlled studio environment with landscape elements. But what really sets his pieces apart are the signature objects – whether recycled or repurposed – that each of his characters holds. “We carefully cast models and real people and worked closely with production designer Daryl McGregor on the concept of each image,” MacKintosh says of his process. “Colour and provenance were key elements in the sourcing of props and we investigated the backgrounds, and the characters’ lighting and make-up, to complete the story.” Hero is the culmination of a five-year passion project and was shot in and around South Africa. The exhibition runs from 22 February to 10 April 2020 at Deepest Darkest Gallery in De Waterkant, Cape Town. deepestdarkestart.com kevinmackintoshphotography.com

PORTRAIT DARYL MCGREGOR PHOTOS KEVIN MACKINTOSH WORDS BIDDI RORKE

SA-born photographer Kevin Mackintosh uses hyper-styled elements to create a fresh take on the African portrait for a new exhibition in Cape Town.

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THE SIGNATURE OBJECTS THAT EACH CHARACTER HOLDS ARE WHAT REALLY SET THE PIECES APART.

ABOVE Aweng. OPPOSITE FROM LEFT Man with Jewelled Gun; Cowbells.

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Lagos Biennial

From 26 October to 23 November, the second Lagos Biennial featured works spanning film, video, photography, installations and more.

eld at the Independence Building, a historic structure commissioned by the British towards the end of their colonial reign as a tribute to Nigeria’s independence in 1960, this year’s edition of the Lagos Biennial was titled “How to Build a Lagoon with Just a Bottle of Wine?”. It’s a name adapted from a poem about Lagos by Akeem Lasisi that expresses the impossible and speaks to the city’s can-do spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable social, political and economic obstacles. “The second edition of the Lagos Biennial,” says its founder Folakunle Oshun, “engages pertinent socioeconomic and political issues stemming from the astonishing shifts in the city’s spatial elaboration over the past two decades”. Under the curatorship of Antawan Byrd, Tosin Oshinowo and Oyinda

Fakeye, 38 artists were selected to present works spanning film, video, photography and installations that capture the radical nature of the city. HIGHLIGHTS A History of a City in a Box: Ndidi Dike’s large-scale floor installation made from photographs, documents, red soil, paper and wooden file boxes, is a response to the exhibition space, based off the artist’s first visit, when she found old government documents from the ’60s. Fly-overs and Drive-bys: (above) this collaborative presentation by collage artist Karen Stewart and photographer Ed Suter portrays everyday, functional but overlooked spaces in South Africa. The emphasis on lines and curves from the landscapes and bridges is reminiscent of the long and winding third mainland bridge that connects the two ends of Lagos and

the untold stories that lurk between the pillars that hold the bridge over the Atlantic Ocean. Teeming Spaces and troubled Vision Make good fiction for thinking: fitted above a balcony view on one of the exhibition floors is an LED sign with the words of the work’s title. Artist Dominique Koch incorporates the view of trees, neighbouring highrise buildings and a park as part of his installation. You Will Find Playgrounds Among the Palm Trees: Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s poignant work is made from curved steel pipes wrapped in twine, relaying an idea of an alternative playground. Masquerade Memoirs: siblings Ade and Tolu Coker capture human experiences and identity through fiction and reenactment, comprising photography, film, and tapestry. The Lagos Biennial is on view until 23 November 2019.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Entrance to the Lagos Biennial venue; Installation view of Container Invisibility, concrete, plastic boxes and rubber boots by Pedro Pires; Kitenga I (Cross Reality (XR) Project) by Jeremiah Ikongio; A History of a City in a Box by Ndidi Dike; 730 Servings of Yesterday's Terror by Jess Atieno; You Will Find Playgrounds Among Palm Trees by Tayo Ogunbiyi.

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PHOTOS OLUPITAN OLUSANYA WORDS ROLI O'TSEMAYE

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Earth and Sky

South African multimedia artist Dineo Seshee Bopape has been shortlisted for the prestigious Artes Mundi 9 prize – and if given the award, she'll become the first African winner.

1 outh African artist Dineo Seshee Bopape is just 38 years old, but her work has already had a significant impact on the art scene, both at home and abroad. Her remarkable installations have included an exhibition space with eight-metre-high ceilings into which water (deliberately) leaked from the ceiling, and an installation in which the floor was covered with overturned pillars, smashed bricks, soil, dead flowers and TV screens that looped a dramatised rape scene and Nina Simone’s breakdown at the Live at Montreux 1976 festival. It’s no surprise, in fact, that Bopape is one of six artists shortlisted for Artes Mundi 9, an award that celebrates contemporary artists whose work engages with social reality and lived experience. The winner of the £40 000 (±R766 000) prize will be announced in January 2021 during a four-month long exhibition at the National Museum Cardiff in Wales. Bopape is the only African artist to have been shortlisted, and stands to become the first African to win this prize. “I occupy multiple intersecting adjectives,” Bopape says. And her artworks do the same, illustrating the ways that historical events have an ongoing impact on the present. The Johannesburg-based artist was born in 1981, a year she contextualises as the one in which the Brixton riots took

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place in London; a Durban shopping centre bomb explosion injured two; Archbishop Desmond Tutu was arrested and had his passport confiscated; AIDS was identified; Umkhonto we Sizwe carried out underground assaults against the apartheid state; South Africa invaded Angola; and the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s banning order was renewed for another five years. Bopape’s work references personal and collective memories in order to explore her individual experiences and wider historical narratives. The titles of her works – such as Untitled [of occult instability] (feelings) or Lerole: Footnotes (The Struggle of Memory Against Forgetting), for example – comment on South Africa’s emotional status quo. Her trademark large installations touch on sexuality, gender, race, psychology and politics, using materials such as soil, plants, bricks, timber and charcoal. These are intertwined with archival images and sounds, as well as natural and technological systems. “I draw together the celestial and the earthly, the bodily and the metaphysical,” she says. Bopape was part of the South African pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale, and also featured at the 2018 Berlin Biennale and the Biennale de Lyon in 2013. She's had solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Rotterdam.

PORTRAIT AND PHOTOS MAKSIM BIOUSOV, SFEIR-SEMLER GALLERY, TOM NOLAN AND SUPPLIED WORDS IGA MOTYLSKA

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6 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 1 & 6. Untitled [of occult instability] (feelings) at the 10th Berlin Biennale. 2. The stronger we become at the South African Pavilion, Venice Biennale. 3. When Spirituality was a baby at Collective, Edinburgh. 4. Exhibit at the Future Generation Art Prize 2017, Pinchuk Art Centre, Kiev. 5. Sedibeng, it comes with the Rain at the Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg/Beirut.

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Material Matters

ased between Accra, Kumasi and Tamale in Ghana, Ibrahim Mahama is an artist whose work focuses on the history of architecture and materials, and how this relates to labour conditions in modern society. Here, he chats to VISI about favourite projects, his 2019 installation in Cape Town, and how his home country inspires him.

YOUR WORK WAS FEATURED AT NORVAL FOUNDATION IN CAPE TOWN IN 2019 IN THE FORM OF A MONUMENTAL NINE-METRE-HIGH INSTALLATION OF JUTE SACKS, A MATERIAL YOU OFTEN USE. WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR CHOICE OF MATERIALS? These materials have been collected over the years from various market spaces in Ghana. They've covered buildings across the world and been touched by many hands through the commodities they have transported. I've always been interested in the aesthetics of objects and the meaning that comes with them. It was important for me to bring this to the Norval Foundation to establish a dialogue with the South African community and also open the work up. HOW DOES ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY INFORM YOUR WORK AND HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOUR PRACTICE OF ENVELOPING BUILDINGS IN JUTE SACKS? The basis of my work starts with architecture. I allow the physicality of spaces to inspire the form each piece takes, regardless of the objects involved in the production of the artwork. Meaning is as important as the visual aspect.

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PHOTOS MICHAEL POLLARD AND SUPPLIED PORTRAIT WHITE CUBE GEORGE DARRELL WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

Design Indaba celebrates its 25th year as a festival of creativity, and Ghanaian artist and author Ibrahim Mahama is one of the speakers set to take the stage.

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THE BASIS OF MY WORK STARTS WITH ARCHITECTURE. I ALLOW THE PHYSICALITY OF SPACES TO INSPIRE THE FORM EACH PIECE TAKES. WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS STAND OUT FOR YOU? The first project that really spoke to me was Exchange Exchanger (1957– 2057), a series of modernist buildings that I worked with between 2015 and 2016. The second was Parliament of Ghosts, my 2019 solo show at Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, in the UK. Both of these have had a real impact on my thinking. HOW HAS GHANA INFLUENCED YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY? Ghana has had a great impact on my work, particularly the art school in Kumasi. The Department of Painting and Sculpture at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where I trained, has been incredible in inspiring students and professionals alike to think about continuous ways of expanding their practice. ANY EXCITING UPCOMING PROJECTS YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO? There are a couple of projects coming up in 2020, but I'm mostly looking forward to opening up my studio to the public, as well as my next exhibition at the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) in Tamale, Ghana, curated by Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh. @ibrahimmahama The Design Indaba Festival runs from 26–28 February 2020. designindaba.com OPPOSITE Ibrahim Mahama in front of his Parliament of Ghosts installation at Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. The centrepiece is a parliament-like arrangement of worn seats from abandoned railway carriages. In another room large-scale works use textiles and wood traces, gathered from Ghana’s urban environment. ABOVE Exchange Exchanger features buildings shrouded in jute sacks, procured from traders in exchange for new ones.

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Primary Cool

Reminiscent of children’s building blocks and quirky nostalgia, primary colours work together as a perfect trio – and are just as striking on their own. Here are a few VISI favourites to raise your style quotient.

PAUL SMITH EDITION THREE TYPE 75 LAMP BY ANGLEPOISE, R8 300, newport.co.za Paying delightful homage to Dutch painter Piet Mondrian’s work, Anglepoise uses the artist’s signature combination of primary colours in a stylish interpretation that adds a talking point to any room.

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A PAUL SMITH TYPE 75 MINI DESK LAMP SEE PAGE 64

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS MICHAELA STEHR

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LA CAFETIERE 3-CUP CLASSIC ESPRESSO MOKA POT, R499, superbalist.com A classic coffee-lover staple, this sleek espresso pot conjures up an image of sipping coffee on a Parisian balcony – plus, it’s stylish enough to display on open kitchen shelves.

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FJÄLLRÄVEN RE-KÅNKEN BACKPACK, R1 999, fjallraven-shop.co.za On trend and environmentally friendly, these iconic Swedish backpacks are made from polyester manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. They can be adjusted to fit both adults and children.

MEN’S SWATCH REVIVAL WATCH, R1 109, swatch.com Launched in 1987, the iconic "Nine To Six" has been reimagined as the "Revival". The name and style have changed, but the dial still features a white and yellow design with Arabic and Roman numerals.

BERLIN CHAIR IN OCHRE, R2 700, mrphome.com This retro-cool chair works beautifully as a piece of standalone occasional seating, as well as in friendly pairs (it’s available in several colours and upholstery finishes) for lounging and reading.

POPSTRUKT SUGAR CUBE BEDSIDE TABLE, R1 249, popstrukt.co.za Compact and lightweight, this versatile storage solution by a new South African brand is a perfect fit for bedrooms and common areas in the home as well as for offices. A smooth, powder-coated finish ensures easy cleaning and durability.

DOKTER AND MISSES METRO LIGHT R4 620, dokterandmisses.com A statement double-pendant light with a frosted glass shade brings an element of contemporary chic to any space.

COUNTRY ROAD COOLUM TRAVEL BEACH TOWEL R349, woolworths.co.za Made from 100% cotton, this elevated take on the beach towel is perfect for poolside, seaside or a picnic. Its lightweight material makes for super-quick drying after a dip.

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Speaking Volumes

These beautifully illustrated books document previously neglected narratives, catalogue cultural flavours and explore significant histories.

BREAKING GROUND By Jane Hall Phaidon, R705 A visual compendium of 200 extraordinary buildings from around the world designed by women – and over a time period ranging from the early 20th century until today – Breaking Ground features striking photography and is arranged alphabetically by architect. From early pioneers such as Eileen Gray to modern icons like Zaha Hadid, this is a lengthy list of remarkable creative women.

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THROUGH POSITIVE EYES By Gideon Mendel and David Gere Aperture, R590 This collaborative photostorytelling project chronicles a particular moment in the HIV/ AIDS epidemic when effective treatment is available to some, but not all. In it, 130 arts activists living with HIV and AIDS across 10 global cities, including Johannesburg and Durban, tell their stories through first-person narratives and evocative portraits – thereby empowering themselves and helping to banish the enduring stigma.

GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS Phaidon, R940 Capturing five centuries of creativity to offer a parallel history and champion a diversity of voices, this extensively illustrated volume features more than 400 female artists from 54 countries. In true Phaidon style, it is a visual feast, layered with facts, vignettes and insights, and each artist is represented by one of her key works.

HI-FI By Gideon Schwartz Phaidon, R745 As sales of vinyl records continue to climb, this illustrated history of high-end audio design pays homage to exceptional sound equipment. Trace the evolution of audio from the ’50s to today’s analogue renaissance, as well as the emergence of cutting-edge designs.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS AMELIA BROWN

THE AFRICA COOKBOOK By Portia Mbau Quivertree Publications, R390 Inspired by her travels across the continent, chef and author Portia Mbau opened The Africa Café in 1992 – South Africa’s first restaurant devoted to African cuisine. Almost 30 years on, this cookbook is a compilation of triedand-tested recipes with a focus on fresh, organic ingredients. Dishes are brought to life with personal anecdotes and travel stories.

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Upper Crust

An eye-catching new pizza spot on Cape Town’s Bree Street features blush-worthy decor and a name that pays homage to a hip-hop classic. ou definitely won’t miss the candy-floss pink exterior and bright neon signage of I love the Dough, a new pizza eatery and cocktail bar on one of the Cape Town CBD’s key restaurant strips. It’s the brainchild of Niki Reschke and partner Marco Picone of Arcade restaurant on the same street, and the team wanted to bring a cheeky element to their decor, complemented with food to match. “First off, my partner and I are by no means professionally trained designers,” says Niki. “Both of us are lovers of hip-hop and sitting around a table just laughing and being creative, Marco started singing Biggie Smalls’ I Love the Dough, looked at me and said, ’That could be a cool name for our place' – and the rest is history.” Featuring T-Rex skeleton wallpaper, sleek Bianco marble countertops and tables, turquoise barstools and leather quilted benches, the space has more than a few of the sort of design flourishes that make a restaurant interior pop. Add neon signage and quotes scrawled graffiti-style on the walls – and even ceiling – and the interior ensures that your visual appetite is sated before you’ve even ordered your pizza. I Love the Dough was never intended to look like a typical pizza joint, Niki says. “Our idea… was to create a space that shows off our attitude to life. It relaxes our customers’ eyes and lets them feel like they’re not in the traditional space with the same basic design, colour scheme and textures. “We wanted the location to be a small, light space that combines a non-traditional design concept with our classicstyle pizza, offsetting the past with a current – even futuristic – look and feel.” And they’ve done a pizza perfect job of it.

PHOTOS JAN RAS WORDS MICHAELA STEHR

@ilovethedoughct

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Interactive Wine

With local winemakers boasting some very creatively designed bottle labels, a new augmented reality app looks to take that a step further.

he VISI team recently collaborated with Vollherbst LABELS, a German premium label printer that works with a range of South African wineries, to choose our best label executions. Vollherbst recently launched a digital brand called LABELinmotion that applies augmented reality to wine labels. Via an app (available on Apple App Store and Google Play), it allows a new wave of designs to deliver video on mobile devices. The judging process considered both the labels’ aesthetics and their potential to convey a message. These were our top five… vollherbstdruck.de 2. KEN FORRESTER DIRTY LITTLE SECRET CHENIN BLANC While the name draws you in, the label does not disappoint with its detailed silver vine tendrils set against a black backdrop, topped with a cheeky yellow capsule.

1. ELGIN RIDGE THE. CABERNET FRANC Typography, quirky punctuation and copper and black elements combine to give this wine label its enigmatic appeal. What is in the bottle, one wonders? Arguably, the. best Cabernet Franc ever made in South Africa.

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4. OLDEN <CL° SYRAH/MERLOT It takes confidence in your brand not to display your name on a label. Yet, this is exactly what Oldenburg did. This smart and intriguing label is a concept: <CL° is a clever indication of Banghoek’s cooler temperatures.

3. LONGRIDGE CLOS DU CIEL CHARDONNAY Meaning “heavenly vineyard”, Clos du Ciel does feel rather angelic in its design. Embossed impressions dance unencumbered by text on a soft pastel backdrop with simply the name of the wine printed underneath.

5. ALHEIT VINEYARDS LA COLLINE SEMILLON Site and climate play an important role in winemaking and it's little wonder that winemakers often pay respect to their wines’ terroir with their labels. Here the design takes on a storytelling element with a pronounced sun rising over detailed vines and mountains.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS JEANRI-TINE VAN ZYL-PUNT

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Standing Ovation

hese new sit-to-stand desks help users to maintain posture, improve circulation and encourage mobility. What sets them apart from conventional standing desks is the option to go from standing to sitting with ease, with userfriendly height-adjustable workstations. Advocates of standing desks say that standing, rather than sitting, results in reduced stress and fatigue than sitting for most of the working day. That said, you may not want to be standing all day, which is where switching to a

height-adjustable standing desk might just be the answer. The CLEVER and CONNEXION range offers you the ability to alter the height of your working area so you can switch from sitting to standing with ease and without having to otherwise move or rearrange your desk area. The desks feature an electronic motor controlled by an unobtrusive switch. Designed with a professional, clean and stylish silhouette, they are easy to install and work well in any contemporary office or home environment. cecilnurse.co.za

ABOVE With height-selectable crank, gas-spring and electric height-adjustable versions, CLEVER and CONNEXION offers a flexible desk frame platform range. A choice of top supports and leg base designs enables individual workstation configuration.

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PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS MICHAELA STEHR

Office furniture experts Cecil Nurse have introduced a new range of motorised standing desks, the CLEVER and CONNEXION.

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