SCAPE | February 2023 | The Expedition | Vol. 89

HIGH-QUALITY CAD PRINTING

The Canon imagePROGRAF TM-300/305 MFP offers consistent high-quality prints with every run.

The full pigment Lucia TD ink prints fine lines, crisp text and vivid colour, allowing you to print everything, from construction drawings to large format mine shaft diagrams and so much more. There are a range of benefits that come with the Canon imagePROGRAF TM-300/305

MFP. They include:

Water

Compact

60% less noise for improved office convenience

Operator friendly without the need for training Scan

Enhanced security as required by large corporations

resistant inks and media enabling short term outdoor applications

design with the smallest footprint

WORLD-CLASS FLOORING AT YOUR FEET

You’d have to travel far and wide to find a range of decorative flooring solutions more unique, durable, or aesthetically pleasing than that offered by Technical Finishes.

Fortunately, you don’t have to! To experience and evaluate our remarkable tailor-made floors first-hand and in situ, you need only step into some of our country’s top international airports, most luxurious resorts, and foremost fine-dining restaurants.

Ready to design a jaw-dropping fingerprint floor? Simply join forces with one of our friendly and knowledgeable experts, and take inspiration from our vast array of colours, textural finishes, and protective materials.

If you can imagine it, we can achieve it.

CLAY PAVING FOR GOOD

Clay pavers offer a stylish, timeless appeal with impressive sustainability credentials.

Ceramic clay pavers are also low maintenance and tough enough to cope with high levels of loading for life. They will never fade in corrosive industrial or coastal environments and the textured finish remains safely slip-resistant in wet or frosty conditions.

CBASA represents clay brick & paver manufacturers across Southern Africa.

Free technical and construction guides for clay bricks & pavers at www.claybrick.org

STYLE SUSTAIN SAVE SECURE

Photo courtesy of Corobrik

• Suitable for multi-sport areas, playgrounds, landscaping and public parks.

• Ultra-durable, flexible and impact resistant surfacing.

• Low maintenance & sustainable.

• Available in 15 colours or multiple blends.

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• Suitable for indoor or outdoor areas.

• Smooth and soft playground flooring allows children to play without risk of injury.

• Wet pour rubber can be applied at any thickness to conform to legal requirements.

• Licensed installers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Welcome to The Expedition

Whittled down to one archetypical word, I would safely say ‘Adventurer’ describes me (almost too well).

Having lived in London for a large portion of my 20s, I can confidently confirm I have adventured! The deluge of delicious places I’ve explored with Britannia as my base camp undoubtedly broadened my worldview and inspired some unique experiences. By the time I hit my mid-20s, I had far exceeded 40 country stamps in my passport... and to this day, the wanderlust has never left me!

Naturally, to travel is to adventure — what salt is to pepper — and I have discovered more and more (especially during our content quest for this issue) that this innate desire to explore and soak in foreign cultures, music, art and dance, materials, food, and architecture is imperative to our trade. In fact, for the architect and design-minded, travel is perhaps the main source of inspiration.

So, why do you travel?

An escape from the familiar and a chance to see the world with fresh eyes? To discover? A catalyst for new ideas? Searching for context? Learning from unique and unexpected experiences? Meeting fascinating people? Exploring foreign materials and methods? Or maybe travel is a visceral experience. Unexplained and totally opportunistic. A winding path to venture without a plan.

Whatever the reason, there is something so personal to gain, and something so exceptional about travel that we knew we had to dedicate a full issue to its charms. We’ve had input from some of South Africa’s most notable industry icons — all seemingly as drunk on wanderlust as we are — to journey with us from timeless landscapes to character-rich hotel interiors and bold and brave buildings the globe over. Buckle up and join us as we travel around the world in 80 pages.

Ed’s Note. Chanel

Editor-in-Chief

Key Account Manager Justine Coleman

13° 9' 48" S, 72° 32' 44" W

BATTERSEA POWER

London, United Kingdom

The Expedition Collaborators

Thomas Chapman, Local Studio | Lisa Rorich, Lisa Rorich Architects | Rese Boshoff, Vivid Architects | Juane Venter, Juane Venter Studio | Amy Thompson, Yes& Studio Landscape Architects | Marijke Honig, Think Ecologic | Gillian Holl, Veld Architects | Bettina Woodward, Open City Architects | Guy Briggs, dhk Architects | Stefan Antoni, SAOTA | Jan Ernst, Jan Collectible Design | Macio Miszewski, VDMMA | Anji Connell, ACID+ | Peter Rich, Peter Rich Architects | Garrick Nelissen, desert INK | Alexandra Singer, SAOTA | Safdie Architects

UNCHARTED INSPIRATION

MAPPING DESIGNERS’ DISCOVERIES ABROAD

Are you ready to embark on a journey of discovery? We've gathered a team of South African architects, landscape architects, and urban designers who have travelled the globe and returned with tales of the most awe-inspiring places they've encountered abroad. So, grab your passports, pack your bags, and join us as we explore the world through their eyes!

BATTERSEA POWER STATION

I visited the Battersea Power Station in London in December 2022, guided by Marco Corazza who was actually my first business partner almost 15 years ago. Marco worked on Battersea for the entire nine-year project period, focussing mainly on the heritage façade. As the biggest brick building in Europe, Battersea is an epic achievement and incredibly elegantly resolved.

The British architectural media have been critical of the shopping centre programme, which was entirely out of the architects’ control. The project is inevitably compared with the ‘other’ power station down the river, Herzog & de Meuron’s Tate Modern and, in my opinion, stacks up very well. Apart from the adaptive reuse component, I was struck by the 19 acres of new pedestrian public space and 500 metres of new river frontage that formed part of the masterplan. Battersea is a must-visit in London!

THOMAS CHAPMAN Principal Architect and Founder Local Studio www.localstudio.co.za

THE BLUE CITY

Chefchaouen, nestled in the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, is painted different hues of chalky blue. There are two different views on why this city boasts its azure coat. At the start of the First World War there was a large influx of Jews who painted the town blue to represent the colour of the sky and hope. The other belief is that it was painted blue to repel mosquitoes (here’s hoping Durban paints the city blue soon). A monochromatic sea of various shades creates a cityscape where the sky and horizons overlap and blur. There is no focal point. Everything blends into one and any object or person who isn’t wearing blue pops with contrast and definition.

LISA RORICH Architect and Director Lisa Rorich Architects www.lisaroricharchitects.co.za

SAAL BOUÇA SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT

I haven’t been to many far-off places. Studying architecture doesn’t leave much time for running around in the real world. But when I finished my studies, I took off to Portugal hoping to see some of Álvaro Siza’s work. Which I did. And I was in awe. The tidal pool, tea house, and architecture school in Porto were all on my itinerary, and there are plenty of books on his work filled with images taken on the most perfect day, with tidy rooms and plenty of natural light. But the image I have is of his SAAL Bouça Social Housing Complex. It was taken on a typical day in winter, and I think it is beautiful.

I stumbled onto the complex, marvelling at this beautiful staircase, not realising what I was looking at, when one of the residents noticed me. In very basic English, and very kindly, he said to me, ‘Important architect. Beautiful building. I live here.’ And that’s when I knew.

Good architecture doesn’t need to shout or ask for your attention, but give it a moment of your time and it will surprise you.

RESE BOSHOFF Architect Vivid Architects www.vividarchitects.co.za

BLACK ROCK CITY

JUANE VENTER Architect, Interior Designer, and Photographer Juane Venter Studio www.juaneventer.com

In 2022, I spent nine months in the USA. Our travels to the deserts of the Southwest, namely the Mojave and Nevada Deserts, were the highlights of my trip! The stark contrast between the blue sky and the orange sand, the mesmerising sunsets, and the unique Joshua trees (which only grow in this part of the world) left a lasting impression.

In August, we were lucky enough to attend the annual Burning Man festival, a temporary city built in the Nevada Desert, where 80 000 people gather together for two weeks to celebrate creativity and self-reliance. The art installations, a collection of 80+ structures with some up to 24 metres tall, along with the elaborate costumes and the community spirit, were a true celebration of the human spirit and its boundless creativity!

THE NASONI

When in Rome… I can’t help but marvel at the seemingly endless abundance of water within the city, brought to life through spectacular fountains with water cascading over gigantic chiselled marble figures. However, after spending more time in ‘The City of Seven Hills’, I have found that the most prolific water fountains often go unnoticed. These are simple, mass-produced drinking fountains called Nasoni, scattered throughout the city and often seemingly discarded on a kerbside or building edge but arguably contributing to Rome’s public character nonetheless.

AMY THOMPSON Landscape Architect and Director Yes& Studio Landscape Architects www.yesand.studio

These fountains, largely unchanged in design since their introduction in 1872, are one-metre-tall cast iron columns, which get their name from their characteristic free-flowing ‘large nose’ waterspout that can be plugged to deliver a clean spout of drinking water. At the peak of their popularity, there were approximately 5000 in Rome, and whilst their number has dwindled, there are still more than 500 within the historic city core alone!

I expected to find the Nasoni to be a cute tourist quirk — a remnant of a time gone by. But their importance endures, supporting businesses and residents as well as providing dignity to those without a home. This persistent usefulness comes to life in squares where the Nasoni support markets and trade. In these spaces, this resource is used to wash fruit, keep flowers hydrated, and clean out the squares when the markets pack up at night, making important contributions to the spatial characteristics of the city whilst enabling its continued vibrant use.

Amy was the recipient of the 2022 Rome Prize in Architecture. She spent time researching the Nasoni in Rome with her work entitled 'Water Infrastructure and Public Space — Exploring the enduring legacy of drinking fountains as place making devices in Rome'.

ROADSIDE ON THE ISLAND OF MØN

To me, this epitomises Danish design: clever place-making, using local materials in an understated way. Just a few beautiful boulders placed in a circle under an oak tree.

I was struck by the beauty of the landscape in the southern islands of Denmark. While the land is intensely cultivated in the typical industrial agricultural manner (monocultures, ploughing), there were some mitigating factors: 1) No fences! 2) Biodiverse edges to the fields and roadsides supported a variety of flowering plants and pollinators. 3) Patches of forest among the fields provided habitat and refuge for wild animals. I suspect they were not natural forests: they may well have been mixed woodlots (harvested by farmers in the past) that have gone wild, but they were alive with birdsong and signs of wildlife.

Imagine if our wheat, wine, and fruit farmers had pockets of biodiverse, indigenous veld to protect drainage lines, conserve soil, and provide habitat for pollinators and local wildlife.

MARIJKE HONIG Landscape Designer, Botanist, and Author Think Ecologic

CASA LUIS BARRAGÁN

Visiting Casa Barragán in Miguel Hidalgo district, Mexico City, was a critical moment in my architectural education. I began to understand the meaning of an architectural sequence; how geometry, space, light, and materials can all come together as an abstract composition. But also the way architecture can be the setting for a powerful emotive experience and expression of identity beyond the individual. How a place can be both modern and mysteriously archaic, bringing together the encounters of the architect in his own life. Through this powerful aesthetic force, Barragán set the stage for contemporary architecture in Mexico, and his works remain as relevant today as when they were built more than 50 years ago.

BETTINA WOODWARD Principal Architect and Founder Open City Architects www.opencity.co.za

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Woodward

CASA DA MÚSICA

Home of the National Orchestra of Porto, the Casa da Música by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas of OMA is situated in a workingclass neighbourhood and is stitched into the urban fabric of the city as a type of piazza where the local context itself becomes a dramatic backdrop for performances. The building is quite a controversial piece of architecture as it overlooks the historical Rotunda da Boavista, but it creates a well-perceived balance between past and present. It surely acts as a servant of the people in Porto, and becomes a masterful centrepiece of cultural interaction in the works of performance arts.

The geometry of the design is also inspiring, as there is no real axis of interpretation to its development, which allows people to be invited into the building from all sides of its exterior structure. This kind of creation invites people to venture further around the building in exploration. The concert hall’s lighting design is also quite remarkable as it reflects the playful rhythms of the interior with subtle hints of art performed inside, guiding visitors to the foyer and around the building.

GILLIAN HOLL Professional Architect and Managing Director Veld Architects www.veldarchitects.co.za

SHEUNG WAN DISTRICT

In 2014, I was working on the masterplan for Modderfontein CBD, Johannesburg, then owned by Chinese developer Zendai Property. I was lucky enough to travel to Hong Kong with the client and spent a couple of days wandering the city.

Hong Kong is a remarkable mix of ancient and modern, its proliferation of needle towers at hyper density, a result of its physical geography and political status. And yet, it has retained an incredibly intimate streetscape, with small city blocks, narrow streets, and pedestrian lanes; and retailers and traders everywhere jostling for space…

GUY BRIGGS Partner, Director, and Head of Urban Design dhk Architects www.dhk.co.za

L'ABBAYE DU THORONET

STEFAN ANTONI Principal Architect and Founder SAOTA www.saota.com

My favourite building of all time is the Ronchamp Chapel by Le Corbusier. I visited it before digital photography, so my photos are buried in a cemetery of Agfa slides.

Another church, which is a remarkable piece of architecture, space, and poetry, is L'abbaye du Thoronet in Provence. This is one of John Pawson's favourite buildings and features in his book Minimum. It is a Cistercian abbey completed in the early thirteenth century, which makes it over 800 years old, and yet, it is as poetical and timeless as if built today. The composition and the buildings themselves are quite modernist. It greatly influenced Le Corbusier's La Tourette monastery, inspiring several features, including the tower, the simple volumes, and the cloister galleries. The acoustics are remarkable, creating long echoes requiring the monks to sing slowly and perfectly together. Corb wrote at the time, '...the light and the shadow are the loudspeakers of this architecture of truth.’

Find Your Muse

1. Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

2. Museum of Tomorrow

22°

The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) is an impressive science museum built next to the waterfront at Pier Maua. Designed by Spanish neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava, the museum addresses the future of the planet both in art and architecture, using water from the bay to regulate the temperature inside the building.

3. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

34°

Los Angeles, United States of America

The renovated and expanded 1939 May Company department store, now renamed the Saban Building, was designed by Pritzker Prizewinning architect Renzo Piano and completed in 2021. Dedicated to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking, the building is adjoined by a soaring new glass-and-concrete sphere, featuring a terrace with sweeping views over the Hollywood Hills

22°

54' 29" S, 43° 7’ 33" W Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Perched atop a cliff overlooking Guanabara Bay, with 360-degree views of Sugar-Loaf Mountain, is Oscar Niemeyer’s iconic saucer-shaped art gallery, embodying his signature simple elegance in the lightness of the curve.

53' 39" S, 43° 10' 46" W Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3' 48" N, 118° 21' 39" W

4. Royal Ontario Museum

43°

40' 4" N, 79° 23' 41" W Toronto, Canada

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), originally built in 1912, is the largest museum in Canada. Its 2007 extension, the Michael Lee-Chin 'Crystal', was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and features a dramatic, angular design made up of five interlocking prismatic volumes clad in glass and aluminium. Controversial due to its modernist design, which was seen as a departure from the museum's original Beaux-Arts architecture, some criticised the building for not harmonising with the existing structure, while others praised its innovative boldness.

6. Sydney Modern

33°

Sydney, Australia

Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA have designed a new standalone home for art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales overlooking Sydney Harbour. Regarded as the most significant cultural development in the city since the opening of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Modern Project, which opened in December 2022, brings together art, architecture, and landscape in spectacular and sustainable ways.

5. Grand Egyptian Museum

29°

59' 37" N, 31° 7' 11" E Giza, Egypt

The Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the Giza Museum, is an archaeological museum on the Giza Plateau set to open early 2023. It will house artifacts of ancient Egypt, including the complete Tutankhamun collection, and will be the largest archaeological museum in the world.

52' 7" S, 151° 13' 2" E

Aerial view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new SANAAdesigned building, 2022, photo © Iwan Baan

AN ARTIST'S DALLIANCE WITH A SUMMER ABROAD

From Europe with Love

FIRST STOP: BRUSSELS

50° 51' 2" N, 4° 20' 56" E

I woke up to the smell of fresh croissants and the sounds of Brussels outside my window. An Uber driver and some kid on an electric scooter were having a debate over traffic rules, but I was in the capital of Europe, and nothing was going to ruin the moment. Filled with excitement, I navigated cobblestone streets, crossing canals and open piazzas with angelic sculptures towering over the throngs of tourists.

Here I was, after months of preparation in beautiful Belgium to showcase my new WOMB lighting collection. Collectible Design Fair attracts designers from all over Europe. For three days, the Vanderborght building transforms into a display of functional art and collectable design that challenges traditional craftsmanship and pushes contemporary materials. After a week of setting up the booth, entertaining the press, and meeting new faces, we got on a train and left for Bordeaux.

Hello Bordeaux

HELLO BORDEAUX

44° 50' 10'' N, 0° 34' 51'' W

The day started with my ten-kilometre cycle next to the Garonne River from La Tresne into Bordeaux city centre. What used to be a Roman village had evolved into a metropolis with fountains and cathedrals, and city gates with spires that could set the backdrop for an old-school Disney movie. After collecting images and old maps from the library for what would be the basis of my residency project, I headed over to Studio Primitif, a shared space for ceramic enthusiasts and my workspace for the next few weeks.

Photograph courtesy of Prince Jewiti

Photograph courtesy of Jacobus Snyman

I LOST MY HEART IN MILAN

45° 27' 51'' N, 9° 11' 24'' E

Like a freshly graduated student, I stuffed a backpack full of clothes and left for Milan — and Salone. It was sweltering, and the streets were buzzing with artists and designers all competing for the city’s hottest commodity: a taxi with aircon. Later that afternoon, the city smelled like jasmine as I walked back to my Airbnb from the Duomo di Milano. For the first time, everything was quiet, and I realised that I had never experienced something quite like this moment. Sandwiched between the sheer grandeur of the architecture and the ubiquitous glamour of luxury fashion flagships, I felt quiet gratitude, having just met my representatives from Galerie Philia and Collection Gallery for the first time.

A FRENCH AFFAIR

44° 50' 10'' N, 0° 34' 51'' W

It has been more than a month since my arrival — and I am back in France. The residency project has evolved from paper to maquette, and the first pieces are coming out of the kiln. I decided that the composition had to reflect the landscape of Bordeaux as a wine region to tie it back to South Africa, specifically Cape Town. From my research and exploration of the area, I decided to interpret natural elements — the vineyards and dunes — in an abstract manner with the Garonne River as a central organising element in the work.

PINNACLE OF A PROJECT

44° 50' 10'' N, 0° 34' 51'' W

Today I am overjoyed. All fifteen pieces made of chamotte clay survived the final firing. Up to now, we have only seen the individual elements, but putting the puzzle pieces together and seeing a complete composition felt incredible. Without realising it, the organic nature of the work started resembling something archaeological dug up from a historic site.

Photograph courtesy of Milan Mazaud

Photograph courtesy of Prince Jewiti

SUMMER IN THE SOUTH

43° 30' 0'' N, 5° 30' 0'' E

After ten glorious days of travelling to Saint-Émilion, Arcachon, and Marseille, it was time to return home. The South of France was captivating with natural settings, such as the Calanques with olive trees hanging from cliffs over crystal clear water and the quaint town of Cassis (and the best seafood).

CAPTURING A COLLECTION

44° 50' 10'' N, 0° 34' 51'' W

Winding through the winelands, we headed to a dilapidated chapel on top of a hill that would serve as the location for an outdoor photoshoot. The soft morning light illuminated the structure through thin medieval slits in the wall and set the mood for discovering ‘relics’ from a past life.

BITTERSWEET BORDEAUX

44° 50' 10'' N, 0° 34' 51'' W

It is my last day in Bordeaux, and we are hanging the work in the gallery. We waited for late afternoon to switch on the LED light in the relief and take the final interior images. As the photographer puts away his camera, melancholy fills me. The next time the work is displayed will be at Paris Design Week, and by then, I will be back in Cape Town and my studio. But, for now, I drink good wine and swim in the Mediterranean with my partner Colin.

Photograph courtesy of Jacobus Snyman

FAREWELL TO FRANCE

48° 51' 53'' N, 2° 20' 57'' E

Colin and I took a train back to Paris, where we spent two days exploring the city. I really wanted to see the Fondation Louis Vuitton — and everything about it was breathtaking. The scale, innovation of material, and artistic genius reminded me why I love being a designer and maker. We had our last meal on the terrace of a typical, red-awninged Parisian restaurant in Montmartrae before heading back to the hotel. France had been a journey, but every experience led to something greater. My camera roll is filled with memories and my heart is full.

www.jan-ernst.com @jan_ernst_

JAN ERNST Ceramic Artist Jan Collectible Design

Through the lens of an Architect

2. SAINTE MARIE DE LA TOURETTE PRIORY

45°

Lyon, France

Le Corbusier

Complex, beguiling, purposefully offset in the countryside. A building laden in detail and moments. I entered the chapel. The length, height, width, changing floor plane underfoot, light slipping in, blazing in colour over the side chapels, forming the space. I looked at the tiling set out underfoot, the cross section of the pews. Then I said, this is the best room I have ever been in.

1. PIAZZA DEL CAMPO

43°

19' 4" N, 11° 19' 32" E

Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Jacopo della Quercia

I have a dream I often revisit. I’m walking down a street in a city I have never been in. I don’t know what is around the next corner. There, there is a street, space, façade that I’ve never seen before. I walk down a cool, dark five-to-seven-storey-high stone canyon, the sides bending sublimely in plan, leaving a deep azure sunlit void overhead. I turn a sharp tall vertical stone corner, and before me the Campo tilts gently.

3. MILL OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION BUILDING

23°

1′ 57″ N, 72° 34′ 15″ E

Ahmedabad,

Le Corbusier

India

When I took my first steps, I bumped into a coffee table. On it lay an open ‘Ouevre Complete’. (Anthology of Corbusier’s work). I entered into and moved through the black and white image I could see, on varying floor planes, through mass, solidity, void, absence, height, width, slender posts, concrete texture, which I could feel, all composed and held in the light grey light. I decided I wanted ‘to do this’. I started to study architecture.

49′ 10″ N, 4° 37′ 21″E

You just have to get to the top. It works downhill. Water swirls, cascades, pools, runs down the elaborate axial trough and shoots through tiny apertures underfoot. Juxtaposed to the water fantasy, cool calm pavilions stand symmetrically about the axis. Finally, water squirts from the plump breasts of nubile stone women. Below the pavilions, the immaculately gardened platform is suspended over the town of Bagnaia, clearly declaring who was in charge and who wasn’t.

23°

The scooters, tuk tuks, busses, sacred cows, horns blaring, throngs of people working, stench, noise in the streets, and you exit into a haven of quiet contemplation, water, greenery and the roof vaults suspended above the shade that supports them. The vaulted roof welcomes you in: inside a real studio crammed with paper, models, people drawing, working, talking, designing. A beautiful stair, window details, colours, and an intense serenity, intense as the city outside.

4. SANGATH

2' 53" N, 72° 31' 36" E Ahmedabad, India

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi

5. VILLA LANTE – FOR CARDINAL GAMBARA

42° 25′ 33″ N, 12° 9′ 17″ E Bagnaia, Italy

Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola

6. CIMITERO DI SAN CATALDO

44°

Aldo Rossi

Gray, wet, cold, mist, flat land, and ‘behind the walls are absent presences and present absences’ (borrowed from Emilio Ambasz). Clear, precise, rational, poetic, logical, utterly unremitting, holding the remains of loved ones, their lives now reduced to ashes, filed in little labelled boxes, a lexicon of death. (Not unlike traditional burial structures in Italy). If you could hear the departed, this silence is the reality of death.

48°

Le Corbusier

A pleasant train ride west of Paris. At the station anyone you see knows where you are going and welcomes you warmly. Walk through suburbia to the gates. The gate house is entirely strange and utterly consistent with the ‘tenets’. Walk a bit further through the garden. See the cube building, which simply demands you stop and look at it. A beautifully sculpted mass of solid, void, slender posts. Take any number of routes to move through it to the roof plane. The arrogance is beautiful, exquisite, and genius.

39′ 38″ N, 10° 54′ 32″ E Modena, Italy

7. VILLA SAVOYE

55′ 28″ N, 2° 1′ 42″ E

Poissy, France

8. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

23°

1′ 54″ N, 72° 32′ 11″ E Ahmedabad, India

Louis Kahn

At the gate is a ‘diagram’ of the buildings, a ‘fire evacuation plan’? And beyond, on entering the ‘diagram’, here is all of architecture, space making, history, a way of construction. Bespoke bricks and concrete elements rise in vertical planes, block and let the sun in, using exquisite apertures. Deep furrows interrupt the mass of building, recalling the ancient citadel of Kumbhalgargh and Gujurat’s Mogul past.

9. POMPIDOU CENTRE

48°

Apparently, the only competition entry that proposed an urban square? Inclined gently, the only way you can sit in the square is to face and look at the building. At the escalator of all escalators. The Beaubourg precinct appeared in Corbusier’s crosshairs as he conceived the Plan Voisin, which required levelling the historic city fabric. The Pompidou Centre, however, works; the ‘object’ placed within an intact historic city urban ‘texture’.

51′ 38″ N, 2° 21′ 8″ E

Paris, France

Piano + Roger

MACIO MISZEWSKI Director and Architect VDMMA

Step Inside the Iconic Interiors of Rooms Hotel and Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi

Hotels are the backbone of memorable, enriching, and immersive cultural adventures and experiences. Your overseas surroundings should resonate with you and make you feel good, ready to take on and explore the world to find those hidden gems. Like people, hotels have unique personalities, quirks, and sensibilities. They should be uplifting, possess a lived-in-ness, convey a sense of history, and a connection to their location — a sense of place. I want to know exactly where I am in the world: uncovering cities and their inner workings fascinates me.

There are hotels we like and those we love. And, for me, sister establishments Rooms Hotel and Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country), definitely hit the spot. I could happily ensconce myself there without venturing outside. Well, that's not entirely true. Tbilisi is such a beautiful city with a long, colourful history and a rich, eclectic mix of cultural, architectural, and culinary influences that you'd be mad not to explore.

The hotels are set within a former 1930s Soviet-era publishing house in the charming, historic quarter of Vera, long associated with bohemians and intellectuals. Today, it’s a cultural hotspot buzzing with hip boutiques and concept stores, candlelit wine bars, nouveau-Georgian restaurants, cafés, sultry drinking dens, delicious hidden courtyards, and gardens. This is mainly thanks to the forward-thinking Temur Ugulava, Founder of Adjara Arch Group, who has revolutionised Georgia's hospitality industry and helped turn the Vera neighbourhood into Tbilisi's modern nerve centre for fashion, food, and the arts.

Adjara has successfully and sensitively incorporated the building's history into the design. The result is an effortlessly stylish mix of old-world Tbilisi charm and 1930s New York style that is a perfect fit with the warehouse/ loft-like architecture of the property.

Whereas Rooms Hotel has an intimate members club atmosphere, Stamba is where you will find the building's quirkier elements, including the Communist-era print-drying beam. The industrial grandeur of the twentieth-century Brutalist framework is complemented by nostalgic nods to the roaring 1920s and glamorous 1930s, tied together with a fresh take on contemporary elements.

Adjara removed the floors, forming an industrial skeleton of raw concrete beams. A soaring atrium is crowned by a glass-bottomed roof pool, suspended above and visible from the ground floor upwards. All are brought to life and softened by lush hanging plants, living trees, antique chandeliers, buttery-hued leather sofas, towering shelves filled with vintage books, and Georgian art publications. The water casts rays of light, making it even more spectacular. Several internal steel balconies serve as viewing platforms overlooking the stunning atrium. It's absolutely staggering.

The gorgeous guest rooms epitomise industrial luxe, as showcased in the images. The walls throughout display works of art created by Georgian artists. The hotel's common spaces are open to the city's residents in a true communal spirit.

One of the coolest things about Stamba Hotel is that local artists can use one of the wings of the building for free as exhibition spaces and workshops, nurturing Tbilisi's creatives. D Block has a series of collaborative studios, artist-in-residence spaces, an exhibition hall, and the Tbilisi Photo and Multimedia Museum.

Café Stamba is a visual feast of gorgeous eye candy décor with distinctive mint-green leatherette vintage booths, Soviet-era pendant lamps, blue brick walls, and lush planting. A wonderful setting to savour their delicious finger-licking Georgian classics, including Chakapuli (lamb stew), a divine cheese-filled fluffy flatbread straight from the oven with a soft egg on top, and a range of tasty Western-style dishes. At the back, you'll find Shio Ramen, an open kitchen with floor-to-ceiling metal shelving and red leather seats, with a menu based on Asian specialities focussing on in-house noodles and broth. Wash it all down with local wines. Georgia has an eight-thousand-year history of winemaking, and it's all delicious.

To the side, the glamourous Pink Bar is a delightfully sophisticated bar topped with a fabulous crystal chandelier and one of the city's hottest drinking dens spotlighting distilled spirits like Georgian limoncello and Sarajishvili cognac. The Chocolaterie & Roastery is an epicurean edit with a bean-to-bar concept. Espresso-based drinks complement delectable handmade artisan chocolates.

The adjacent terrace is the perfect place to soak up the convivial vibe. Further into the garden, the Garden Amphitheatre & Bar hosts music, theatre, fashion, and cinematic events. An intriguing pink glow entices you to the Space Farm, a vertical farm lit like a nightclub for plants. Georgia's first vertical farm is where organic leafy greens, edible flowers, strawberries, and miniature vegetables are grown for the hotel's all-day café. The rooftop and the magnificent pool have a series of treatment rooms for massages, a gym, and a terrace with unrivalled views of Vera and beyond.

Casino Aviator fuels the Georgians' appetite for gambling. A show-stopping Art Deco-come-roaring-twenties-themed casino adorned with crystal chandeliers and croupiers in red, replete with airline crew-inspired uniforms, resembles the grand European gaming houses — with references to the golden age of aviation. Blackjack, poker, and roulette tables are juxtaposed by library walls, contemporary art, and salvaged concrete ceilings. The casino has two distinct bar areas, each with 24-hour service, serving inventive cocktails designed by Stamba's expert mixologists. An additional private gaming space for high rollers is situated on the fourth floor with access to the rooftop terrace.

What is most fun is that both properties share each other's facilities. You can happily wander from one to the other, picking the best spots for a particular time of day.

The Kitchen restaurant serves the most amazing breakfasts, which are an absolute treat. A mix of buffet and made-to-order options are served with a leisurely laid-back vibe. There is a moody cocktail bar, and just across the road, Lolita is a staggering space with a super-sized courtyard. Ugulava's passion for cultural authenticity and his unique, avant-garde approach to design successfully turned each property into a proud showcase of a new Georgia. Stamba and Rooms Hotels celebrate Tbilisi's ever-evolving identity as a hotbed of talent and originality. The hotels present a multifaceted experience that feeds your soul, inspires, relaxes, and envelopes you in welcoming Georgian hospitality. They are so much more than mere hotel rooms.

AFRICA MEETS ASIA AT WU SHAN RETREAT, CHINA

Emerging from the dense green valley of Anji County in Zhejiang Province, China, the stone-hewn form of Wu Shan Retreat becomes one with nature.

Designed by Joburg-based Peter Rich Architects, the project is the next addition to the internationallyrecognised firm’s diverse portfolio of projects, including museums, cultural and community buildings, housing projects, and sustainable neighbourhoods. Best known for winning World Building of the Year 2009 at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona for Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre and having an entire exhibition dedicated to his beautiful architectural drawings at the Venice Biennale in 2018, Peter Rich is no stranger to working abroad, having projects and proposals in Chicago, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

He is committed to designing with, not for, clients through a committed process of spending quality time engaged with those for whom he is designing. But perhaps most noteworthy, Peter Rich Architects challenges the traditional design narrative, flipping the script to an era where African architecture and home-grown ideas are increasingly influencing the international stage.

We have a client in China who, through our website and publication of our work, identified us as architects who design legacy projects. Our client, Weiping Jin, is an extraordinary individual. He produces high-end padded winter coats for the Russian and Italian markets as his core business and has always wanted to be an architect. It is his vision to contest the prevalence of international brand name hotels in the beautiful Anji mountain region of southeastern China by building a bespoke nature retreat that is tactile and timeless. He wants holidaymakers from Shanghai and Hangzhou, which are 200 km and 65 km away respectively, to be able to come and engage with nature in an authentic way.

The retreat that he aims to build must not only be in synergy with nature but must also be compatible with things that are important in Chinese culture: the dragon, the phoenix, and yin and yang to name a few. These mythical creatures and philosophical concepts are norms in Chinese culture and often overlooked by local architects. This compelled Jin to look for foreign architects who would have a fresh take on the spectacular natural context and rich cultural heritage.

From the inception of the project in 2016, Jin realised the importance of establishing a remarkable landscape before pursuing the revenue earning accommodation components of the retreat. He had visited Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town and been to our own garden in Johannesburg, which both showcase the possibilities of landscaping, gardening, and stone masonry and served as a source of inspiration for what he was attempting to do in China. He realised that before he got older, he needed to intensely immerse himself in creativity and establish a worthwhile discourse with other creative people in order to achieve his dream.

It was a huge learning curve for us. Firstly, there was the language obstacle, as the client couldn't speak English and everything had to be translated. This was a very lengthy process. Secondly, the vast distance of the expedition had its own limitations. To overcome these difficulties, Jin invited us to China to experience the site first-hand and employed a translator to assist with the language barrier.

When we met Jin, we realised that he had a Zen-type sensibility when he worked with stone. Even though Zen is a Japanese concept, we started searching for a Chinese equivalent. Jin had sensibility at a physical scale of making stone pathways and I started to draw the pathways and explore concepts through drawing. I drew long drawings inspired by Chinese prints and the drawings started taking on a Chinese composition as the vegetation and mountains were very different to where we came from in Africa.

Both client and architect used hand drawings as a conversation tool to communicate conceptual ideas. It is unusual that you have a client who communicates with sketches and we would respond with sketches of our own, until both parties were in agreement with the idea.

We explored the vernacular architecture in nearby villages, looking for clues in the old towns where thresholds of entry and articulation of space reveal traditional cultural practices.

The difficulty we had was that, when designing a retreat, you normally have a master plan and operators who are brought on board. However, Jin kept the operators away and didn't want them to limit our creativity. This was also the first major development that he had worked on, and he had to learn that there are often conflicts of interest when assuming the role of both owner and operator.

Our mandate was to complete conceptual design and design development stages only and then hand over to a local architect of record who would liaise with the Chinese authorities and complete the construction drawings based on our designs. Even though the architect of record has stayed true to our designs for the most part, we haven’t had control over the interiors, which perhaps we would have handled differently. You learn very quickly as an architect that you can’t control every aspect of a project.

The project has been in progress for seven years now and we are very fortunate to have this ongoing stream of work continue through COVID-19. Jin has realised that he wants to work with us for the rest of his life as he loves what we have done so far. A mistake many Chinese developers make is they copy designs from elsewhere in the world. I taught Jin that you don't have to copy but you can take the essence of an idea that you've seen elsewhere and reinterpret it in the new context, so it takes on an added meaning. And that’s the important lesson here.

There was no overall master plan and no clear brief, which was often frustrating. Creative decisions were made in a collaborative way as the project progressed. Jin sincerely believed that Buddha had brought my son, Rogan, and I into his life, and often spoke about how we had arrived in China at exactly the right time in his life to inspire him to build something significant that would inspire future generations long after his lifetime.

We transferred an African thing into an Asian thing. It's a hybridised situation that is not multicultural but specifically Chinese. The hybridisation of materiality and that sort of thing we've learned from our wellspring of work that we have done in Africa and now we have found relevance for translating it with a whole new sensibility in Asia.

PETER RICH Architect and Founder Peter Rich Architects

www.peterricharchitects.com

@peter.rich.architects

CHANGING LANDSCAPES

ISTANBUL'S URBAN EVOLUTION

As landscape architects, we strive to perfect the design of urban public spaces — a seemingly impossible task. ‘You cannot design for everyone’ is a phrase I have heard and used myself when looking at how to approach these spaces. But who are we to choose who to design for? Sure, we can look at statistics to get an understanding of the demographics, but who is to say that in five to ten years’ time that particular group of people will still be the ones using the public space you designed?

If the only constant is change, is it possible to design spaces that can adapt to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving 21st-century society?

The United Arab Emirates, where I currently apply my trade, is sometimes guilty of implementing urban public space to suit a single purpose or a very specific group of people. With such a unique and expanding expat population, it becomes difficult to determine who these people will be in the next five years, which often results in the underutilisation, or even neglect, of these spaces, regardless of how admirable the initial intentions were.

South Africa, not dissimilar to the UAE in many ways, undergoes constant change, both rapid and gradual. This necessitates a certain robustness of design to attempt to ensure that, if the people we originally designed for are no longer the people using this space, the space can be adapted or changed to suit the needs of the new occupants.

"A LOT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THESE SPACES, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH AFRICA. WE NEED TO BE DESIGNING URBAN PUBLIC SPACES WITH SIMPLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY THAT CATER TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT NEEDS."

So, in this ever-developing world, how do we go about the daunting task of designing for change? I think the trick is to look towards historical cities to find the answer; queue a flight to Istanbul, Türkiye, a city that has technically been around since 330 AD. Although this is not a history lesson, it is important to understand the age of the city to understand how the urban fabric, and therefore the urban public spaces, has remained relevant to this culturally diverse population as well as a rich array of camera and smartphone wielding tourists such as myself.

From mosque squares, bridges, bridge underpasses, waterside promenades, and plazas, to single-lane cobbled streets flanked by cafés and bars and adorned with graffiti and the odd sleeping cat, Istanbul has a diverse offering of public spaces for each and every inhabitant — including the four-legged variety.

It is this diversity of space that, I think, makes Istanbul such a fantastic precedent for how to approach urban public space design and planning that will withstand the test of time and even the occasional siege.

When I visited these spaces, they were jam-packed with people going about their business at all hours of the day. Bear in mind that this was in the middle of winter: it was cold and it was raining. Ironically, one of the only contemporary pieces of landscape architecture that I came across on my journey, Shishane Park by SANALarc, had completely fallen into disrepair and contained not a soul, except for the woman playing her violin; a scene not dissimilar to the one in the James Cameron classic, The Titanic.

Sinking ships aside, this begs the question: what has contributed to the longevity of so much of the urban landscape in Istanbul? Well, in my opinion, the answer is simple. These spaces are just that: simple.

Enough trees to provide the necessary shade during the day, enough space for people to sit without being disturbed by others on the move, wide enough to allow bicycles, e-scooters, strollers, and the occasional motorbike through without experiencing the impending dread of collision. No thrills, no fuss, just well-planned urban public space that caters to anyone, anything, and a wide array of activities, ranging from selling kebabs, roasted chestnuts, and genuine fake watches to parking a car on a bridge to cast a fishing line into the Bosporus for hours on end, simply because the bridge was designed to be wide enough to do this without impeding day-to-day commutes. Seemingly little regulation and a very small police presence, thanks to the passive surveillance of the plethora of wandering eyes, meant that these spaces had a feeling of true ‘public-ness’ sans the feeling of ‘unsafe-ness’.

Too often I feel, we, the troubled landscape architects, try to overdesign landscapes, and I think part of that is because we are trying to make our voices heard in a world where, generally, only we understand our true value. A lot can be learned from these spaces, especially in South Africa. We need to be designing urban public spaces with simple materials and technology that cater to a variety of different needs — not to fulfil each of them directly, but because they are designed to be adaptable and robust to meet the needs of the people who happen to currently occupy them as well as the people who may occupy them in the future.

GARRICK NELISSEN Senior Landscape Architect desert

The Side Dish

Uncovering India ’ s Street Secrets

Being a passionate foodie, raised in a family that travelled first with their bellies and then with their eyes, I have eaten my way through many a city. Restaurants, cafés, and fine-dining establishments certainly have their place, but it’s my experience that, if you really want to get the feel of a city, you must immerse yourself in the culture. Eat where the locals eat, eat how the locals eat. Some of the best meals I’ve had in my life were beyond the walls of a restaurant, contained rather by decaying buildings on either side of a courtyard or bustling road; or at informal markets where architecture provides the scaffolding for a food network with a life of its own.

Coming from the ‘West’, India is quite accosting at first. From the minute you cross the threshold at the airport — moving from a clean, calm proficiency where floors are tiled smooth and walls have shiny glazing — you enter into another world. Your body is immediately met by the slam-dunk of spices, torrid heat, and the whizzing of a billion people, bikes, animals, and cars — a right assault on the senses.

Taj Mahal

Spices From The Market

Visiting the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, I was struck by the grandeur and marvel of this curvaceous sculpted marble icon. But the lasting sensory memory I had is that of an oxymoron. The contrast between what lies within its sprawling gates and what lies beyond it is profound. One is constantly reminded of the wealth and poverty of India. Grand temples and mausoleums, often missing chunks of marble or disrespected with dirty laundry stand proudly, adorned with thousands of semi-precious stones or hand-painted tiles.

Outside in the courtyard of a restaurant contained by tall walls and decorative arches casting shadows of a past empire, I was introduced to the imarti. These gleaming deep-fried, syrup-drenched sculptural sweets of sorts seemed to me to be the echo of a golden age. You could almost taste the opulence of a bygone era.

IMARTI ( Golden deep-fried syrup SWEET )

I think the vibrancy which is representative of the Indian culture carries through to the sensory explosions of food and is translated into a nuanced built form. Texture, pattern, colour, and boldness are traits of the food and architecture of India alike. The play of light and shadow, solid and void of a hand-carved jali screen is reminiscent to me of the play between the soft and crunchy imarti or the taste of sweet and spicy chilli-dusted fruit. The essence of the contradictory sensory experiences felt within the city is as much present in the food as it is in the streets.

Jali Screen

I’ve always found, and I’m sure if you’ve travelled that you’ll agree with me, that my memory of a place is so intricately linked to the sensations of taste, smell, and sight. Often you will return home, and years later even, eat something that immediately transports you back to that moment in time — where you were, what was around you; the architectural stage which contained the experience.

It’s not uncommon in these tactile third-world countries to be left with the feeling that the buildings live more outward than inward. The façades that line a busy street are often containers, no more than noble sentries to the life facilitated beyond their walls. The experience of place is found in the spaces between the buildings — the alluring side alleys from which the other-worldly smells of undiscovered food emanate. These smells draw you through the city, resulting in the unpretentious exploration of a place through the guidance of your tastebuds.

JUST PASSING THROUGH

When taking the road lesser travelled, visitors may stumble upon narrow winding alleys, hole-in-the-wall shops embellished with carved sandstone patterns and geometric motifs, and humble homes wearing the remnants of time. The common denominator? Every layered detail tells a different story, singing of bygone eras, whispering the secret of what makes India’s buildings tick, and often speaking louder than the grand temples captured through selfie sticks. One thing is certain, there is no shortage of unique elements and entrances to glean inspiration from.

Doors for one, despite their simplicity in function, play a crucial role in architecture and culture. Throughout the rise and fall of history, empires have built massive arched portals to greet visitors or commemorate significant events, while the doors of religious buildings were elaborately adorned to fend off evil. In India's traditional architecture system of Vastu Shastra, doors and thresholds hold a particularly deep spiritual meaning.

LIFE IN TRANSIT

TRAVELLING THROUGH THE JEWEL OF THE ORIENT

Size: 38 500 m²

Location: Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore

With its iconic toroidal architecture, lush gardens, unique shopping and dining experiences, and 40-metre-long indoor waterfall straight out of a scene in Jurassic Park, Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) is a multi-dimensional entertainment and lifestyle destination for Singapore residents and international travellers to enjoy.

The award-winning landmark on Singapore’s skyline boasts a biophilic design that becomes an extension of the city's reputation of being a ‘City in a Garden’. Changi Airport Group originally set out to transform the airport from being just an air transport node to a destination in and of itself. As such, the ultimate aim of the project was to capture tourism mindshare by enticing travellers to choose Singapore as their preferred stopover. The 135 700 m² (floor area) complex comprises a total of ten storeys — five above ground and five basement storeys — integrated with live, work, and play attractions all under one roof.

The dome-shaped roof façade is a contiguous grid shell supported by a ring of 14 tree-like columns and a ring beam at the edge of the roof. The special high-performance architectural glass material used in the façade has the dual ability of transmitting light and reducing heat gain, thus enabling plant growth in the indoor gardens while providing sustainable cooling.

Each glass panel also has a 16 mm air gap to insulate against noise emitted from aircraft and ensure that sound levels within the building are kept to a minimum. Likewise, a series of tests and research were conducted to guarantee that the glare emitted off the glass surface will not interfere with the daily operations of air traffic controllers as well as aircraft approaching the two runways at Changi Airport.

Jewel façade

"Each glass panel also has a 16 mm air gap to insulate against noise emitted from aircraft and ensure that sound levels within the building are kept to a minimum."

Central connector

Based on the geometry of a torus, Jewel is designed as a central connector between the airport terminals at Changi Airport. Jewel is directly accessible from the Terminal 1 Arrival Hall and linked to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 via link bridges. Those entering the complex from the main drop-off point and the terminal linkages are greeted with themed gateway gardens to start their Jewel journey.

Natural forest environment

Home to more than 2000 trees and palms and over 100 000 shrubs, the airport has 120 different species originating from countries such as Australia, China, Malaysia, Spain, Thailand, and the USA.

Before being shipped to Singapore, the trees had to undergo pruning to fit into sea containers. After arrival, they were cared for at an off-site nursery as they adjusted to the tropical weather of Singapore. The procurement of the trees took nearly a year, followed by two more years of local nursing to ensure they thrive in the humidity, light, and temperature of Jewel’s indoor climate.

MEET THE TEAM

Developer: Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand

Principal architect: Safdie Architects

Local architect: RSP Architects Planners & Engineers

Landscape architect: PWP Landscape Architecture and ICN Design

Waterfall in the sky

Located in the heart of the Jewel at the apex of the glass roof is an oculus that showers water down to the centre of the building, creating the majestic HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Rainwater is funnelled into the waterfall and harvested for landscape irrigation systems.

Valleys and canyons

The Shiseido Forest Valley is a terraced garden attraction that offers many spatial and interactive experiences for visitors, including quiet seating areas surrounded by stunning greenery and a retail marketplace accessed through a series of vertical canyons. Two nature trails meander through the gardens, climbing 30 metres from bottom to top. Visitors can take a gentle hike up the cobblestoned East and West Trail, punctuated by idyllic cascading waterfalls and mist clouds which add to the Valley’s whimsical atmosphere. The shrubs are shade-tolerant and have adapted to space constraints, akin to understorey plants in real forests.

Canopy comfort

Located on Jewel’s topmost level, the Canopy Park is a 14 000 m² space featuring play attractions, themed gardens, and dining outlets in climate-controlled comfort.

"Jewel’s indoor greenery occupies a total area of 21 000 m² within the development, enjoyed by millions of passengers in transit areas."

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