THE ONYX – JEWEL CITY

The Onyx is a 13-storey residential building, comprising 348 studio, 226 onebedroom, and 91 two-bedroom apartments. The significance of the project lies in the sheer number of units achieved within the constraints of the site and budget, making it an ambitious inner-city housing proposition. GASS Architecture Studios worked intensively to find creative architectural solutions to address the pressing need for more accessible, affordable gap housing. Some of the ways in which the architects have been able to achieve this are through a deep understanding of economy of space, structure, material, and cost.

Even within its self-imposed structural limits, such as the sheer concrete walls that limit future adaptability, the project created other benefits (e.g. generous floor-to-ceiling heights in addition to a large number of units). Throughout the almost dark utility of the finishes, the very rational system installations and fittings, and the essentialising of building infrastructures, the project demonstrates a good response to some of the gaps in the housing market for the diverse demographic it will serve. The building can be read as a manual in design efficiency, while still creating quality living and socialising environments. The result is an overall responsible and sustainable housing solution, designed in detail to exact economic standards. Its overall execution is a positive departure and deep critique of similar housing models and projects within the city and elsewhere, and is executed superbly.

GASS ARCHITECTURE STUDIOS www.gass.co.za