OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WINNER
Radisson RED Hotel, V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront approached the architects in 2014
with a brief to develop a new, mid-range hotel on the site
known as No 6 Silo, situated in the Silo District.
The new Zeitz MOCAA in the centre of the District
was envisaged as becoming “a new architectural icon for
the exhibition and preservation of contemporary Art from
Africa”. This museum has become a key design informant
for the rest of the District and all buildings around were
expected to take design cues from this building. The
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was awarded the operational
rights for a Radisson RED Hotel with 252 rooms.
Interior Design
The selection of materials and finishes for the interior
design combines an industrial look and feel, with exposed
soffits and services in high volume public areas together
with the contemporary slick yet simple colourful design
aesthetic envisaged for the Radisson RED brand. This
concept represents a contemporary aesthetic - funky,
youthful, energetic and creative, combining art, music
and fashion for a unique guest experience.
Owner & Developer: V&A Waterfront
Project Managers: Mace Management Services
Quantity Surveyors: MLC Quantity Surveyors
Architects: DesignSpaceAfrica; Peerutin
Interior Design Architects:
Graven (Dublin); Source (Cape Town)
Structural Engineers: Arup (No 6 Silo);
Sutherland (Basement Car Park)
Façade Engineer: Arup (No 6 Silo)
Electrical Engineers: Sutherland (No 6 Silo);
SolutionStation (Basement Car Park);
Arup (Basement Car Park)
Acoustic Consultant: SRL
Sustainable Building Consultants: Arup
Wet Services: Sutherland Engineers
Independent Commissioning Agent:
Matrix Consulting Services
Landscape Architect: Planning Partners
Main Contractor:
NMC (No 6 Silo) & WBHO (Basement Car Park)
Historic Context
After receiving the brief, the history of the Silo District was
researched in order for the architects to better understand
the design imperatives. The concept for No 6 Silo was
derived in direct response to the historic setting and the
design guidelines that prescribed an industrial/warehouse
and semi-industrial character of the Silo District.
When one considers the original design of the grain silo
and elevator buildings, it is clear that exposed industrial
components define the character of the building. All these
architectural considerations define the design in a manner
which complements the Radisson RED design aesthetic.
Like most of the buildings on the Silo District, No 6
Silo has been built on top of a super basement parking
garage. This means that the concrete slab and columns of
the parking garage form the foundations and main support
for the Hotel. As a consequence, the Hotel does not have
the typical ‘porte-cochère zone’ and vehicular parking and
access is provided from the super basement with a direct
shuttle lift leading to the pedestrian boulevard.
The architectural design reflects a combination of an
industrial and robust architecture of a semi-industrial
harbour District, but also in dialogue with the refurbished
Grain Silo building which forms the heart of the new Silo
District. This dialogue is expressed through the contrast
between a robust brick, industrial and modern aesthetic
with metal components combined with glass and metal
sheeting to integrate a container type design feel which
is characteristic of production warehouses and the
harbour environment.
The design also captures the character of the Radisson
RED brand, which is represented by a contemporary
aesthetic which is youthful and combines art, music and
fashion with an African flavour expressed both in the
architecture and interior design. The design brief for the
Radisson RED brand seeks to achieve an unconventional
appeal both in terms of design and guest experience.
68
SAPOA Awards