African Design Magazine ADM #42 July 2018 | Page 45

CTBUH TALL BUILDING AWARDS
an international platformand compete
against the very best in the world. We
wanted to highlight the depth of the talent
and expertise on the continent and the
CTBUH award is a great testament to the
entire project team,” says Noble.
He continues that the award review
focuses on sustainable urban design,
which is of significant relevance for the
Waterfront as the building sits within
a 300 acre mixed use harbour and the
surrounding context of the building is as
important as the building itself.
“It was a challenging undertaking, and
there were very loud calls for the original
structure’s demolition. There’s no surprise
as to why – it’s valuable real estate, and
much less risky to build something new.
But our response to that was, why would
you do that? It was the mix of old and new
that drew us to the project, and there’s
multiple layers of history there. We didn’t
want to wipe the slate clean, and what
would you replace it with that has this
much power?”
There are a number of elements which
Noble feels exemplify the design intent of
the building. “Conceptually, this is a not-
for-profit public museum which has been
developed by a public-private entity, the
V&A Waterfront. We are justifiably proud
of how the project came to be,
in partnership with collector
Jochen Zeitz, who provided
the founding collection to the
Museum on long-term loan.
Architecturally, I would have to
say that the faceted windows
externally are pro minent
and provide animation to the
elevations. In addition, the
internal structural gymnastics
of the atrium carved out of the
original silo tubes creates a
superb moment of drama.”
Noble says that it is a
tremendous honour for Zeitz
MOCAA to be recognised
by global peers and is a
clear demonstration of the vision and
dedication of the Waterfront and its
shareholders; Growthpoint and the Public
Investment Corporation (PIC).
Antony Wood, CTBUH Executive Director
and Awards Juror says: “Zeitz MOCAA
embodies the importance of restoring
original structures in cities, as a matter
of environmental stability, as well as an
ethical and visionary approach to cultural
heritage.”
All photographs supplied by CTBUH
Article by Allyson Koekhoven
AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © | JULY 2018
45