Q & A with Source IBA Creative Director,
Mardre Meyer
serendipitous full-circle moment, Evon
was commissioned to produce hand
drawn sketches of the urban scenes
around the building that will be printed
as full-scale wall-art throughout the
building.
What would you say will be
the most noticeable feature of the
interiors?
Architectural sensitivity. The building has
a lot of history – from the site which is
where the ocean met the beach before the
foreshore reclamation, to its architectural
influences derived from what is now
Mutual Heights. The building itself
referenced a bygone era, which meant
that the revised scheme references other
references of its architectural history,
urban landscape and setting.
What was the brief?
Unlike most projects, neither the
client nor the operator approached us
with a set aesthetic brief. Instead, this
developed fairly organically from excited
discussions regarding the significance
of the building, its unique position and
what it could add to the larger hotel
offering within the Mother City. From
there, Source IBA researched a variety of
elements, structured some broad ideas
and presented this to all the parties
mentioned. This became the brief.
24
Source IBA’s very own Evon Smuts-Rogers
designed the original building for Old
Mutual during her time as a partner at
Louis Karol Architects. To celebrate this
africandesignmagazine.com
How would you describe the theme
of the project?
A tailored, well-appointed view of urban
Cape Town. A contemporary environment
with a sense of old school glamour. The
scheme developed from themes directly
related to the site:
A more realistic view of Cape Town
Rather than work from idealistic images
of turquoise beaches, sunny days and a
holiday destination, the scheme explored
the reality of what Cape Town offers. As
‘The Cape of Storms’, the ocean is often
tumultuous and in shades of inky navy
blues; the city regularly disappears in
a majestic thick mist that leaves only
the tops of skyscrapers visible, and this
location is all about Cape Town as a
bustling metropolis.
Expanding the referencing of Art Deco
elements
Originally commissioned for Old Mutual’s
move from what is now Mutual heights,
the building referenced this Art Deco