Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 74

Norval Foundation, Westlake, Cape Town
OTHER DEVELOPMENT
The Norval Foundation is located on the slopes of
the Constantiaberg mountains and is a multi-sensory
celebration of art, architecture and landscape. The project
provided a unique opportunity for the architects through a
client brief with the aspiration to create a world-class art
and cultural centre in an exceptional location that would be
open to the public. The Norval family are the founders and
initial funders of the foundation, whose vision is to create
a self-sustainable centre for the arts with the support of
future donors. Designed to international standards it is
expected to become a significant space for art both in
South Africa and globally.
The site incorporates an incredibly sensitive existing
wetland ecosystem that had been historically neglected.
The wetland was completed rehabilitated, with alien
species removed and embankments shaped to improve
the water course. The wetland and its surrounding buffer
zones have been revived and replanted with locally
indigenous fynbos, enhanced by other indigenous plants
and naturalised species.
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Design Concept
The Norval Foundation was envisioned by the architects as
a modern pavilion for art, set against a dramatic mountain
and vineyard landscape. It is a pure expression of form;
a bold rectangular mass, delineating its heavy walled
enclosure and light, over-sailing roof.
The building is constrained by the linear site, between
a busy road and an existing wetland; turning its back
to a neighbouring embassy compound. The linear
circulation spine is positioned along this edge, with the
galleries and public spaces facing the natural landscape,
capturing framed views of the wetland, vineyards and
mountains beyond.
The building sits in an elevated position, and shields
the wetland, creating a private space for the sculpture
park and forms an inhabited threshold between public
and private zones. A triple volume atrium establishes a
deliberate visual connection between these zones; one
urban, the other natural, and provides a physical transition
between these contrasting environments.
SAPOA Awards