having to provide superb sea views for all office
suites along with generous balconies which had
to be designed to take advantage of genius loci of
the neighbourhood.
Concept
The spatial planning of Ridge 7 was conceptualised
around giving office users uninterrupted sprawling
ocean views towards Umhlanga Village and
Durban. Office suites on the Southern part of
the site were positioned to have vista views
over Ridgeside and towards the sea. Ridge 7
sits apart from its neighbouring buildings and is
Ridge 7
the focal point of the southern traffic circle. The
architectural language is dynamic, crisp and clean.
The multi-faceted glazed façades and expansive
balconies create an interesting tension between
solid and void.
The building form was designed to read as
one form, creating a seamless transition between
parking structures and office spaces. Two white,
lightweight office wing “boxes” are connected
with a solid, rising vertical circulation core which
enhances the solid and void concept. The floor
plate layouts had to be shaped consistently
throughout the building to create a sense of
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