Architect and Builder Jan/Feb 2023 | Page 29

The Design The split zoning scheme parameters on the site resulted in a stepped form of the building that allowed Vivid to sculpt and articulate the architecture to mitigate against a monolithic form with crafted upper level setbacks , terraces and gardens . The lower front portion facing Kloof Street is 10 storeys whilst the rear portion has an extra 2 floors that accommodate more residential apartments overlooking the front with two spectacular luxury penthouses .
The early conceptual reference to the old Tramway station link influenced the materiality and detail of the architecture as a more robust , bold and quasi industrial palette of finishes and tones .
The Station House façade is sculpturally articulated in a simple palette of robust honest finishes . Sophisticated elements of the randomly aligned aluminium façade screens is offset with elements of raw off-shutter concrete and black painted fair-face brickwork . These finishes are then complemented by the lightness and transparency of full height black aluminium glazed shopfronts , timber accent walls and well curated landscaping . The finishes and colour specified highlight the two tiers of the building . The base has been conceived as a darker more grounded design , whereas the building sets back at the upper levels and is finished in a lighter colour and texture .
The requirement of air conditioning apartments individually as opposed to a centralised system created the challenge of how to locate and conceal them on the balconies so as not to be
an eyesore . The architects conceptualised an aluminium vertical screen element supported on an aluminium fascia fixed to the slab edges to allow the AC units to be housed and accessed on each and every balcony . This screen element gives the building yet another layer of detail and
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