Architect and Builder January/February 2016 | Page 53
The varied use of glass,
lighting, wooden cladding
and pergolas on each
façade has ensured that all
the ‘layers’ of the building
form a cohesive entity
Design
One of the major considerations with regards
to design, was establishing the connection with
the street. Once the street level design was in
place, attention could be paid to maximising the
bulk requirements of the developer on the upper
levels. The upper storeys were an exercise in
mitigation and balancing between the design and
maximising the square meterage requirements.
Vertical Cores
The binding elements are the vertical cores,
which, once the decision was made to move
them to the exterior corners, provided a link
between the base and the superstructure.
The two main structural and service cores
act as ‘book ends’ and allowed the corners
to be expressed as key components of the
façade design.
As a result of this, the corner of the building
on Strand and Chiappini Streets is one of the
most striking aspects of the design. The two
cores at opposite ends of the building have
become design features in their own right . The
‘Sky Bar’ joins the two at roof level, forming a
distinctive band across the vertical mass.
The placement of the cores also allowed for
an open atrium within the centre of the building
and more flexible scope within the design.
Due to the changing demands on the building
in terms of usage and tenancy throughout
the build process, the design often had to be
modified. As the central core of the building was
appointable, usable space, the design was more
easily adaptable.
The scale of the superstructure façade was
adjusted depending on the orientation. The
The Mirage
façade facing up towards the Waterkant and
Bo Kaap differs in scale and setback from the
façades facing towards the CBD. There was
also an attempt to bring the character found
in Hudson Street through the building onto the
more utilitarian cityscape of Chiappini Street.
The 2,000m2 shopping precinct connects
both Hudson and Chiappini Street at street level.
Entering from Chiappini Street up a generous
staircase, shops and restaurants provide the link
through the core of the building. The restaurants
have balconies opening onto the street, allowing
the building to connect actively with pedestrian
traffic. There are separate entrances for the
private apartments and the hotel.
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