10 IVANHOE STREET IN CAPE TOWN COMPLETED BY ALAB ARCHITECTS
All buildings need to respond positively to their context. It is one of the fundamental principles of good architecture. The context of this site in Oranjezicht was multilayered. Historic buildings such as Waterhof and Leeuwenhof sit alongside apartment buildings from the 1960s to 1980s, institutional buildings such as the UCT women’ s residences and the SA Children’ s Home, single residential houses, restaurants, and retail stores, all within a two-block radius. In addition, the site is bordered by roads on two sides: Ivanhoe Street to the south, where movement is slower and predominantly pedestrian, and Hof Street to the north, where movement is faster and primarily vehicular.
Developed and designed by alab Architects, the architectural response therefore needed to be equally layered, in order to complement such a rich and varied setting. This response included the building’ s height, massing, façade articulation, roofscape, openings, and materiality. The intention was for the building to remain secondary to its surroundings— to disappear as much as possible rather than draw attention to itself.
The architects achieved this by treating the building as two halves, split along the east-west axis in both plan and section. The northern half, facing Table Mountain and Hof Street, was raised off the ground, creating parking along the busier, less urban edge, while simultaneously lifting the penthouse living space to the highest point within the approved envelope in order to maximise views of Table Mountain and the expansive gardens of Leeuwenhof. The southern, city-facing half was grounded on Ivanhoe Street, responding to the slower, more pedestrian and residential character of that edge, as well as to the historic frangipani tree, which was preserved.
Façade openings were deliberately kept relatively small and vertically proportioned, while balconies were
recessed to provide shade to the larger glazed elements. This reduces reflection and references the plastered, vertically proportioned openings of the historic façades of Waterhof and Leeuwenhof.
At roofscape level, the new articulated roof was designed to match the eaves height of the apartment building on Ivanhoe Street, creating a more comfortable fit for the new building within its context. The scale of the Ivanhoe Street façade was further reduced by expressing a three-storey plastered brick façade, while recessing the fourth floor to create balconies for the penthouse bedroom level. Each apartment is unique and responds individually to its orientation and views.
We all know that it takes an immense amount of grit and determination to carry an initial idea or design concept through to construction, especially in an environment as complex as the City Bowl, with its multiple layers of planning, building, and heritage approvals. It took roughly seven years to bring this project to completion, five of which were spent obtaining local authority approval.
6 News Watch