THE HERRINGBONE
THE HERRINGBONE Salt River
CLIENTS Divercity Urban Property Group Twin City
ARCHITECT & PRINCIPAL AGENT GASS Architecture Studios
QUANTITY SURVEYOR Matla Quantity Surveyors
CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER EDS Engineering Design Services
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER OneZero Consulting
MECHANICAL & WET SERVICES ENGINEER IZAZI Consulting Engineers
FIRE ENGINEER Fenco Fire Engineers & Consultants
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Changuion Landscape Design
INTERIOR DESIGNER Acre Studio
HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANT Cairnmead Industrial Consultants
HERITAGE PRACTITIONER Prof. Em. Walter Peters
MAIN CONTRACTOR Tri-Star Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy of Tri-Star Courtesy of Divercity
The Herringbone is a mixed-use building in the Salt River Triangle between Woodstock and Observatory in Cape Town. The pentagonal site is unique, as it fronts onto the adjacent roads on all five sides. Historically, the area was a hub in the textile and clothing industry. The site itself had three industrial buildings on it, and the timber from the latticed bow-string trusses of one of these buildings has been repurposed and used as a cladding element within the entrance lobby.
The project embraces sustainable construction methods, including the reuse of reclaimed timber and the integration of passive solar strategies. Its double-use structure, with retail at the base and apartments above, creates an efficient spatial arrangement. Natural ventilation flows through the corridors, and structural articulation to reduce load redundancies contributes to a forward-thinking and cost-effective execution. Attention was paid to buildability, while also delivering architectural richness.
The Herringbone is a perimeter building with an open central courtyard, carved open on the north-facing façade to maximise natural light and fresh air throughout
62 The Herringbone