Its façades are a study in composition and craftsmanship: hardwood and plate-glass shopfronts framed by tiled masonry piers and wrought-iron grilles at street level; a series of arched, circular and rectangular window openings articulated across plastered wall surfaces above; decorative banding and a deep cantilevered cornice defining the upper floors.
The top storey, with its arched, round windows, projecting eaves with Spanish tiles and circular openings, adds a sense of play and lightness to the solid masonry below. Even the interiors once carried this aesthetic into their colour palette and finishes, creating a coherent architectural language from street to ceiling.
Over the decades, as the city’ s commercial centre shifted and modern office buildings rose around it, Venice House retained its quiet dignity. By the time the project began, its façade still held its charm, but the interior spaces required careful renewal. The building fell within the City of Cape Town’ s Heritage Protection Overlay Zone( HPOZ), meaning any intervention needed to respect its original structure and material logic.
The architectural approach The design approach was guided by restraint and respect. The goal was to retain as much of the original splendour as possible while adapting the building for modern living. The exterior was to remain almost untouched: its weathered plaster and ornate details restored rather than replaced. Inside, the structural grid provided a natural rhythm for the new apartment layouts. Working within that frame allowed the introduction of efficient, comfortable living spaces
74 Venice House