NEWS & VIEWS
former post office
Workshop17
The near-century-old structure is reimagined as a collaborative workspace, in a bold refurbishment, demonstrating how heritage buildings can remain powerful engines of community and economic life.
An icon of Muizenberg for more than 90 years, the suburb’ s former post office is entering a new chapter, one that carefully bridges heritage with modern patterns of work and connection by transforming into a collaborative workspace under the hand of industry experts, Workshop17( www. workshop17. com).
The original building which falls into the suburb’ s heritage overlay, was built in the 1930s to meet the needs of a burgeoning Muizenberg. At a time when the town was seen as the hinge between Cape Town and the far South, the then Public Works Department chose not to build another‘ utilitarian box’, but rather, an art-filled home to host the movement of letters, voices and ideas – not simply an upgrade to a growing suburb, but rather a civic statement.
At the heart of this building at the time was PWD architect, W. B. T. Newham. He was devoted to the idea that local art should be integrated into all public buildings( in particular ceramics) earning him the nickname of“ Potty Newham” because of his intense passion for the Ceramic Studio at Olifantsfontein. windows, and Cape-vernacular-meets-Art- Deco elements abound. The ceramic panels beautifully crafted by Isa Cameron at the Ceramic Studio in Olifantsfontein and inlaid into its bones reflect a landscape and local culture.
The two ceramic murals on the Main Road façade were intentional, fired into the stone as a permanent tribute to a time when communication was an act of faith, when connection depended on wind, water and trust. Nearly a century later, they endure against sea mist and salt air, carrying forward Muizenberg’ s story as part of an early network of connection.
For the refurbishment into a coworking space, the project architect and design team, Hoven Designs work hand in hand with property owners, Flip Floppers Pty Ltd( Mark Forrester, Chris Vella and Ant Saunders) and building contractors, W30, to repurpose the old Muizenberg Post Office. Workshop17 Muizenberg( www. workshop17. co. za / muizenberg) is aligned with its predecessor’ s purpose, a place that brings people, businesses, and ideas into conversation, carefully preserving the artefacts and memories of the past. It opens in the 3rd quarter 2026.
But Newham understood something profound – infrastructure shapes identity. If a community is to believe in itself, its buildings must reflect that belief. So, he insisted that this post office not only function efficiently but also speak to all those who use it.
Drawing from a rich heritage palette, he designed the prominent sea-facing second post office building in Muizenberg.“ Herbert Baker-style” elements of heavy, grounded, unmistakably local hammerdressed sandstone dominate with arched
12 autumn 2026 | www. tobuild. co. za