# CAPE TOWN | Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa | U/C



## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

Heatherwick Studio, based in London, is recognised internationally for projects including the UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, The London 2012 Olympic Cauldron, the New Bus for London and the redevelopment of Pacific Place, a 640,000m2 complex in the centre of Hong Kong.











Thomas Heatherwick said: “How do you turn forty-two vertical concrete tubes into a place to experience contemporary culture? Our thoughts wrestled with the extraordinary physical facts of the building. There is no large open space within the densely packed tubes and it is not possible to experience these volumes from inside. Rather than strip out the evidence of the building’s industrial heritage, we wanted to find a way to enjoy and celebrate it. We could either fight a building made of concrete tubes or enjoy its tube-iness”.

The solution developed by Heatherwick Studio was to carve galleries and a central circulation space from the silos’ cellular concrete structure to create an exceptionally spacious, cathedral-like central atrium filled with light from an overhead glass roof. The architects have cut a cross-section through eight of the central concrete tubes. The result will be an oval atrium surrounded by concrete shafts overhead and to the sides. Light streaming through the new glass roof will accentuate the roundness of the tubes. The chemistry of these intersecting geometries creates an extraordinary display of edges, achieved with advanced concrete cutting techniques. This atrium space will be used for monumental art commissions not seen in Africa until this construction.

The other silo bins will be carved away above ground level leaving the rounded exterior walls intact. Inside pristine white cubes will provide gallery spaces not only for the Zeitz MOCAA permanent collection, but also for international travelling exhibitions.

Imagine forty-two 33 metre high concrete tubes each with a diameter of 5.5 metres, with no open space to experience the volume from within.

Zeitz MOCAA will have 80 galleries, 18 education areas, a rooftop sculpture garden, a state of the art storage and conservation area, and Centres for Performative Practice, the Moving Image, Curatorial Excellence and Education. Heatherwick Studios have designed all the necessary amenities for a public institution of this scale including bookstores, a restaurant and bar, coffee shop, orientation rooms, a donors’ room, fellows’ room and various reading rooms.

The extraordinary collection of old underground tunnels will be re-engineered to create unusual education and site specific spaces for artists to dialogue with the original structure. Cylindrical lifts rise inside bisected tubes and stairs spiral upwards like giant drill bits. The shafts are capped with strengthened glass that can be walked over, drawing light down into the building.

The monumental façades of the silos and the lower section of the tower are maintained without inserting new windows. The thick layers of render and paint are removed to reveal the raw beauty of the original concrete.

From the outside, the greatest visible change is the creation of special pillowed glazing panels, inserted into the existing geometry of the grain elevator’s upper floors, which bulge outward as if gently inflated. By night, this transforms the building’s upper storeys into a glowing lantern or beacon in the harbour.

Renders:


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

*Who will build Cape Town’s iconic museum, MoCAA: Groundbreaking*
Posted by Jade Leaf on May 30, 2014 

Yesterday, the V&A Waterfront’s historical grain silos took a step forward to becoming the permanent home of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). FUTURE CAPE TOWN attended the official ground breaking today the V&A announced the local partners that will work alongside renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwick’s team in the R500 million transformation.

*Construction*

WBHO has been appointed as the lead construction contractor. For the past year and a half, they’ve had to test a complex construction process, as well as the feasibility of the design elements in this process.

*Project Managers*

MACE is the Principal Agent and Project Manager.

*Engineers*

Sutherland and Arup are the appointed structural engineers and Francis Archer from Arup London will lend his expertise to the technically challenging project. Archer was instrumental in the production of the Garden Bridge project over the Thames River in London, the new Scottish Parliament building and the impressive Hause für Musik und Musiktheater (MUMUTH) in Austria.

*Quantity Surveyor*

MLC has been appointed as the quantity surveyor.

*Local Design Team*

Van Der Merwe Miszewski (VDMMA), Rick Brown Associates (RBA) and Jacobs Parker are the three local architectural firms who will assist in bringing the innovative project to life, with Jacobs Parker responsible for the Museum fit out.

WBHO, MACE, Van Der Merwe Miszewski and Rick Brown Associates have all previously worked together as the team behind the 6 star Green Star SA Design rated No. 1 Silo and the 4 star Green Star rated No. 2 Silo buildings, adjacent to the Grain Silo complex.

In a first for Africa, Zeitz MOCAA will introduce Category A climate control in the galleries. The technology has been endorsed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and is used in internationally renowned galleries such as Pompdiou Metz, Pulitzer and Paul Klee. The technology offers the highest level of protection to a collection and is the most advanced climate control technology available at present. It will allow MOCAA to exhibit any piece of art, no matter how fragile.

Construction on the Grain Silo complex is due to be completed by late 2016. Zeitz MOCAA is expected to take occupancy in November 2016, with the museum officially opening to the public in February 2017.

Source


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

From the SA section 












Lydon said:


> *Waterfront museum gets off the ground*
> FRIDAY MAY 30, 2014
> 
> Construction officially started yesterday on the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz Mocaa), which will be housed in the Waterfront's historic grain silo built almost 100 years ago.
> ...


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

By Betty_Zhang on flickr










Source: V&A Waterfront on twitter










Source: Silo Blog










By iovineluciano on flickr


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

Looking so forward to this :cheers:


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## Manitopiaaa (Mar 6, 2006)

Love that design. Blends in nicely.


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## el palmesano (May 27, 2006)

wow! great project!!


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## Eric Offereins (Jan 1, 2004)

Awesome transformation project. 

This will look very cool:


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

From the SA section



Lydon said:


> Another shot of the scaffolding being erected around the silo:
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## Atmosphere (Mar 15, 2009)

This is amazing! Turning an old building into a wonderful art center. And the design is fantastic!


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

Source: Silo Blog


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

Just to give a general idea of this developments location...



Lydon said:


> The Zeitz MOCAA is actually going to make a bit of an impact on the skyline from certain angles
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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

It's at the top left, if anyone's wondering  At the waterfront.


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

Latest progress:



Gerald Lewis said:


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

This week:



Lydon said:


> Source: Silo Blog


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

Here's a general idea of the area around the development. The Zeitz MOCAA is on the left (where the scaffolding is). The sites in front, behind the green hoard, and to the left behind Zeitz will soon be home to another 4 mixed-use developments:










By jgrande on flickr


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

A couple more location shots by HOBERMAN. Via VDMMA Architects on Facebook:


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## Lydon (Sep 7, 2007)

An aerial overview of the Silo District once all of the developments are completed in 2017:


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## JohanSA (Apr 21, 2008)

Thursday:


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


Century City and the silos by johanttblom, on Flickr


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## ThatOneGuy (Jan 13, 2012)

I just love it when old utility buildings are reused like this! Not to mention it looks fantastic. Who knew such an awesome abstract pattern could come from slicing hollow tubes like that?


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