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Agora stands six storeys above street level in its Observatory neighbourhood. “We had to be sensitive to the scale of the other buildings in the area, which are mainly brightly coloured single-storey row houses,” says architect André Krige. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
In line with the idea of blending in while standing out, the brand identity for Agora was designed by Carina Comrie of Büro Comrie. André explains that this was carried through to all the way-finding and signage elements of the building. -
Agora is full of personal touches – these include custom door handles with messages ranging from motivational to tongue-in-cheek. -
A considered use of space offers a versatile living area that doubles as a place of work. -
Agora’s dynamic interiors were designed to create spaces to truly come home to. -
Observatory Apartments -
Observatory Apartments -
While the flooring throughout each unit is terracotta with grey grout, the bathrooms feature grey wall tiles and terracotta grout. -
The ideal of creating a balanced space that is both connected to its environment and able to functionally stand on its own is brought to life.
WORDS Celeste Jacobs PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes PHOTOS Paris Brummer
Agora, a new development by architects André Krige and Theo Kruger of TwoFiveFive Architects, is built to blend in with its surroundings – but this striking building is by no means a wallflower.
Although the Agora apartment block is a new addition to Cape Town’s southern suburbs, it’s been in the pipeline for over half a decade. “I designed this building in 2015 – it went through some changes, but the concept remained the same,” says André Krige of TwoFiveFive Architects. “The primary intention was to create something better than what was the norm for the area, but to keep to a feasible project budget.”
Initially, one might think “Agora” is derived from the Greek word for public spaces, but the appellation actually originates from the Portuguese word for “now”. This idea is something that André and his team believe the building embodies. It’s created to live in concurrent harmony with its occupants – a physical reminder of living in the present – and to architecturally transport people between yesterday and tomorrow, while always bringing them back to today.
The building’s roots are firmly planted in its neighbourhood, honouring the colours and plastering techniques used in the surrounding dwellings that make up the lively and architecturally colourful suburb of Observatory. This thoughtfulness and consideration have had a profound impact on Agora’s design, and make it stand out from the crowd.
“In terms of colour, we flew a drone over the site and captured photographs towards the mountain and back to the harbour side,” explains André. “We then pixellated those images – and from there we drew a base colour scheme.” The concept serves as a form of architectural camouflage, since depending on how you look at Agora, the colours match the direction you’re facing.
André and his team didn’t stop there. “We couldn’t make Agora smaller [than its current six storeys],” he says, “so instead we kept asking how we could make it identify with its surroundings.” This is why the project team also came up with the idea of embodying the surroundings with more than just colour. As André explains, “When you look around Observatory, you see single-storey row houses with a stoep in front… and almost every house has a different plaster technique – everything from banana plaster to scallops and more. We worked within a kilometre radius of Agora, and each plaster technique we found in that area was incorporated into the building.”
Agora’s interior is versatile, and was designed with the intention of creating spaces to truly come home to. “The building caters for a wide variety of age groups and people at different stages of their life, but it is mainly occupied by young professionals and postgraduate students,” says project
architect Joné Krös.
The interiors also embrace local design. “We specified locally produced terracotta for the floors; Joe Paine designed a light for the apartments; terrazzo tops by Notation were introduced; and we included custom-made kitchens, and lighting by Kink,” says André. More unique touches abound, including custom door handles that feature motivational messages such as “Go Get Them!” and “Hello, Good Looking”.
At first glance, Agora rises boldly upwards from the pavement, standing before you with the proud stature of a mini-mountain. Yet, as you start to get to know it better, there’s a sort of tenderness in the building’s design that begins to make itself evident. It’s got the roar of a lion, and the playful familiarity of a beloved house cat – and this dichotomy is what makes it so endearing.
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at the colourful Uxolo apartments.
