WORDS Jo Buitendach PHOTOS Supplied
The restoration and renovation of a historic building in Bree Street in the Cape Town CBD has created the perfect home for haute couture.
A generic office space in a historic Georgian building in Heritage Square in Cape Town has been painstakingly brought back to life by architectural practice Peerutin Karol. The build was completed in May 2022, for Budism Couture – designers and makers of seriously elegant, bespoke women’s couture.
The brand sees this space as the architectural manifestation of its ethos. Its gowns are like works
of art; the Budism Couture team wanted their maison to reflect this, and be akin to a fashion house in Paris. The interior had previously been extensively remodelled, and thus bore little resemblance to its original state, but the architects wanted to respect the building’s exterior, proportions and historic streetscape. This led to extensive discussions with heritage authorities.
The original facade’s garage doors were removed, and a symmetrical front door – more in line with the Georgian proportions – was added. Peerutin Karol also restored and replaced all the windows, before adding an eye-catching security gate that includes metal flowers sourced from craftsmen in the US. They were shipped to Cape Town and incorporated into a handmade wrought-iron-and-glass doorway by Roddy McGuffog of Ferro Classics.
The project also involved extending the original two- storey structure by adding two new floors in the form of a Mansard-style roof. It slopes steeply away from the facade to minimise the visual impact.
Through that decorative door, there was scope for more flexibility. The design crew set to work, gutting the inside of the building and inserting a new, concrete interior structure. Key to the design was the addition of a sculptural, oval-shaped staircase – the perfect place to model beautiful gowns. The stairs initially created a design and construction challenge; after numerous iterations, it was decided that the best option was to cast the staircase in concrete, with a bent sheet-steel balustrade to be fitted together and constructed on site. While it may have had its difficulties, this attention- grabbing labour of love has certainly been worth it – it’s the centrepiece of the space, creating beautiful shapes and intriguing views.
The result of all this problem-solving is a building that’s traditional and ornate at ground level, but that slowly morphs into something more contemporary and minimalist as you move up through it. The glamorous ground floor has all the space required to receive clients, and includes a reception area, and a dressing and fitting room. From there, passages and stairs lead to sewing rooms, a studio and offices on the second and third floors. The top floor holds an entertainment space for guests, which includes a terrace with views of the city skyline. budism.com | peerutinkarol.com
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