COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Courtesy of UKZN Architecture Department Archives (Netherlands Bank); Sally Gaul, Peter Finsen (Johannesburg Gas Works); Chantel Magwick (Dombeya); Brian McKechnie (Ansteys Building); Dave Southwood (Rowan Lane Houses)
Through our unique Building an Icon series we celebrate classic South African buildings by exploring their rich (and sometimes controversial) histories. This year a handful of South Africa’s top architects talked to us about the local architectural landmarks they find fascinating.
Netherlands Bank
by Joshua Montile
Tucked away in the heart of the Durban CBD, a stone’s throw from City Hall and dwarfed by its imposing neighbours, rests an architectural masterpiece by one of South Africa’s most celebrated and revered architects. I first stumbled across the Netherlands Bank building as an architecture student in my second year of studies (the true puberty phase of architectural education). “Stumbled” is the correct word, as the four-storey building is easily lost among its soaring Smith Street surroundings. I stood across the street, watching people steal a moment from the hustle and bustle, at peace among the trees and bubbling fountains around its base. That moment left an indelible impression, and as I learnt more about the building and its legendary designer Norman Eaton, my fascination only grew.
Read the full story on the Netherlands Bank.
Johannesburg Gas Works
by Judith Muindisi and Monika Läuferta le Roux
Like so many derelict industrial sites, the Johannesburg Gas Works buildings have outlived the purpose for which they were constructed. The Gas Works was conceived and designed to meet the ever-growing energy demands of Johannesburg. The site plan of 1927 shows the original plant consisting of 20 buildings, but not all were constructed at that time because of the Great Depression, which hit in 1929. Retorts 1 and 2 are regarded as the most important historical buildings in the complex. These housed the machinery that processed coal into a gas form, which would later be purified, cooled, stored and distributed to consumers. In addition to the technical and functional use of the retorts, the very design of the buildings, and their execution – like the design and execution of so many industrial buildings of that era – show the excellence of craftsmanship of the time.
Read the full story on the Johannesburg Gas Works.
Dombeya
by Gillian Holl
Veld Architects’ Gillian Holl was recently introduced to the architectural wonders of Dombeya, built by artist Alexis Preller, when she was called on by its new owners to help restore some of the buildings. In this instalment of our popular series that celebrates landmark local buildings, she takes us through the story of the almost-mythical complex – and the two men who conjured it.
Read the full story on Dombeya.
The Ansteys Building
by Brian McKechnie
Last night, I dreamt of downtown Johannesburg. The dream stretched out across acres of grey, a mirage of thousands of square concrete paving blocks – crooked, marked with pieces of chewing gum and mottled by tens of thousands of footprints. Frantic blurs of colour enveloped me – trousers, skirts, shoes, shopping bags, all offset against the concrete. The pavers began to chart a meticulously scaled map of the city centre.
An enormous living page of graph paper, anchoring urban intersections, movement and latent possibility. The dream felt like late afternoon; the sun’s rays hung long and low, heavy with that particular Highveld luminosity. I close my eyes again; the image ascends above the street and the city haze calms. A lone edifice emerges, suspended above the fever, ethereal. Ansteys.
Read the full story on the Ansteys building.
Rowan Lane Houses
by Bettina Woodward
Almost eight years ago, I booked an appointment with an estate agent to view No. 5 Rowan Lane, pretending to be an interested buyer. In reality, I was just an interested architect – word had spread in the industry that “that house” was for sale. We had just finished renovating a Victorian in Tamboerskloof, and I certainly wasn’t in the market for a new house. However, the moment I stepped inside, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. I called my husband in tears and told him to come over right away. In about five minutes we decided that we would move the family to Kenilworth.
Read the full story on the Rowan Lane Houses.
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