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The Negroni Bar at THEFOURTH is an eclectic mix of furniture finds. -
Yolanda Mazwana’s work in the shop at THEFOURTH hangs above ceramics by Hugo Berolsky, Jan Ernst de Wet and Eva Ceramics; vessels by Karlien van Rooyen make a statement under works by Guy Simpson. -
An installation in THEFOURTH gallery features wall hangings by Frances van Hasselt, artworks by Brett Charles Seiler, sculptures by Rodan and Michael MacGarry, furniture by Bofred, lights by Tom Dixon (courtesy of Créma) and Kartell (courtesy of True Design), and a Percival Lafer sofa. -
This room in THEFOURTH is alive with colour, with artworks by Farai Engelbrecht, Benjamin Reisner and Johno Mellish. The red Papyrus chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Kartell and blue and purple Saruyama settees by Toshiyuki Kita for Moroso (courtesy of True Design) add vibrancy to the exhibition space. -
Another Saruyama settee by Toshiyuki Kita for Moroso is a focal point at one end of THEFOURTH. -
City Bowl Apartment -
City Bowl Apartment -
A Jonah Sack work hangs above a Jason chair by Carl Jacobs and Jason Guille for Kandya. -
City Bowl Apartment -
Original chequered linoleum tiles in the kitchen are complemented by Kartell shelves by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni that have been joined together to form a breakfast counter. The Tokyo stools are by Rodney Kinsman. -
A stainless-steel artwork by homeowner Rodan Kane Hart acts as a decorative headboard in the apartment’s master bedroom. The Arco lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos is accompanied by vintage finds. -
Armchairs by Diesel for Moroso (courtesy of True Design) and a Percival Lafer sofa add vintage appeal to the record room, where Rodan keeps his vinyl collection. -
The Stylos floor lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos illuminates one of Rodan’s wall sculptures as well as vintage objects and ceramics. Costes chairs by Philippe Starck for Driade surround the dining table. -
The contours of the Percival Lafer sofa echo the round legs of the coffee table, which is actually a Tuareg bed that was bought at auction. On it is one of Rodan’s sculptures. Above the Curator settees from Okha are artworks by Jonathan Freemantle and Sitaara Stodel, and a tapestry bought on Facebook Marketplace. -
The passage features two vintage chairs found at Antiques on Kloof – their angular lines are a stark contrast to the living room’s contoured sofas. -
At the Negroni Bar, a black-and-white photograph by Billy Monk hangs between a work by Daniel Malan in the passage and a photo by Tatenda Chidora (BKhz Gallery). The sculpture on the table is by Michael MacGarry. -
Two red Saruyama settees by Toshiyuki Kita for Moroso (courtesy of True Design) greet guests in the foyer. They are joined by Ant chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, and an artwork by Unathi Mkonto. -
Rodan with partner Maybe Corpaci. -
The building entrance celebrates its history. -
The Exchange lies on the busy St George’s Mall.
WORDS Tracy Lynn Chemaly IMAGES Paris Brummer
Maybe Corpaci and Rodan Kane Hart’s inner-city Cape Town apartment is a constantly evolving work of art that reflects the couple’s passion for furniture finds and innovative use of space.
It’s rather unusual to have to present one’s portfolio before being accepted to tenant a building. But that was the process favoured by Richard Lemkus, whose family owns the Exchange Building – a 1930s building on Cape Town’s St George’s Mall, where 85-year-old sneaker store Jack Lemkus occupies the ground floor. “I want the Exchange to be a collaborative environment, so I felt that it was necessary to curate the experience,” says Richard.
The portfolios of interior curator and creative consultant Maybe Corpaci (responsible for furnishing The Nest on the cover of VISI 109) and her partner, sculptural artist Rodan Kane Hart, made the right impression: they took over the entire top storey on the sixth floor. It was to become their new home and Rodan’s studio, and would also act as a canvas for Maybe’s interiors business and the couple’s new venture together – selling art and design by pairing them in a venue different from a traditional gallery.
The couple’s common interest in furniture in a variety of styles, as well as their obsession with second-hand treasures, has resulted in an interior that Rodan and Maybe call “a tapestry of auction finds”. “We’re on Facebook Marketplace every day, and we follow auctions and visit antique stores from Limpopo to George,” says Maybe of the ways in which they have added valuable pieces to those accumulated by Rodan over the 10 years that he’s been collecting furniture. “The only new things we have are the rug in the living room, some teaspoons and a set of glasses.”
While Maybe’s attraction is towards soft, organic forms and textures, Rodan finds appeal in a sharper urban and industrial aesthetic, evident in the clean-lined art pieces he fashions out of metal. “Somehow, things that shouldn’t go together end up working; they start creating a language,” he says. At times, it’s a matter of reupholstering a sofa in a textured fabric to make it suitable, or painting a wall a different colour. “If a piece resonates with us, we buy it and we make it work,” says Maybe, pointing to a sorbet-coloured tapestry acquired online for R350, which hangs near two plush leather seats by Brazilian modernist Percival Lafer.
They opened their home to the public in February with an exhibition called “Apartment Vol. 1”, a fringe event to the Cape Town Art Fair. And based on this successful transformation of the sixth floor into an apartment and gallery, the Lemkus family offered them the Exchange’s fourth floor to transform. What emerged is THEFOURTH – a hybrid between an art gallery and design showroom, with a concept store and a private bar, also available for hosting private events. It launched in September with “Apartment Vol. 2”, exhibiting pieces by mid-career and emerging local artists alongside local and international mid-century and contemporary design. “It’s our way of breaking down the barriers of display so that art can be less intimidating,” says Maybe.
Together with the Lemkus family, the couple will soon be turning the fifth storey into a design agency, further welcoming creative energy into the building. “These are all spaces in which stories and experiences can unfold,” says Rodan. “Even in our apartment, we curate these little moments as signifiers of a lived experience. And it’s constantly evolving.”
THEFOURTH is open by appointment only.
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Check out this Green Point apartment.
