Elgin Railway Market

WORDS Michaela Stehr IMAGES AND VIDEO Chris Joubert VIDEO via Corban on Vimeo

Local industrial designer Corban Warrington, in conjunction with businessman Roger Orpen, has transformed an old apple warehouse in Elgin into a bustling marketplace on Elgin’s train tracks.

The beautiful space draws inspiration from Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements. Raw finishes, a unique staircase balustrade and large statement fans are some of the stand-out design features of this stylish space. “The theme we wanted to create was an industrialised version of Victorian Style mixed with Art Deco/Nouveau,” says Corban. “There was a strong need to keep all the raw finishes exposed while showcasing attention to detail. The idea was that everywhere you look, your eye would see something it has never seen before.”

Corban aims to create spaces that cause interaction and give meaning. In this case, the communal seating encourages interaction between market visitors.

“With the help of local in-house manufacturers, lead by engineer Mike Sutton, we had full freedom [when it came to the] design and were able to push the boundaries of manufacturing practices,” says Corban. “By pulling all nighters and getting comfortable with the angle grinder, we managed to get the doors open in just over a year.”

For more information about the market, visit elginrailwaymarket.co.za.