COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Jamie Navarro and Fabian Martínez, Adam Letch, Mads Morgensen, Paris Brummer, Jaime Navarro

Touching on the leafy theme in VISI issue #144 and our trends guru Chris Reid’s deep-dive into Eco-Brutalism on page 76, these spaces from the VISI archives all marry rampant greenery with raw concrete. The hard edges of these homes and hotels aren’t softened with paint or embellishments, but with plants.

Puerto Escondido Hotel

“Hotel Terrestre is embedded in the landscape, as if it has been there for hundreds of years,” says architect Alberto Kalach of his otherworldly masterpiece, 25 kilometres northwest of resort town Puerto Escondido in the state of Oaxaca. Alberto knows a thing or two about this area. It may be a half-day’s drive from his Mexico City studio, Taller de Arquitectura X, but the pristine coastline famed for its surf is already home to a handful of his projects. So when approached by Carlos Couturier, co-founder of Mexican boutique hotel group Grupo Habita, to design a multi-sensorial property that redefines sustainable tourism, he jumped at the opportunity.

His environmentally sensitive approach to architecture has shaped several structures in the area, including Hotel Escondido and the award-winning restaurant Kakurega Omakase. These buildings hold their own in a landscape populated by hotspots like Casa Wabi, a retreat by starchitect Tadao Ando, and a permanent outdoor installation by artist Bosco Sodi.

Read the full feature on this Puerto Escondido Hotel.

Lanseria Eco-estate Home

“The site, sun and climate were integral to the design process and we drew inspiration from these elements,” says Enrico Daffonchio, who together with Leigh Maurtin designed the home with extensive input from the owners Lukas and Wendy van Niekerk.

The team were very familiar with the ecological guidelines of the estate as Daffonchio Architects had helped draft them. All of the properties are single storey, cut into the ground to minimise the impact on the horizon: The house is sunk to account for the natural ground level and slope of the estate, so each property has a view over the one in front of them.

This home, which is designed as a set of pavilions with deep overhangs, separated by a series of courtyards and green fingers that act as sheltered outdoor living spaces, is further camouflaged from its neighbours thanks to its roof gardens. The entire footprint is covered in native vegetation so that the boundary between the house and surrounding grasslands is almost indiscernible from above.

Read the full feature on this Lanseria Eco-estate Home.

Chilean House

It’s a house, but only in the broadest definition of the term, says co-owner Sofia von Ellrichshausen of this structure in the foothills of the Andes mountains in central Chile. She and fellow architect and artist Mauricio Pezo have been sharing their academic and artistic lives for the past two decades, and together head up the internationally renowned art and architecture studio Pezo von Ellrichshausen.

The couple built their new home in a secluded area surrounded by forest and freshwater channelled through small streams that come down from the mountains. Impressively big, it manages not to impose on its surroundings. “We call it a house, and it is our private home – but we also consider it a cultural centre, as it is meant for more than domestic use. It is a place for our creative expression, and ideally, it will live on beyond our lifetime to become a creative space for other humanist and creative people,” says Sofia.

Read the full feature on this Chilean House.

Waterkloof Ridge House

“A friend once said to us, ‘You don’t ever choose the easy way, do you?’” say Ryk and Irma Coetzee, the owners of this hillside home in Waterkloof Ridge in Pretoria. But then, as the saying goes, nothing good comes easy.

Ryk and Irma bought their house – built in the late 1970s and empty for some time, “with no kitchen, horrific plumbing and uncertain electrical wiring” – with the intention to renovate it. What captured their imagination was the spectacular view, say their architects, Grete Van As and Johan Wentzel of W Design Architecture Studio. The house is perched on the steep, rocky slopes of a ridge, with the ground dropping away dramatically below it; and despite its suburban setting, it felt wild and untouched.

“We semi-renovated it just enough to make it liveable,” say Ryk and Irma. Then, they lived there for five years before deciding on a more substantial renovation that would ultimately transform the entire hillside site. They wanted to make the most of the view while preserving the original flow of the house. They were anxious that it should “retain the magic”, but they were also drawn to the notion of a suburban farmhouse. They were already halfway there, having arrived with a menagerie of cats, dogs, rabbits and geese. Their wish list included vegetable gardens, an olive grove and a greenhouse.

Read the full feature on this Waterkloof Ridge house.

Casa TO in Mexico

The port of Puerto Escondido is an escape. Travellers from all over the world retreat to its golden beaches and waves, to walk, meditate and help release turtles in local sanctuaries.

On the southern tip of town, Casa TO has added an element of thoughtful luxury to this tiny utopia. Completed in August 2022, the hotel was designed by renowned architect Ludwig Godefroy. Working to a very succinct brief of “nine rooms, and lots of freedom”, he and his team have married tradition and the avant-garde in a unique structure, surrounded by a tranquil natural setting.

Made largely of concrete, the materiality of the build was of the utmost importance to Ludwig. “My search for simplicity has led me to create clean and abstract architecture, composed exclusively of mass materials such as concrete, wood and stone. All these materials look better under the action of time,” he says.

Casa TO takes inspiration from myriad sources, including Oaxacan temples, where enclosed spaces create a sensory experience. There’s also a nod to the reticulated pattern of two historical hydraulic works: the 6th-century Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, and the Hornsey Wood Reservoir in Finsbury Park, London, built in the late 1800s. In relation to these references, Ludwig says that his “architecture is willing to get rid of the unnecessary, to concentrate on the very essence of the structure of the building, offering a contemporary reinterpretation”.

Read the full feature on Casa TO.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post 5 Eco-Brutalist Spaces Where Raw Concrete Meets Nature appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Graham Wood PRODUCTION Klara van Wyngaard PHOTOS Sarah de Pina

This weekend getaway, a short drive from Dullstroom in Mpumalanga’s eastern highlands, is an exercise in the alchemy of subtraction. If you get it right, you reach a magical point at which taking away unnecessary design elements results in something greater than the sum of its parts. Less becomes more.

In Walkersons Estate, Chris and Cáreli Leach’s cottage overlooks one of the trout dams, peeping through a row of oak trees as the grassland slopes gently to the water’s edge. Houses in the estate are tightly clustered into small “villages”, each with a distinct architectural theme. This one follows a local vernacular veranda-style design, which specifies a combination of stone, pitched corrugated iron roofing, face brick and plaster.

The Leaches called on Johan Wentzel and Grete van As of W Design Architecture Studio (WDAS), who had renovated a previous home of theirs, and had designed another house on the estate. “They already know us, and what we like,” says Cáreli.

The historical references in the architectural guidelines were not unwelcome to Johan and Grete. In their work, they often aim to harness a quality they refer to as “the familiarity of the new” – where they reach back and reprise often- forgotten but successful aspects of traditional architecture even in their forward-looking designs. The result is a comforting and reassuring quality, and a sense that the designs belong – in the lives of their inhabitants, and in their architectural context.

For Mpumalanga, Johan notes, simple industrial materials like corrugated iron and whatever came to hand – such as the local stone from the rocky hills around Dullstroom – work as well now as they did during the gold rush 150 years ago. In this case, they’re put into the service of an escape from the everyday; something refreshing and restorative.

Given the countryside setting, Grete and Johan’s inspiration came from a traditional farmstead or werf, where buildings are clustered around yards, creating outdoor areas that are almost like rooms themselves. If there are walls, they are low. The werf dissolves into the landscape around it. “Remember those art-class exercises where you had to draw the negative spaces? This design is all about the negative spaces, the in-betweens,” says Grete.

Rather than a house surrounded by an apron of land, Johan and Grete’s design “takes the buildings to the edge” and creates an open central space, where the Leaches have an outdoor dining table. The main section facing the dam – housing the kitchen, dining and living areas, plus two bedrooms and a loft – is a light, linear design. Glass doors on either side make it possible to see from the courtyard right through the living areas to a framed view of the oak trees and dam beyond.

Separate, symmetrically placed solid-stone guest rooms and a barn-style corrugated-iron-clad garage hug the central courtyard, making it feel secure and well-defined, but not contained. “It doesn’t really feel like it has neighbours,” says Cáreli. “Yet it has its own special, uninterrupted views.”

Usually, explains Grete, the kitchen is considered “the heart” of the home. “In this case, the courtyard with the table is the heart,” she says. With the house in effect becoming the stoep or veranda, the Leaches even placed the braai in the kitchen (which is smart, given the rainy spells in Mpumalanga). “When I’m in the kitchen and Chris is next to me at the braai, we can actually have a conversation!” says Cáreli.

Chris and the boys have taken to tying fl ies, which they do here, too, creating another communal space – just as a stoep should. It’s the kind of space where “You put your feet up, and watch TV or the fire or the rain outside,” says Cáreli. A little boma area in front has become one of her favourite spots, from which she can watch the others fishing down at the dam.

While Chris managed the project with precision and attention to detail, Cáreli was responsible for the interiors, bringing the outdoors in just as the architecture takes the indoors out. “We wanted to do something warm,” she says. Textured terracotta-concrete tiles add a sense of the handcrafted and imperfect. “But they bring warmth to the space,” she adds. “We just wanted furnishings that are comfortable and easy; a space that’s easy to be around.”

The couple mention the word “freedom” often. The simplicity, openness and ease of the space is a release and an “escape” (another word that comes up often). “That’s what you expect when you take a break,” says Johan. | wdas.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Dullstroom House appeared first on Visi.

PHOTOS PJ Kotze

For more than two decades, India has been a source of inspiration for Weylandts, culminating in ‘The Journey of Design | India Chapter’: a collection inspired by the landscape, people, and craft traditions encountered throughout the brand’s travels across the country.

Unveiled at an exclusive preview hosted at the historic 82 Adderley Street space in Cape Town, the collection reflects years of collaboration with artisans and suppliers whose knowledge and skill have become deeply woven into the brand’s design language. Many of these partnerships span more than a decade, creating opportunities for meaningful exchange and a shared dedication to preserving traditional methods of making.

“For us, travel has always been about discovering beauty in unexpected places,” says Chris Weylandt. “India continually reminds us that craftsmanship is not just about the final object, but about the journey, the process, and the people behind it.”

Weylandts has worked closely with makers who continue to practise techniques that have remained largely unchanged for generations. Across the collection, sculptural silhouettes, hand-finished metals, carved timber, and richly textured stone reflect this dialogue between design and traditional artistry.

Many of the collection’s metal pieces are crafted in Moradabad, known globally for its metalworking heritage, where artisans still employ ancient sand-casting methods to create hand-finished pieces. Similarly, the collection’s stone pieces are crafted from marble sourced from Rajasthan, a region renowned for its centuries-old stone industry.

“The journey of the product and the amount of effort that goes into making these pieces sets us apart,” says Chris Weylandt. “We are passionate about finishes, obsessed with detail, and dedicated to craft.” | weylandts.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post A Design Journey through India appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Jo Buitendach PHOTOS Greg Cox, Suly Kuhn/Sanlam Ventures Foundation (Portrait), Supplied

Sitting down with dynamo Tracy Lynch feels a little like stepping into a creative whirlwind, ideas moving quickly and conversation flowing even faster. The Cape Town-based creative is in Johannesburg working on a new project, but we manage to pin her down for a conversation that is, above all, an uplifting dialogue about local creativity.

While Tracy is always on our radar for the exciting work she does within the creative industry – particularly the Nando’s Hot Young Designer Programme, which uncovers and mentors the next generation of designers and makers – we were keen to catch up about her career journey and Clout/SA. We also wanted to hear about their refurbished shared office space, which has a strong focus on local design.

Clout that counts

At its core, Clout/SA is a commercially sustainable, demand-driven initiative that champions South African creativity, connecting local designers and makers with opportunities at home and abroad. Through a carefully curated selection of furniture, lighting and decor, the platform highlights the strength of contemporary South African design while fostering meaningful relationships with clients and collaborators around the world.

Established with the iconic franchise restaurant Nando’s, Clout/SA was created to shine a light on the country’s design ecosystem. In 2018, it launched Portal to Africa, which began as a catalogue before quickly evolving into an online buying platform, connecting interior designers to South Africa’s leading design brands. Today, the portal – exclusively for interior designers working on Nando’s restaurants around the world – supports projects from Australia and the Middle East to the UK, North America and Africa, generating revenue for the local creative sector. Representing more than 70 designers and makers, Clout/SA has become one of the country’s key exporters of design, continuing to grow alongside a new generation of emerging talent. And all this is achieved with a full-time team of just seven, which is quite impressive.

To date, Clout/SA has collaborated with brands such as Heineken, Sol, Makers Landing and Naked Insurance, creating curated collections, design pieces and spaces that reflect each brand’s values while fostering meaningful partnerships with South African designers. They can develop entirely new custom pieces or adapt existing catalogue items to meet specific brand needs, a skill Tracy describes as “finding creative ways to connect brand values to creativity in the design sector”. With this flexible, tailored approach, Clout/SA continues to explore opportunities with new clients committed to authentic, locally driven design. They also work regularly with the who’s who of South African design, including Wiid Design, Pedersen + Lennard, Ananta Design Studio, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Pinda Design, Houtlander, Dokter and Misses, and Studio Kalki.

From painter to innovator

Tracy’s career path hasn’t been straightforward. She holds a master’s degree in fine arts from Stellenbosch University, a foundation she credits with teaching her to research, think critically and conceptualise. “The dialogue, process and experimentation skills at academic institutions are crucial for the design sector, and they’re often overlooked,” she says, reflecting on how this shaped her approach.

Her professional life began with a hands-on role as a scenic painter in the film industry, which gave her insight into collaborating on large production sites; and as a decorative painter for interior designers, which made her into a bit of an expert in techniques such as faux marble. She worked extensively with the design team behind Cécile & Boyd, initially on paint finishes and later as a stylist, before moving on to serve as a stylist and decor editor for leading South African design magazines. This multifaceted journey has resulted in the development of a combination of artistic sensibility, practical know-how and deep understanding of the South African design landscape.

Tracy’s trajectory took a bold turn when Nando’s invited her to contribute to the Central Kitchen project – the Johannesburg HQ and creative heart of Nando’s South Africa, built on the site of the original sauce-bottling plant. Inspired by the brand’s strong support for South African art, she challenged them to invest in local design too, asking, “Why not invest in South African design the way you do in South African art?” The project revealed a fresh aesthetic direction for the brand’s interior designs, and laid the groundwork for Tracy’s current role and the creation of Clout/SA. Today, Central Kitchen is a celebrated office and cultural space that embodies the Nando’s identity – and it features an extensive collection of local artworks and design pieces.

The art of workspaces

One of Clout/SA’s most recent projects is the third floor of the Union House building, which was recently refurbished as a shared space, breathing fresh life into Clout/SA’s Cape Town office and the Spier Arts Trust’s long-standing home on that floor. They operate on a relaxed model, Tracy says, so the teams use the same kitchen, the same booth. “If nobody’s there, you’re welcome to use a meeting room,” she says. “It’s very relaxed.”

The design honours the building’s industrial heritage while celebrating local craft . Original floors and ceilings were preserved and refreshed. Steel-frame screens reference the industrial aesthetic, and desks from Desktopia sit alongside works from the Spier Arts Trust collection. Flexible meeting pods, first introduced in the Nando’s Central Kitchen refurb, provide intimate corners for focused discussions.

For Tracy, the design of a workspace is about more than aesthetics. “Spaces can drain your energy. For creatives, it’s so interesting – and useful. If you turn it around and remove that harsh feeling, creating something more imaginative, you’re saying a lot about your intentions for a space.”

The office project was implemented by Acre Studio, in a collaborative partnership that blends Clout/SA’s creative direction and procurement with Acre’s technical excellence and attention to detail. The office blends various breakaway and meeting areas to support the way the team works today, whether on calls, collaborating on screens, or taking time to recharge. It reflects a human-centred approach to contemporary workplaces, and is a reminder that when a business invests in creativity and care, the space that we work in can become a much more inspiring place to be… | clout-sadesign.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Making Space appeared first on Visi.

PHOTOS Courtesy of Magugu House and Hayden Phipps, Courtesy of Goodman Gallery and Anthea Pokroy, Supplied

The iconic Cape Town hotel continues to champion the arts, with a trio of exhibitions unfolding across its grounds: The Foreign Familiar, Interior Weather and a sculpture showcase.

“Mount Nelson is a big part of Cape Town’s cultural story,” says the hotel’s General Manager, Patrick Fisher. “Through collaborations with institutions and artists shaping the continent’s creative landscape, we continue to open our spaces to meaningful dialogue and discovery.”

The Foreign Familiar at Magugu House Cape Town

Co-curated by Thebe Magugu and Julia Buchanan, the exhibition considers the afterlives of objects, images and systems introduced through colonial encounter.

The Foreign Familiar merges fashion with fine art. A collaborative sculpture between Magugu and Mary Sibande fuses Victorian silhouettes with Basotho-blanket textiles, while Sibande’s accompanying works on paper further explore themes of leisure, imagination and Black interiority. Meanwhile, works by Wim Botha destabilise the visual language of Western art history through fragmented sculptural forms. The exhibition extends into Magugu’s Mafeteng capsule collection, inspired by the Basotho blanket and its layered history of colonial exchange and cultural reclamation.

Interior Weather

This unique exhibition, presented in collaboration with Norval Foundation and curated by Carmen Joubert, unfolds throughout Mount Nelson’s communal spaces.

Interior Weather explores how colour and material can shape atmosphere and feeling within a space – in this case, the hotel’s corridors and lounges. Featured artists include Kate Gottgens, Dada Khanyisa, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga and Ephraim Ngatane, to name but a few.

Sculpture Garden

In collaboration with Goodman Gallery, Mount Nelson’s historic gardens play host to a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring works by internationally celebrated artists, including Yinka Shonibare, William Kentridge, Walter Oltmann and Ghada Amer.

Designed as a walk-through experience, the exhibition invites guests to encounter sculpture through discovery and quiet reflection throughout the property.

Take the art tour

Visitors to Mount Nelson are invited to experience the works first-hand through ARTROUTE’s complimentary weekly art tour, held every Thursday at 17:00. Led by an art-and-design specialist guide, the tour explores all three exhibitions, bringing the stories behind the works to life.

Exhibition dates & times

Interior Weather and Goodman Gallery’s sculpture exhibition will remain on view until February 2027.

Presented within the permanent gallery space at Magugu House Cape Town, The Foreign Familiar forms part of a quarterly exhibition programme that places contemporary art in conversation with Thebe Magugu’s latest collections. The Foreign Familiar is on show until 27 August 2026 and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post A New Season of Contemporary Art at Mount Nelson appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Courtesy of Jandré Grobler/Greenpop

Set on the historic Boschendal estate, with its 340-year legacy of land stewardship and regenerative farming, The Olive Press was the perfect setting for Greenpop Foundation‘s inaugural gala.

Founded in 2010 with a mission to plant 1 000 trees in a month, Greenpop has become one of sub-Saharan Africa’s leading landscape-restoration organisations. The inaugural gala was a chance to connect with change-makers, raise funds for future preservation projects and address the scale of the environmental challenges that lie ahead.

Among the highlights were the live auctions, which merged the worlds of fine art, functional design and environmental philanthropy. The carefully curated lots featured contemporary artworks, presented in partnership with Everard Read Franschhoek; exclusive nature-focused travel experiences highlighting ecological preservation; and a bespoke collection of functional art.

For this bespoke collection, Greenpop invited a handful of leading local furniture designers – Houtlander, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Derrick Baard of PureSpace Design in collaboration with John Bauer – to create one-of-a-kind chairs inspired by the Cape Floral Kingdom and the idea of ancestral legacy.

Aptly titled Seats of Stewardship, this special collection presented each chair as a conversation between the designer’s hand and the natural heritage that inspired it.

The Hlabisa Bench

Houtlander and Mash.T Design Studio

“From the start, this wasn’t really a furniture brief in the traditional sense,” says Houtlander’s director Phillip Hollander. “It was more of an invitation to ask a bigger question: what does a truly South African design object look like when you stop trying to fit it into a Western framework?”

When the two studios began talking, it became clear quickly that the most honest answer to that question wasn’t going to come from either one alone. ”Houtlander lives in precision, in clean lines, in the technology that lets us push timber to its limits. Mash.T lives in story, in culture, in the kind of warmth that makes a space feel inhabited. Those are genuinely different worlds. So the brief became a challenge to hold both of those worlds at the same time, without flattening either one.”

The piece had to be modern and rigorous in its construction, but it also had to carry real cultural weight. ”That’s something the Seats of Stewardship collection as a whole gets right. Each piece is asking that same question in its own way, and the Hlabisa Bench is no different,” notes Phillip.

In terms of its design, the bench’s undulating silhouette draws from two deeply personal references: the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal and the shape of the traditional three-legged cast-iron pot Thabisa’s grandmother used. “That pot is something most South Africans know instinctively. It sits at the centre of a home. It means people are being fed, people are gathering. Building a bench around that shape is a quietly radical act, because it says: this is what hospitality looks like, and it belongs in the same conversation as any great design object in the world,” explains Phillip.

From there, the work was to engineer something that could honour that vision, structurally. Advanced 3D modelling was used to develop the curves, running through iterations until the form felt both fluid and resolved. “The oak frame had to be precise enough to serve as a proper canvas for what came next, because the backrest was always going to be the heart of it,” says Phillip.

That’s where the weavers of Hlabisa came in, and that’s where the process became something much larger than the two studios. “Zulu basket weaving is a centuries-old tradition, and the master weavers in Hlabisa are genuinely its custodians,” says Phillip. The ask wasn’t to replicate a pattern. It was to bring their craft to a new surface and let it speak for itself. “Each weaver has their own tension, their own signature in the weave. You can feel that in the finished piece. Those subtle variations aren’t imperfections. They are the human footprint of the people who made it, and that’s exactly as it should be,” he adds.

The result is a bench where technology and tradition don’t compete. They meet at a juncture, shake hands, and produce something neither could have made alone. Multiple versions of this bench exist – the second installment lives permanently at Pompidou and the third is apart of Greenpop’s collection.

Akaya Chair

TheUrbanative

For Mpho Vackier, owner and creative director at TheUrbanative, the brief was an opportunity to create more than a functional chair – rather, a piece that could act as a vessel for storytelling, cultural dialogue and responsible making. “For us, the project became about exploring how a single object could hold layered meaning while still being contemporary and accessible in everyday life,” she says.

The team was particularly drawn to the idea of creating a chair that reflected South African identity through subtle abstraction rather than literal representation. “This led us to revisit the Akaya Lounge Chair from our Homecoming Collection, a collection focused on an exploration of belonging, comfort, refuge and the emotional meaning of home,” says Mpho.

The name Akaya, meaning ‘home’ in Xitsonga, became an important starting point for the team conceptually. “We wanted the chair to embody a sense of pause, warmth and emotional familiarity while also celebrating the diversity of South African culture. Working with local designer Kristin Hulda and her Ndebele-inspired Labyrinth textile allowed the piece to create a dialogue between different cultural references within a single contemporary form,” notes Mpho.

The team wanted to explore how material, finish and collaboration could shift the reading of the piece without changing its core identity. “The upholstery became an important entry point. Alongside this, the material palette was carefully considered. Olive powder-coated steel, stained ash timber and upholstery were selected to create a balance between warmth, durability and restraint,” explains Mpho.

The chair was intentionally designed around longevity, durability and local collaboration, from the recycled steel structure to the use of locally crafted upholstery and timber detailing. “Rather than treating sustainability as an add-on, we approached it as something embedded within the making process itself by creating a piece intended to last both physically and emotionally.”

Rather than redesigning the Akaya, the process of creating this piece for Seats of Stewardship was ultimately about recontextualising it, allowing an existing piece to respond to a new brief and demonstrate how meaning can continue to evolve through thoughtful adaptation.

Intersection Bench

Derrick Baard of PureSpace Design in collaboration with John Bauer

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s words, “The best friend on earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources on earth,” the bench reflects a philosophy of respect for nature, craftsmanship and enduring human connection.

“The design pays homage to the tree as one of Earth’s greatest renewable resources, acknowledging both its physical strength and its quiet ability to sustain and connect us,” says Derrick.

Crafted from the trunks of felled trees, its monumental bases represent the foundations on which meaningful relationships are built: integrity, trust, strength and permanence. In contrast, the backrests introduce a sense of softness, familiarity and human connection, bringing visual lightness to the solidity of the bench. At the heart of the piece stands a living tree, positioned centrally as a symbolic gesture of life, renewal and generosity. The ceramic pieces embedded in the wood, made by ceramicist John Bauer, symbolise the random synchronicity of the people we connect with.

“The bench is ultimately a celebration of the spaces where people, nature, memory, and time meet.”

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post A Seat at Nature’s Table appeared first on Visi.

COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied, Inge Prins & Sanri Pienaar (Mash.T Design Studio)

A much-anticipated highlight on the decor and design calendar, Decorex Cape Town offers those in the Mother City a chance to engage with local and international design and its makers.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, visitors will encounter designer-led installations, thought-provoking showcases and carefully considered spaces that invite a slower, more intentional way of engaging with design.

The showcase’s theme for 2026 is ‘The Soft Life’ – a deliberate recalibration of design’s current focus that reflects a global cultural shift towards balance and a more conscious way of living.

Here are our must-see highlights to help you plan your visit.

Ten x Ten

Ten x Ten is a new landmark feature of 100% Design Africa, presenting objects that prioritise craft, materials and meaning over trends.

The immersive installation brings together 100 of the most compelling design objects of 2026 across 10 categories that map design from floor to ceiling.

Contributors include Thabisa Mjo, Kartell, Willowlamp, Wiid Design, Romo Fabrics, Glo Lighting, Robin Sprong Wallpapers and a range of independent studios and makers.

Objects have been selected by Decorex co-creative directors Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk, along with a panel of category experts, including Cape Town gallery Art Formes and Sinegugu Ngxongo – granddaughter of master weaver Beauty Ngxongo and founder of Bambizulu.

100% Fresh

Spotlighting students, recent graduates and young studios, 100% Fresh showcases emerging design talent. Here, visitors encounter new ideas, prototypes and work that presents a unique point of view.

Capitec Design MRKT

The MRKT has become one of the show’s most dynamic spaces – a fully fledged artisanal market celebrating Pan-African design – giving visitors the opportunity to take home their favourite pieces of design from the continent.

Future Talks

The four-day programme of live conversations covering topics across architecture, materiality, business, cultural exchange and emerging practice returns to Decorex Cape Town.

Hosted by Bathandwa Ngwendu and presented in partnership with Oggie, this year’s programme features more than 40 speakers and is designed for trade professionals, creatives, media and design enthusiasts alike.

The Soft Life Kitchen by Numa

Numa’s feature installation explores how the kitchen is becoming one of the most intelligent and emotionally attuned spaces in the home.

The installation features high-performance Blum and Salice systems, arabesque veining, deep chocolate wood tones, architectural curves and integrated lighting, creating a kitchen where daily rituals feel easier, more beautiful and more intuitive. It’s a true celebration of this year’s theme, ‘The Soft Life’.

Soft Life Pods

Like The Soft Life Kitchen, the Soft Life Pods bring this year’s theme into physical form through a series of intimate, designer-led spaces that explore comfort, tactility, atmosphere and the future of wellness-driven living.

Each pod offers a different interpretation of softness. This year’s participating designers and brands include Karoo Baba, ARCPOP Architecture, Art & Design, Styleast and Constantia Fabrics, each creating a spatial experience shaped by material, mood, light, texture and ritual.

FloodLight

A new feature at this year’s Decorex Cape Town, FloodLight celebrates some of the best local lighting design, brought together within a showcase shaped by the 2026 theme. At its heart is the idea of light as soft power: not simply as function, but as atmosphere, emotion and a tool for wellbeing.

Developed as a collaboration between Decorex and spatial lighting designer Martin Döller, the feature adds an experiential layer to the installation, using light to create mood, depth and theatre across the space.

FloodLight reflects the strength and variety of South African lighting design right now, featuring work by Martin Döller, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Joe Paine and more.

The Recharge Garage

The Recharge Garage, presented by Lexus, is a design-led feature that reimagines the garage as more than a place to park.

Anchored by the Lexus RZ 500e and designed by Tshepo Sealetsa, the space explores the garage as a threshold between movement and home: a place to arrive, pause, restore and reset.

Dates & Times

25 – 28 June 2026 | Cape Town International Convention Centre | Open daily 10am–6pm | decorex.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post What to See at Decorex Cape Town 2026 appeared first on Visi.

In a market increasingly focused on quality, sustainability, and transparency, Ducko Down stands out by offering locally manufactured and ethically sourced duck down and feather products. Proudly based in the North West, they combine traditional craftsmanship with a commitment to responsible sourcing practices to create premium bedding designed for comfort and lasting durability.

Ducko Down offers a carefully curated range of premium bedding products, including down duvets and pillows with various fill options, designed to suit a variety of sleeping preferences. For centuries, down duvets have been trusted for their exceptional warmth, breathability, and lightweight comfort. Their natural insulating properties create a cozy sleep environment without the heaviness of many synthetic alternatives, making them a time-tested favourite for winter bedding.

With a focus on comfort, quality, and ethical responsibility, Ducko Down continues to provide South Africans with premium duck down products that offer warmth, support, and peace of mind. duckodown.co.za | orders@duckodown.co.za | 014 537 2124

Don’t forget to enter our competition. One lucky VISI reader stands a chance of winning a luxurious King Autumn Duvet and two Feather/Down Pillows from Ducko Down, worth R5 205.

The post Ducko Down: Locally Made, Ethically Sourced Bedding appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Neyani Mphephu PHOTOS Supplied

It is incredible to witness the growth of South African art and talent across different art forms, with artists expressing themselves in unique ways to reach one common goal. Each winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards pushes the boundaries of their discipline, exploring themes including love, girlhood, African ontologies and transformative performance on a world stage.

The winners will showcase their fascinating bodies of work at the National Arts Festival, to be held in Makhanda from 25 June to 5 July 2026.

“It’s such an important part of the Festival each year, to host the Standard Bank Young Artist cohort’s new work. The 2026 cohort reflects a mix of fresh language and positioning alongside historical grounding; the energy is high and confident. We’re looking forward to innovation, influence and remembering,” notes Artistic Director Rucera Seethal.

The 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards winners include:

Jason Jacobs – Theatre
Presents Kraal

Jason performed Kraal in both a traditional theatre and a sacred matjieshut – a two-part decolonial curation that powerfully unravels inherited trauma and the shadow of the colonial dop system. Originally from the landscapes of Namaqualand, he combines heritage and contemporary storytelling through film and theatre. He will also showcase his screenplay Variations on a Theme alongside his co-writer and co-director Devon Delmoar – a story about an elderly goatherd caught in a reparations scam: a portrait of waiting, endurance and loss as repetition serves as revelation.

Lee-Che Janecke – Dance
Presents MAJAIVAN: A Movement Story of the Life of Lee-Che Janecke

Known globally as Litchi HOV, Lee-Che Janecke is the choreographer, creative director and cultural innovator behind some popular contemporary African dances. MAJAIVAN: A Movement Story of the Life of Lee-Che Janecke is his most personal offering yet: an emotional autobiography told entirely through movement. Lee-Che was the creative architect of Tyla’s Grammy Award-winning Water, which became a global dance awakening. Also noteworthy is his 2025 MTV VMA-nominated work, Push 2 Start, for Best Choreographer.

Gabi Motuba – Jazz
Presents The Sounds of a Black Girl

Gabi Motuba moves through jazz like a philosopher through language – with precision, curiosity and deep conviction. The Sounds of a Black Girl brings a new ensemble to the stage for a performance rooted in improvisation, spiritual jazz and neo-soul, building on the experimental foundations of The Sabbath. A vocalist and composer of rare emotional range, Gabi is redefining what South African jazz can hold.

Manana – Music
Presents Pulchritudinous: The Beauty of the Journey

SAMA-winning Manana arrives at the Festival with his most ambitious live offering to date. Pulchritudinous: The Beauty of the Journey spans his entire artistic arc – from debut EP In the Beginning Was the End to 2025’s OBHM: Full Stop – performed with a full band and horn section. With collaborations stretching from Burna Boy and Usher to Tyla, Cynthia Erivo and Sauti Sol, Manana will perform new arrangements, rare renditions and unreleased material in a once-in-a-lifetime showcase.

Bronwyn Katz – Visual Art
Presents Ta a-b kobab ada kāxu-da, ti khoe-du’e!

Bronwyn Katz’s exhibition Ta a-b kobab ada kāxu-da, ti khoe-du’e! is a quiet act of linguistic retrieval, translating the body’s own cartographies into metal scaffolds, horns and cavities alive with healing herbs, beeswax and conductive wire. Born in Kimberley and based in Cape Town, Katz is a founding member of iQhiya, the celebrated 11-woman collective that has shown at Documenta 14 in Kassel and Athens. Her practice is an evolving system of notation: an effort to speak the phonetics of a language not yet fully remembered.

The National Arts Festival runs from 25 June to 5 July 2026. Visit nationalartsfestival.co.za to view the curated programme, which includes showcases by all the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards winners.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Shaping the Future appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS BoysPlayNice

More than a conventional renovation, the eight-year restoration of Oblouková 171 became a deeply personal project for architects Jan and Barbora Hora, whose family history is tied to the house across several generations.

The architects knew from the outset that transforming the building would be a challenge. “The house came to us in a surprise inheritance. It was in a state of ruin: the roof was leaky, some ceilings were caving in, and entire sections of the roof truss were missing. Dry rot had spread aggressively,” say the couple.

Jan and Barbora’s starting point was figuring out how to renovate economically while maintaining deep respect for the building’s historical value. “We had no money and no clear idea of what to do next. But who else but architects would know how to handle an old ramshackle house?”

First, the house needed to be stabilised. The entire structure was braced with steel tie rods; the collapsed vault was rebuilt by an experienced master mason; and the collapsed ceiling, where water had been pouring in and rot had taken hold, was replaced with a concrete slab. The most demanding element, however, was the roof structure – a three-tiered hop-drying attic, which is a typical feature of buildings in Žatec.

Local companies were afraid to take on the task. “At that point, we were already giving up all hope and considering getting rid of this millstone around our neck in the form of an old ruin. So we reached out to true masters of their craft, who restored the structural integrity of the roof truss and revived its grandeur,” recall the couple.

The project was shaped by Jan and Barbora’s desire to reuse materials wherever possible, to keep costs down and to preserve traditional elements of the building.

The ceiling was replaced with old, hand-hewn beams from a demolished house in Vrbovec, while the tiling was sourced from demolition projects or traded. “We hauled the red marble stone tiles out of a demolition container and transported them in small batches, 400 km by car. We traded the tiles for a crate of Pilsner lagers. In the passageway, there are cleaned tiles from a South Bohemian farmstead, which are almost identical to the tiles that were originally there. See if you can tell which is which. The entire courtyard is paved with timeless Šatov tiles, which must have been stored in a barn for a hundred years before finally being used,” say Jan and Barbora.

As a result, it’s hard to tell what in the house is original and what is new. “We’ve preserved as much as possible. Sometimes it’s better not to mess with what works.”

Upstairs, the old floors are a major focal point. Solid planks, some of which are still fastened with wrought-iron nails, have been worn down over time and are uneven and dramatically bumpy. “The greatest experience is walking across them barefoot and letting the ancient material work its magic on your feet. We sanded the floors ourselves by hand, but we also wanted to apply a layer that could be worn down. For each floor, we designed and painted a new ‘carpet’ using linseed oil paints – an admittedly new intervention that will gradually fade away,” explain the couple.

While preserving the interior was a challenge, the street-facing facade presented the greatest dilemma. “In the 1990s, it was stripped of all detailing. As a result, the facade appeared disfigured and architecturally incomplete. We couldn’t figure out why. Understanding it was made difficult by the fact that we couldn’t find its original form.”

They discovered that there had once been prominent suprafenestras above the windows on the upper floor, and that the house had a distinctive cornice. “Although we eventually uncovered the original design, we did not simply want to restore it. We reintroduced the individual elements but treated them in a new, more simplified way,” say the couple.

Coming up with a sustainable programme for the house was just as much of a challenge as the renovation itself. Jan and Barbora wanted to open the building to the public and share its history with the town. “That’s why we approached the master brewer of the FALKON Flying Brewery and got him excited about the new bar. The bar and its interior are an integral part of the house. The quality of the craft beer and the way it’s served match the atmosphere the house exudes,” they say. “The house also offers accommodation for travellers and visitors in several apartments, while we use it ourselves as a holiday home. After all, what more does a person need than beer and a blanket?” | o-r-a.cz

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Czech Townhouse appeared first on Visi.