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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
AUGUST
2017
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.
ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE
Winner – Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art
Africa
Concrete is the main finishing characteristic of this
project which has innovatively retrofitted one of Cape
Town’s most iconic industrial relics namely the Grain Silo
at the V&A Waterfront.
This original redesign of the interior created new
functional spaces for galleries, foyer and pause
spaces, exposed staircases, transparent lifts and an
administration area. This was supplemented with a new
sculptural atrium carved out from the heart of the silos’
existing cylindrical concrete structures. Newly fitted
skylights flood the interior spaces with natural light in a
magical way whilst the old basement and roof top areas
are activated with new uses.
Maintaining the integrity of the old concrete structures
and blending it sympathetically with new stabilising
concrete work and finishes, this project managed to
uniquely reinvent a historical Cape Town landmark.
Retrofitting the existing architectural and structural
elements such as the silos, with new uses by using bold
and dramatic interventions has created a truly remarkable
architectural asset not only for the art world and Cape
Town, but indeed for South Africa.
*Commendation – Sol Plaatje University Library
Van Zyl Spruit Bridge.
INNOVATION IN CONCRETE
Joint Winners – Van Zyl Spruit Bridge and
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
The unique Van Zyl Spruit Bridge is the first long
integral bridge in South Africa and, at 90 m, one of the
longest integral bridges in the world. The innovative
use of integral bridges allows savings in materials, no
capital cost for bearings and joints, lower maintenance
costs, more durability and makes concrete bridges
more competitive.
In addition, the installation of over 500 sensors
in the bridge structure which are being logged
automatically every 15 minutes to detect and quantify
trends in strain, temperature, tilt and earth pressure,
make this one of the first ‘SMART’ bridges in the
Sol Plaatje University Library.
spectacular three- dimensional envelope which allows a 2.7m wide perimeter
void between the external envelope and the floor plates. This resulted in in an
envelope as an integrated 'wall and roof' shell that is functionally, structurally
and technically independent of the ‘building' within it.
The contractor managed the unusually demanding staging and shuttering
of huge areas of free-standing external envelope walling at the highest
possible standards and delivered a highly refined, consistently silky off-steel
surface finish.
This landmark library not only celebrates concrete as its main material
but it allows concrete a highly visible civic and sculptural presence. Concrete
becomes one of the key features of the main pedestrian spine of the new
university campus which links it to the surrounding city of Kimberley.
*Commendation – Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
*Commendation – PwC Tower Including Slide