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COVER STORY
BHO is making steady progress on the redevelopment
of the 100 year old Grain Silo which will house the Zeitz
Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA).
Once completed, it will be a flagship project for the
building contractor, which was also involved in the
prestigious Clock Tower, and later, the highly acclaimed
No 1 Silo and No 2 Silo developments.
Associated with the V&A Waterfront development from the outset,
WBHO has remained the building contractor of choice for this
development for a number of reasons. This includes the work it
performed at the challenging No 1 Silo and No 2 Silo projects, as
well as the super basement that supports mixed use No 3 Silo, No 4 Silo
and No 5 Silo developments.
However, Bruce Keytel, WBHO contracts manager responsible for
the Grain Silo project, believes it is the contractor’s hands-on approach
on all its building projects that has played a very important role in the
Accommodating specialised project
requirements is one of the strengths
that AfriSam brings to its customer
partnerships. An excellent example
is its ongoing involvement in the V&A
Silo District project where specialised
readymix concrete is being supplied to
the historic Grain Silo Project.
company’s long legacy in the precinct.
“We are known for our ability to undertake
complex structural projects, whilst being able to meet
the expectations that we have created for our clients,”
Keytel says.
An intimate understanding
An intimate understanding of the V&A Waterfront
working environment also bodes well for WBHO
and has certainly given it a significant head-start in
executing acclaimed architect Thomas Heatherwick’s
unique vision for the Grain Silo, the most challenging
of all the builds in the precinct. In executing Heath-
erwick’s design, WBHO has carved away sections
of the internal silo bins to form a large oval shaped
cavity that will comprise the atrium of the structure.
It resembles a large grain of corn that will connect the
completed asset to its historical past.
This unique space is surrounded by the galleries
of the Zeitz MOCAA museum, which is also being built
inside the silo bins on the perimeter of the structure.
The majority of the inner silo bins have been removed
in their entirety to create these unique internal spaces.
Keytel says one of the biggest challenges on this
project is the extensive demolition and deconstruc-
tion activities, which commenced shortly after the
contractor took ownership of the site in April 2014.
Top-down and bottom-up demolition activities have
continued unabated even while the main concrete
cutting and shaping of the atrium, as well as other
works, are underway.
The original concrete façades of the elevator
building were demolished from the roof level down
to the top of the silo bins, 32 metres above sea level.
These were replaced with the unique ‘pillowed’
windows which will dominate the skyline of the silo
district and act as a glowing beacon at night for the
museum. The roof structure of the elevator building,
which has been transformed into the new Silo Hotel,
incorporates a roof top bar and swimming pool.
In addition, the core of the structure was disman-
tled down to the second basement level, more than
four metres below sea level, while the existing track
shed was also deconstructed and taken away for
future refurbishment and reinstatement.
WBHO saved some time with the early removal of
the conveyor shed during the No 1 Silo phase of the
development. It was removed from site and was dili-
AfriSam is supplying specialised readymix concrete to the historic
Grain Silo Project which is being constructed by WBHO.
4
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
DECEMBER
2016
AFRISAM
and
WBHO
carve a niche for the