Cape Town's Historic Grain Silo Got a New Lease on Life with Iconic Redevelopment

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) and The Silo Hotel. Cape Town, South Africa.

For nearly a century Cape Town's historic grain silo has presided over Table Bay Harbour- and for over half that time it was the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa. Opening in 1924, it was the heart of South Africa's industrial and agricultural economies- processing, storing, and distributing maize in the elevator tower and storage silos. It fell out of use in the 1990s and closed in 2001. Its inclusion in the V & A Waterfront (V & A) is fitting as Table Bay Harbour is South Africa's oldest working harbour and retains an industrial feel with its fishing boats, container ships, and mix of wharves, warehouses, and shopping malls. The waterfront is a juxtaposition of industrial and retail/entertainment. (The V & A has 100,000 visitors a day, 23 million a year.) Therefore, when discussions began regarding what to do with the now derelict building it found an advocate in V & A CEO, David Green. He stated, "The building has real soul and character. I was drawn to the idea of repurposing the industrial architecture, and leaving that for future generations to enjoy." He further explained his decision to transform and renovate, to "breathe new life into the Silo District and act as a draw card to a venture that is non-commercial in nature specifically for the enjoyment of all the continent's citizens." In this regard the V & A found the perfect partner in German businessman, Jochen Zeitz, who was actively seeking a venue to house his vast collection of African Contemporary art. British architect, Thomas Heatherwick, was engaged in the project from the very beginning. The building now houses the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) and the Silo Hotel. (Though housed in the same building they are separate ventures.) MOCAA inhabits the lower levels of the elevator tower and storage silos. Heatherwick likened the design process to archeology and excavation, or deconstructing versus constructing. His team creatively cut out the "tube" or cylinders to form highly unique spaces. The cut cylinders were reinforced with concrete sleeves- the rough aggregate of the original contrasting with the polished, smooth new concrete. The anchor of the museum is the 10 story atrium- its shaped based on a single kernel of corn. Fritted glass with a pattern commissioned by the late African artist, El Loko, tops the atrium, flooding the space with daylight while supporting a rooftop sculpture garden. The building's exterior was fitted with unique 3-dimensioned windows that look like pillows and reflect daylight giving the interior a kaleidoscope effect while at night they glow from the interior light, acting as a light house in the harbour. The windows also provide magnificent views of Table Mountain, Lions Head, Table Bay with Robben Island in the distance, and the clouds above. Heatherwick has called the building, "the world's tubiest building." He also stated, "we wanted to draw out something that only this building could give." MOCAA opened in Sept. 2017. The top 6 floors of the elevator tower house the Silo Hotel. While Heatherwick designed the facade, Liz Biden, founder and owner of The Royal Portfolio, designed the hotel's interiors. The hotel is described as industrial, eclectic, and luxurious, The grain silo's transformation is a respectful nod to the building's industrial past and uniquely ties the old and new together in the diverse harbour.