British architect Thomas Heatherwick has proposed to repurpose a grain silo into an art gallery in Cape Town, South Africa. The silo is made up of 42-concrete tubes, which Heatherwick plans to make into gallery spaces; some will house elevators.
The gallery, called the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), will be located on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. It will be built in a partnership between V&A Waterfront and entrepreneur Jochen Zeitz. Zeitz’s art collection will help to furnish the museum’s 80 proposed galleries.
A press release from V&A Waterfront states that the proposed museum will “become the most significant collection of contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora.”
V&A Waterfront challenged Heatherwick to honor the original structure and contemporize it at the same time.
In the center of the nine-story building, an oval-shaped, cathedral-like atrium will be carved out and covered by a glass roof. With a cross-section cut through eight of the central concrete tubes, the atrium will be surrounded by concrete tubes, according to Dezeen.
Beneath the building, there is a network of underground tunnels; these will create education and site specific spaces so that artists can dialogue with the original structure, V&A Waterfront has said.
In addition, 18 education areas, a storage and conservation area, bookstores, and a rooftop sculpture garden, among other features, are included in Heatherwick’s design.
On the building’s exterior, layers of paint will be removed in order to show the raw concrete of the silos, and pillowed glazing panels will bulge outward from the upper floors.
Heatherwick’s proposed design was presented this past week at Cape Town's Design Indaba Expo 2014.
Related Stories
Museums | Oct 3, 2017
Denmark’s new LEGO experience hub looks like it’s made out of giant LEGO blocks
The 12,000-sm building is part of Billund, Denmark’s goal to become the ‘Capital for Children.’
Museums | Aug 15, 2017
Underground Railroad Visitor Center tells story of oppression, then freedom
The museum is conceived as a series of abstracted forms made up of two main structures, one administrative and one exhibit.
Cultural Facilities | Jul 13, 2017
A WWII bunker becomes a museum along Denmark’s coast
BIG’s design of this cultural center is the “antithesis” of the fortress.
Museums | Jul 5, 2017
Addition by subtraction: Art Share L.A. renovation strips away its acquired superfluity
The redesign of the 28,000-sf building is prioritizing flexibility, openness, and connectivity.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 30, 2017
L.A.’s John Anson Ford Amphitheater might finally be ready for its close-up
The performing arts venue, nearly a century old, has undergone an extensive refurbishing.
Building Team | Jun 27, 2017
Bruner Foundation announces 2017 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence gold and silver medalists
The SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, Pa., receives the gold medal and $50,000.
Libraries | May 31, 2017
A year after its facelift, Boston’s Public Library is relevant again
Visitors are flocking to its brighter, connected halls, which now include retail and digital components.
Cultural Facilities | May 25, 2017
The Shed, a multi-arts center on New York’s west side, moves forward in construction and funding
The facility, designed for maximum programming flexibility, includes a massive movable shell.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2017
Obama Foundation reveals first look at the Obama Presidential Center
The design comprises three buildings set in the public space of Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.
Performing Arts Centers | Mar 6, 2017
An oval defines the Frank Gehry-designed Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall
The hall hosted its debut concert on Saturday, March 4 with a performance by the Boulez Ensemble.
