Table of contents for VISI 107 in Visi

A LONG WAY TO GO FOR A BEACH VACATION I am not a “beach person”. Photogenic Cape Town may well resemble paradise, but the south-easter, the cold Atlantic, the thin ozone and the dodgy public lavatories keep this Jew pale and melanoma-free. United Airlines now flies direct from Cape Town to Newark, but it’s still 29 hours each way – including layovers – for the unlikely swap of summer in Cape Town with winter in its antipode, Hawaii. But Honolulu in December is a paradise, with God’s thermostat set at a constant 24°C, no bugs and no great whites. What’s more, it’s a fully fledged American commercial city, where everything functions and gleams. Like Miami, Honolulu is a tropical resort for city slickers. TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE But that’s where the Miami…

During my apprenticeship with local artist Wim Botha, I worked on weekends at his studio, designing my own pieces. That’s when I developed my signature 5mm steel bench leg, made specifically to hold large timber beams. I sourced old timber from a farm on the West Coast to manufacture my first product: a 3m reclaimed timber bench with 5mm mild steel legs, custom-sprayed in automotive 2K paint. After designing the signature bench legs, I started focusing on collectible pieces and working with painters and artists, which has always intrigued me. Lionel Smit and I have been friends for years; after a meeting at his studio we decided to collaborate on a collection of limited-edition, one-of-a-kind hand-painted steel benches. The first was exhibited in 2014 at GUILD, Africa’s international design fair.…

1 FABRIC BANK Joy of Zuri and Imani The designs featured in this collection are inspired by the silhouetted rooftops of Taourirt, one of Morocco’s best-known kasbahs – and the location for countless film shoots, including Gladiator (2000) and some episodes of Game of Thrones. R680/m². fabricbank.co.za 2 FABRIC BANK Sheni Moshi Inspired by traditional South African artistry, the Sheni Moshi collection pays homage to basket-weaving techniques. The result is a collection of wallcoverings that are all about intricate line work. R580/m². fabricbank.co.za 3 FABRIC BANK Keya Tama This design reimagines the lost practice of hand-drawn packaging and signage in a bold new way. R580/m². fabricbank.co.za 4 ORMS Si Maclennan Graphic designer Si Maclennan is a longtime Orms collaborator – the company regularly works with artists who have a unique…

Pineapple House isn’t your run-of-the-mill guest house. A passion project by owners Rupert and Lesley Sykes, it showcases their knack for interiors and understanding of architecture and design. “I’ve been passionate about design from a young age,” Rupert explains. “I was often blown away by how beautiful someone could make their home look, and I think that’s where my interest stemmed from. I worked years, I often something nothing, or the potential of a space.” Lesley and Rupert relocated back to South Africa in 2013. They found their family home by chance – the last of the 10 they viewed. Later, they bought the neighbouring Victorian house (a mirror of their own home), which eventually became Pineapple House. The boutique hotel got its name from the pineapple decals Rupert had…

MELT STAND CHANDELIER The Melt range is a collaboration between Tom Dixon and the Swedish design collective, Front. The lamps’ appearance is reminiscent of molten glass or the interior of a glacier, and the design was born out of the quest to create an organic, naturalistic lighting object. The ultra-luxe Melt Stand Chandelier is the latest addition to this gorgeous range; pendants, table, floor and surface lights are also available. OPAL ARC Working with its German engineering partners, the brand designed a sculptural overreach lamp (above right). Featuring an ethereal orb that hovers at the end of a long metal “wand”, the lamp is supported by a satisfyingly chunky metal base. The designers removed the commonly used dangling light bulb and replaced it with the latest Tom Dixon LED disc,…

Almost as well-known as its excellent Chardonnay Pinot Noir has been Haute Cabrière’s restaurant and its French-inspired menu. At the end of 2019, 25 years after it opened, the wine farm unveiled a completely redesigned eating area. Not only was its much-loved cellar space given a decor revamp, but most notably, a new pavilion has been built with unimpeded panoramic views of the Franschhoek valley. With glass walls and an expansive infinity deck, the new structure allows guests to enjoy chef Nic van Wyk’s delicious menu, which he describes as “elegant but comforting, offering dishes that would satisfy locals, yet impress international guests”. Architectural firm A3D was entrusted with a brief to design a space that would continue to create a stylish, authentically meaningful experience for guests – one that…

LIGHT (AND DARK) FANTASTIC At Maison&Objet, Serax presented a collection of tableware by Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester. Named Dé, the range explores chiaroscuro – the complex interplay of light and shadow – and features beautiful, handpainted degradé edges. serax.com FRINGE BENEFITS Also by Ann Demeulemeester for Serax and very much demonstrating her fashion-designer´s take on detailing are these gorgeously tactile Chan lamps, which are sure to appeal to maximalists everywhere. serax.com…

He might be an award-winning visual artist and the founder of BKhz gallery and studio, but 26-year-old Banele Khoza says that when he was growing up, a career in the arts seemed like a pipe dream. Born in Hlatikulu in Swaziland, he moved to South Africa as a teen, later pursuing a degree in fashion design at the London International School of Fashion. Quickly realising that the drawing and design aspects were not as much of a priority at LISOF as he’d expected, he decided to follow his passion for the arts, and transferred to a fine-arts course at the Tshwane University of Technology. “The lack of belonging I felt in my community growing up is what drew me to art,” he says. “I had to find a way to…

Woodbender has been crafting solid bentwood furniture for 32 years. Known for durability and comfort, each of Woodbender’s individually hand-crafted pieces is made from solid ash timber that’s imported from sustainably managed forests. The Woodbender Plettenberg Tub Chair is a compact, lightweight occasional chair designed with comfort top of mind. The wooden frame can withstand high-traffic environments, and the chair is easy to reupholster and move around to adapt to your needs. The multifunctional Salsa Stool is a versatile piece that can be used as additional seating in a lounge, a footstool or even a side table. All Woodbender furniture is available in 12 standard timber finishes and can be upholstered in a fabric of choice. Go to VISI.co.za/win to enter this competition. The competition closes on 31 May 2020.…

IN A PRIVATE RESERVE IN THE WATERBERG, THREE HOURS NORTH OF JOHANNESBURG, A SERIES OF BUILDINGS CROUCHES CAMOUFLAGED IN A FOREST. You’d struggle to see them among the dense foliage, even from above. Two of those buildings – House of the Big Arch and House of the Tall Chimneys – constitute the home of a pair of veterinary scientists, a husband and wife whose passion for nature and the great outdoors drew them to this wild corner of the country. Owing to its location on a 5000-hectare farm-turned-nature reserve, it’s not uncommon to see giraffe, leopard or genet, and an abundance of birds, from the paradise flycatcher to the yellow-bellied greenbul. It was during a ramble here that the owners came across a sandstone promontory that plunges into the riverine…

marks a very special occasion for Mazda: it is the year the company becomes a shinise. In Japan, this term is reserved for companies with an exceptionally long history and proud tradition. On 30 January, Mazda celebrated its 100th anniversary – and we celebrate the brand’s milestone by highlighting some of its iconic models and taking a peek at the future. R360 COUPE 1960-1969 Engine V-twin Displacement 356cm³ Power 12kW Top speed 85-90km/h Weight From 380kg Production numbers 65 737 units COSMO SPORT 1967–1972 Engine Two-rotor rotary Displacement 491cm³ per chamber Power 81–94kW Top speed 185–200km/h Weight From 940kg Production numbers 1 176 units LUCE R130 COUPE 1969–1971 Engine Two-rotor rotary Displacement 655cm³ per chamber Power 93kW Top speed 190km/h Weight From 1 185kg Production numbers 976 units RX-4 COUPE…

From the 1960 R360 Coupe – a micro car that Mazda sold in Japan, and its first passenger car – to its current line-up, the brand has had a long history with the colour red. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture, red denotes strength and passion, and is used to depict the sun on the national flag. Believing that paint colour is one of the key elements of form, Mazda was determined to create the world’s most beautiful red when it began the development of the new Soul Red Crystal. Creating Soul Red Crystal was a challenging process that required Mazda to reinvent the way cars are painted. With any beautiful object, the way the light dances across its surface forms part of its beauty. The interplay of light and form…

Leading interior-design company Okha’s sensual new coffee table is both sleek and organic. Known as Laguna – the Spanish word for “pond” or “lagoon” – this piece was initially commissioned by ARRCC for Cheetah Plains, a luxury safari destination in Sabi Sands. Its meandering form and smooth black metal top are inspired by the still depths of a dark pond, making for a design that adds an element of mystery to any living space. Laguna can be custom-made in a range of materials, including stone, metal, mirror and reinforced glass. As Okha creative director Adam Court explains, the legs and table body will always be made from two different finishes or materials, because each represents a different physical element. “The flat horizontal surface of the table (‘water’) is enveloped by…

1. DORTMUND HEXAGON Used on its own, the Dortmund Hexagon delivers a classic marble look. To add a decorative difference to the space, combine it with the Dortmund Border Hexagon, which creates a honeycomb pattern. Matte • 225 x 259 x 9mm • From R499/m² (excl. VAT) 2. GLACE ONICI The beautiful, barely grey marble-look porcelain tile with a polished finish creates a timeless look. Polished • 800 x 800 x 10mm • From R269/m² (excl. VAT) 3. BELLO STATUARIO The marble-look white porcelain tile with grey veining is available in two sizes and two finishes – matte and polished. Both options result in a seamless flow throughout your home. Matte and polished • 1 800 x 900 x 10mm and 900 x 900 x 10mm • From R399/m² (excl. VAT) 4. NAVONA CALACATTA Large-format marble-look…

Tell us about your design journey. I grew up in Mamelodi, and studied in Pretoria after school. My formal background is in graphic design and multimedia. I got into retail because I wanted to work in fashion; I just didn’t quite know what I wanted to do. I always saw fashion as a way of mashing everything together. It was the Zeitgeist of the art world, where things meet and make sense – you can always synthesise and weave ideas, and create something new. You’re big on collaboration – why is it so important for design? Collaboration is what got us to an era that I like to call post-post-modern, where niche and individuality are really becoming the theme. We can be so different – and we can collaborate on…

Among the overblown roses, the squash courts and the old gents ruminating over their corporate glory days, the Country Club Johannesburg’s new pavilion – an undulating extension that covers the club’s outdoor restaurant and bar – has done a lot more than offer shelter from Highveld sun and storms. It’s got outsiders talking and members hustling for a table under it on a Friday evening, so they can sip good Chenin Blanc in cool surroundings while their offspring run wild on the lawns below. Not so long ago, this was a sun-weathered, bumpy bricked terrace, dotted with clunky wrought-iron furniture and shaded by an ancient oak tree. Then architect Vedhant Maharaj and his Rebel Base Collective got involved. The young designer is a club member who cares deeply about the…

Held at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition complex, the show explored trends in consumer behaviour driven by generations Y and Z, with a focus on the way consumers are bringing nature and sustainable materials back into their lifestyle. The next Maison&Objet will be held from 4 to 8 September. Here are our favourite designs from the January edition. maison-objet.com PLANT-BASED TREE-BASED HAND-FELTED WATER-BASED INTO THE LIGHT CORDLESS…

Sadly, you can’t see much of Cape Town’s Werdmuller Centre. Barricaded behind corrugated steel, this dilapidated 1970s building in Claremont was designed by local architect Roelof Uytenbogaardt, and is a rare South African example of Brutalism’s bold architectural approach. Where it peeks out above the three-metre-high enclosure, you get a hint of the genre’s typical aesthetic: audacious structures of raw concrete set out in monolithic geometric forms of rigid angles and, at times, massive volumetric curves. And it’s this crude, fortress-like appearance that has seen Brutalism labelled as cold and imposing by its detractors. Its moniker, however, comes from béton brut (raw concrete), the iconic French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier’s material of choice. It was he who laid the foundation for a generation of Brutalist architects that emerge from the 1950s…

iT takes a singular vision to renovate an existing property significantly yet sensitively – to make an original statement while retaining as much of the existing structure as possible. To expand – yet maintain – the footprint while prioritising sustainability is especially challenging when the property happens to be located not just in Namibia’s remoteness, but in the world’s oldest desert. And when the brief is a total overhaul, as was the case with &Beyond’s Sossusvlei Desert Lodge – architecture, interiors and guest experience – it takes a team versed in the rigours of a certain type of multilayered hospitality that goes beyond quality linen. It requires a team that appreciates the tangible and intangible aspects of luxury;that knows how to offer guests an immersive experience. After two decades at…

YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR MISINTERPRETING THE AUSTERE FA ADE OF THIS FAMILY RESIDENCE AS COLD.  But the minute you set foot through the entrance into the voluminous heart of the home – with uninterrupted views of the mountains ahead and natural light streaming in from every angle through the floor-to-ceiling windows – it all makes complete sense. Homeowner Angie Diggle’s brief to architect Luis F Mira saw her love of Georgian architecture, and obsession with classicism and ratios woven into Luis’s minimalistic design approach and unwavering perfectionism. “The final considerations were to create a seamless flow from one space to another, ensure that the views were maximised from every room, and strip back everything,” explains Luis. It was a serendipitous chain of events that led Angie and Luis to meet.…

itting proudly at the top of one of the most gear-crunchingly steep streets in Cape Town, this family home is imbued with a unique combination of ebullience and lived-in-ness. It’s a blend created by the artistic eye and deft hand of its owner. “When my husband and I approached Wynand Wilsenach Architects to build the house,” Paula says, “we had a few nonnegotiables, like a large front and back lawn for our children, and enough open spaces inside the house for them to run around. Most of all, we wanted it to be a place we could call our forever home.” Paula isn’t kidding about the last part. Step out of the rambling lounge-kitchen area onto an airy patio overlooking the city, and one wall is covered with an illustrated…

JAPANESE AESTHETICS CALL FOR A DELICATE SENSE OF BALANCE RATHER THAN A SHOW OF OSTENTATION. The Mazda Vision Coupe embodies the elegant, refined atmosphere that is the target of next-generation Mazda design. Within the flowing four-door coupe configuration, the strikingly beautiful silhouette gives stirring visual expression to the vehicle’s high performance, while the sculpted athletic form is free of all unnecessary elements – a key factor in Mazda’s minimalist design approach. Since its unveiling in Tokyo in 2017, the Vision Coupe has won several design awards, including Concept Car of the Year at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, and Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year at the 33rd Festival Automobile International.…

BOTHA’S HALTE PRIMARY SCHOOL by Tiaan Meyer of Meyer & Associates  The brief The outdated, dilapidated building of Botha’s Halte Primary School between Worcester and Ceres had to be transformed into a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced school. The intention was to show how contemporary, sustainable architectural design – together with new educational technologies – could help bring world-class education to a rural community. The result Established at the turn of the previous century by local farmers, the school serves an agricultural worker community – so it makes sense that the original buildings were incorporated into the new complex as a tangible link with its heritage. The contemporary building is sensitively designed within the landscape, using green technologies throughout. Interior spaces are light, bright and happy, challenging spatial and design norms of…

The television has been the centre of the living room for decades, but not much about its design has changed since the creation of the flatscreen. But things are about to head in a fresh direction – one that many will find exciting, given the current craze for folding screens. The new offering takes the form of a rollable TV that’s won a bunch of awards at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Yes, you read right: LG has been at the forefront of rollable TV design, showing off prototypes that either roll down from a ceiling like a projector or roll back into their soundbar when not in use. One of the latter is the LG Signature OLED TV R, a consumer-ready product that will go on sale…

Nestled at the foot of the dramatic Drakenstein Mountains, Ashia (the name means “life and hope”) was founded to prevent the further decline of the cheetah population through its efforts to release captive-bred animals back into the wild. It also offers the opportunity to contribute to these conservation initiatives via volunteer programmes, working holidays and research/internship programmes – something visitors can do while staying at the farm’s new facilities. The first building you’ll notice on arrival is the remodelled workshop that used to service machinery on a 35-hectare farm. “Our aim with this building, along with the others on the estate, was to transform it in a manner that would in some way retain the integrity of its farmhouse vernacular,” says designer Nicky Tyers, adding that a fundamental part of…

TOM DIXON COPPER WIDE PENDANT LAMP, R13 040  cremadesign.co.za Highly reflective, with a warm metallic glow, this stretched sphere light is also available in copper and blue. STUA ECLIPSE NESTING TABLES, FROM R3 150  cremadesign.co.za Inspired by natural shapes, these tables are available in various sizes and colours. KOLK CUP, R800 FOR 4  georgegibbens.com Each of these simple, delicate porcelain cups comes with a natural beech-wood saucer. SMEG FRIDGE, R39 499  smeg.co.za The iconic vintage-style fridge’s rounded corners and retro steel handles will make a cool kitchen statement. HAY ABOUT A TABLE, R38 000  cremadesign.co.za Available in two heights, with round or rectangular tops, the table’s organic curves evoke a feeling of lightness. SEOUL MILK JUG, R69.95  woolworths.co.za This minimalist milk jug is perfect for your morning cuppa, and comes…