Table of contents for VISI 118 in Visi

TIGER, TIGER, BURNING BRIGHT! It’s the Chinese Year of the Tiger, and here at VISI we hope that means new beginnings and plenty of luck for all of us. In China, the tiger is considered the king of animals, and a symbol of strength, power, vitality and fearlessness – so it’s not surprising that all over the world, designers such as Fendi are celebrating this powerful animal with capsule collections and limited editions that channel all that tiger-energy while also raising awareness about the risk of extinction that these beautiful beasts face.…

"IN JOHANNESBURG, THERE’S NO MOUNTAIN AND THERE’S NO SEA,” says architect Anthony Orelowitz, referring to homes in Cape Town that tend to look outwards, seeking to catch a glimpse of the ocean or frame a view of Table Mountain. “Here, you have to create your own habitat.” And that, at heart, was the basis of his response to Johannesburg’s urban character when he designed his own home in the city’s forested suburbs. Anthony’s firm, Paragon, is responsible for some of the city’s most significant commercial architectural landmarks – but, he says, “I hadn’t done a house in nearly 15 years.” Nevertheless, working closely with architect Elliot Marsden and interior designer Julia Day, he conjured a vision of what it means to make a home in Joburg, at once perfectly suited…

“THE COMBINATION OF MUTED KHAKIS AND OCHRES AGAINST LIGHT SHADES, OF VINTAGE ELEMENTS AND CONTEMPORARY PIECES, CREATES STRONG CONTRASTS.” Marie Laure Helmkampf, interior designer ONE MIGHT’VE EXPECTED AN ITALO-CANADIAN  couple to pick Tuscany as their European home, but it was an area northeast of Marseille in Provence that they chose instead. Dazzled by the beauty of the place and its historical heritage, for 20 years this globetrotting family had rented houses in the area, waiting for the ideal moment to buy their own. A few years ago, they were lucky enough to find a Provençal farmhouse in its original condition that had once belonged to the family of 19th-century French novelist Alphonse Daudet – and its renovation turned out to be a fascinating journey. Steering the makeover was architect Pierre-Olivier…

FABIO VENTURI OF THE TERRAMANZI GROUP, the sustainable design consultants for the recently opened Green School South Africa (GSSA) outside Paarl in the Drakenstein Valley, believes that the campus might be “the greenest school on the planet”. Because the school is on track to be the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) certified project in Africa, he explains, it has to be compliant with the world’s “most rigorous certification system”. To be awarded LBC certification, Fabio says, “You have to demonstrate that [the buildings are] regenerative“ – which, in the simplest terms, means “you’re basically putting in more than you’re taking out”. This is architecture that actually heals the environment rather than merely doing less damage: it generates energy, purifies waste, recycles resources and restores biodiversity. The architecture is all the…

THE TRUE DELIGHT OF KOL IZAKHAYA LIES IN the seating plan. Located in Hyde Park Corner, the restaurant offers all permutations of seating for diners – whether you’re in a large group or dining solo, you can slide into a cosy booth, book the private dining room or intimate roped-off lounge, or perch on a high stool at the bar or at one of the counters. Merging two cultures via its name – with KōL being the Japanese interpretation of the kanji symbol for coal, and Izakhaya a portmanteau-play on the informal Japanese food bar, izakaya, and khaya meaning “home” in Zulu – the space brings people together to connect around a fire, the robata. “It’s a contemporary take on a traditional Japanese izakaya in South Africa,” says the restaurant’s…

ASK ANYONE YOU KNOW TO CLOSE THEIR EYES AND VISUALISE the most inspiring or relaxing place they can, and chances are you’re not going to end up with a description of the inside of an office. As the growing climate crisis compels us to rethink the relationships between human beings (who collectively now spend 80 to 90% of their time indoors) and the natural world, designers and architects are starting to place an ever greater emphasis on sustainability – and beyond that, exploring the lessons the natural world might be able to teach us about better ways of designing, making and using things. BIOPHILIA The term “biophilia” – broadly meaning “love of living things” – was first used by psychologist Erich Fromm in 1964, then by biologist Edward O Wilson…

TIGER POWER 1.›Calendário 2022 is a contemporary, porcelain calendar plate designed by Eduardo Fonseca for Vista Alegre. The tiger and the stars are a mixture of two horoscopes, explains Fonseca: he shows the Tiger sign of the Chinese zodiac walking confidently among Western star signs. The plate is for decorative use only. vistaalegre.com 2.›The Gucci Tiger collection features both the word “tiger” and images of the biggest cats of all on ready-to-wear items and accessories. gucci.com BIG CATS AT HOME Chinese astrologers believe that adding a powerful symbol to a space will bring you good luck. And with tigers this cute… 1. The Tiggie Rug at Haus by Hertex is soft on little hands, knees and feet – and tougher than it looks! hertexhaus.co.za 2.›The new Iron Tiger Fight & Fitness gym…

ARLO MIDTOWN Midtown might not be your first choice of Manhattan neighbourhood to stay but Arlo is tucked between the much-buzzed development of Hudson Yards and the theatre district, so its position is enviable. Arlo describes itself as a sleek urban oasis, and if the greenery is anything to go by, an oasis it is. “It’s really all about the layers – the seamless mixture of wood, marble, glass, unlacquered brass, plus the abundance of greenery – throughout the space,” says interior designer Gray Davis. Look out for the eight-storey wooden art installation, which runs the length of a concrete wall in a tribute to the nearby garment district. arlohotels | arlohotels.com MODERNHAUS SOHO Yes, staying here is about being based in this iconic creative district, but at the Staying at…

t’s already become a cliché to say that the Covid-19 pandemic – and in particular, its lockdowns, which confined us to our homes for months on end in 2020 – changed the way we think about domestic space. These days, walk through a prospective new home, and one of the first questions that comes to mind is how you’d feel about being confined to that house for two months. And in the case of this cleverly remodelled abode in Cape Town, the answer is, “Bring it on immediately!” Located in the upper regions of Green Point, the house is perched on the edge of Signal Hill, and unfolds over multiple levels to accommodate the steepness of the sloped plot. Past the street entrance and parking garage at the top of…

2012 • My sister and I opened Casamento in Loop Street in 2008 as a business that sold refurbished mid-century furniture. By 2012, she had left, and Casamento had moved to the Woodstock Foundry, where we were making our own pieces – like this Juno chair. Back then I tried to only use natural fibres and no foam, something that’s much harder nowadays. My co-designer at the time, Henri du Rand, helped me develop this idea, using rough linen and raw silk laid over raw cotton and coir in a patchwork way. It led to the development of a specific deconstructed style for Casamento. 2013 • I discovered crewel embroidery through a book about the late American embroidery artist Erica Wilson – although our style is much more relaxed and…

A URBAN-BASED ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIST and interior designer Siyanda Magaba grew up in Bizana and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. He obtained a degree in interior design and architecture at the Durban University of Technology in 2019. While completing his second year there, he created the eponymous Magaba Designs; later the same year, he launched his furniture label, Africular. We spoke to him recently to find out what drives and inspires him. My design philosophy mainly follows an eco-efficient approach in creating African-inspired designs. It rejects any form of limitation. As well as running Magaba Designs, I work for an architectural company, which continuously immerses me in architectural design and interior design. And as a designer, I find inspiration in almost everything I see and experience. These observations inform solutions, or…

PROUD MARY In the centre of Jozi’s Rosebank is the instantly iconic rectangular black building known as The Bank (which we featured in VISI 117). Proud Mary is the multiuse building’s restaurant and statement wine bar, offering discerning customers an extensive collection of small-batch, local and independent wines in a sleek, Art Deco-inspired setting that features plush textures, terrazzo, brass and natural wood finishes. The food menu celebrates cuisine from around the world, offering a refined, casual, modern approach to dining – just right for a luxe night out. proudmary_sa CULTURE WINE BAR Owned by Matt Manning of Grub & Vine on Cape Town’s trendy Bree Street, Culture offers a curated selection of South African cult classics as well as some hidden gems, speciality international imports and natural wines, in…

“A fresh take on a familiar item like a ping-pong table can inspire us all to think out of the box, to be more adventurous, to bring excitement to the way we live and design our personal spaces.” – ANNEMARIE MEINTJES campbellhay.com | theartofpingpong.co.uk…

Have you browsed VISI’s online shop? Visit shop.visi.co.za to ensure you don’t miss out on our new limited-edition collab with Sprung. The Deck Mate side table comes in two exclusive colours, and has been designed to sit alongside your pool lounger, providing the perfect platform for your drink, snack or book. WE ASK_ED YOU ONL_INE: WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY HOME-DECOR PLEASURE? 595 of you took our poll to let us know. Here are the results: 31% Retro and vintage furniture finds 25% Scatter cushions and throws 21% Local art 19% Books 4% Musical instruments as decor pieces #READERLOVE If you’re enjoying the latest issue, we’d love for you to take a pic of your mag and share it with us. Simply tag VISI on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with your…

Effective design doesn’t mean complicated design. It doesn’t lead with aesthetics at the expense of function. Instead, effective design is far more focused on its goal. It’s about defining a need, understanding the user, prototyping solutions, gathering feedback and, based on that, creating the final product. And that’s exactly the process followed by the INEOS team in conceptualising, creating, testing and finalising the new Grenadier. From the outset, the vehicle was designed with one purpose in mind – to meet the need for a rugged, capable and comfortable go-anywhere working vehicle. THE BRIEF “The brief was simple,” says head of design Toby Ecuyer. “We set out to design a modern, functional and highly capable 4x4 vehicle with utility at its core; to create a design that’s ‘easy-to-read’, with no ambiguity…

THERE WERE TWO NON-NEGOTIABLES IN THE CLIENT BRIEF: 1) respect the land, and 2) ensure that the house is elegant and small. It’s not difficult to see why – the parcel of earth the residence was built on is pristinely beautiful. “The farm is situated near Plettenberg Bay, on a large portion of land filled with indigenous forest, with rivers running through it and a view of the Tsitsikamma Mountains,” says architect Paul Oosthuizen, giving context to his client’s instructions. “There was one patch of invasive wattle on the land, which was cleared – this became the area we developed.” To find the perfect spot on which to build, Paul surveyed the sloped piece of land by climbing some of the tall trees on its periphery, then decided on the…

CREATING A SENSE OF AWE AND OCCASION IN A FAMILY HOME IS NO EASY FEAT. For David Hollis, founder of Arch3D Architects, the approach to this brief was all about the juxtaposition of materials and designing a visual feast for the senses. After visiting the owners’ previous home, he noticed the lack of volume and layering. “Each space merged into another, with no identity,’’ David says. “I wanted to play with volume here, and bring the excitement of creating a unique feeling of space within each function of the home, but still maintain that easy, flowing openness.” An amalgamation of these concepts has resulted in a space that allows for both family interaction and for refuge, based around a central statement hub. Celebrating volume also allows for large vertical planes,…

KOREAN BEAUTY – AKA K-BEAUTY – PRODUCTS have been taking over the planet in the past decade. Focused on skincare rather than on makeup, K-beauty combines innovative formulas and scientifically tested ingredients to create personally curated, multistep skincare routines. Add playful packaging and, in many cases, affordable pricing, and it’s no wonder that, in 2019, the worldwide market for K-beauty products clocked in at a staggering $10-billion (about R158-billion). Korean brands such as Laneige, Dr.Jart+ and Innisfree have also helped launch entirely new beauty product categories, including sheet masks, skin essences and BB creams. In South Africa, multibrand K-beauty retailer Glow Theory was launched in 2017, and has been so successful, it’s become something of a cult favourite and leader in the K-beauty space locally. So it’s no wonder that,…

A DYNAMIC SPACE CREATED TO FUEL DREAMS and bring them one step closer to reality, the award-winning Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto first opened its doors in 2010, offering a much-needed space for young athletes, and giving marginalised youngsters the chance to realise their sporting prowess. Fast-forward a decade, and the most utilised training ground in the area was in need of a refurb. The plan? To transform the soccer-focused centre into a multidisciplinary sports destination that encourages social, educational and creative opportunities too. To bring the project to fruition, Nike enlisted the services of Joburg-based architecture outfit C76, who collaborated with Futura Design Agency and the sports brand to create this safe and freely accessible area for the community. As principal architect Carl Jacobsz explains, Chris Hani Road…