Name of the Project
V&A Waterfront Silo district project.

Location
Western Cape, South Africa.

Client
V&A Waterfront.

Project Description
The V&A Waterfront’s Silo district involves the conversion of the waterfront’s historical silos. The district is home to the multiple-award-winning No 1 and No 2 silo developments and is the location of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) being developed in the grain silo complex.

The Zeitz MOCAA will introduce Category A climate control in the galleries. The technology has been endorsed by the International Council of Museums and is used in internationally renowned galleries such as the Pompidou Metz, Pulitzer and Paul Klee. The technology offers the highest level of protection to an art collection and is the most advanced climate control technology currently available. It will enable Zeitz MOCAA to exhibit any piece of art, no matter how fragile.

Further, four new silo developments will introduce more than 35 000 m2 of mixed-use, sustainable developments, including new corporate offices, a residential development, a Virgin Active Classic Health Club and a midrange internationally branded hotel, as well as more than 1 050 additional parking bays. When completed, about 2 500 people will work at the Silo district daily.

The No 3 silo will offer an estimated 10 000 m2 of residential space in the form of about 75 luxury one- to four-bedroom apartments, all offering the same environmentally sustainable benefits as No 2 silo, which, in addition to receiving a four-star green rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) in 2013, has recently ranked as the best residential development in the country by the South African Property Owner’s Association. The new No 3 silo has similar aims and will aim to redefine luxury.

In a first for the V&A Waterfront and the Western Cape, the No 4 silo will offer a state-of-the-art, 4 000 m² Virgin Active Health Club.

The No 5 silo development will offer 13 500 m² of multitenanted office space and also aims to achieve a Green Star rating from the GBCSA.

A 220-key 8 000 m² international, midmarket hotel will be housed in the No 6 silo. The operator for this hotel is expected to be announced in the upcoming months.

To accommodate the expected increased traffic into the Silo district, works are under way to widen South Arm road. An extension of the basement parking area will add an additional 1 050 new bays to the super basement, bringing the total number of bays to 2 750.

Use of the MyCiti service is supported and encouraged, with the silo bus stop already operational.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Value
R1.5-billion.

Duration
The project was completed in September 2017.

Latest Developments
After four years of cutting, carving and engineering, and what at times seemed nearly impossible, the V&A Waterfront’s grain silo has been transformed into the world’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art from Africa.

The nearly 100-year-old grain silo, comprising vertical tubes, has been shaped into the Zeitz MOCAA, which opened to much acclaim in September.

The R500-million development includes 6 000 m² of exhibition space in 100 galleries, as well as a rooftop sculpture garden, a shop, restaurant and bar, state-of-the-art storage and conservation areas.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
WBHO (main construction contractor); MACE (principal agent and project manager), MLC (quantity surveyors); Sutherland Engineers and Arup (structural engineers); VDMMA, RBA and Jacobs Parker (silo architects); Makeka Design Lab (No 3 and No 4 silos); Jacobs Parker (museum fit-out and No 5 silo) and Heatherwick Studio, VDMMA, RBA and Jacobs Parker (Zeitz MOCAA).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
V&A Waterfront tel +27 21 408 7500.