Zeitz Museum
Iwan Baan01Cape Town's grain silo complex had been painted a magnolia yellow in the ’80s, its tubes rising from the landscape like giant sticks of butter. London design firm Heatherwick Studio, which transformed the building into the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, restored the building's original concrete facade. “It felt like archaeology, scraping away 100 years of skins to reveal something beautiful,” says architect and group leader Mat Cash.
Iwan Baan02A cathedral-like atrium was carved from the 42 concrete silos using a 20-ton hydraulic breaker and industrial wire saw. Each silo is about 16 feet in diameter and stands 100 feet tall.
Iwan Baan03Excising interior sections of the grain silos threatened the structural integrity of the building. Engineers reinforced each tube with a new concrete sleeve before slicing into the cylinders.
Iwan Baan04The grain silo complex is actually two buildings in one. The upper portion—the former grain-processing area—now holds residences, offices, and a hotel. The bottom nine floors encompass the Zeitz Museum's 100 galleries.
Iwan Baan05Visitors enter the museum through a pair of faceted concrete tunnels.
Iwan Baan06Visitors enter the museum through a pair of faceted concrete tunnels.
Iwan Baan07The silos' rough-cut concrete edges were smoothed and polished to a mirror-like finish.
