African rhythm

THE STEEP SLOPE OF A SITE SUGGESTS THE IDEA OF LAYERED SPACE, THROUGH USE OF GEOMETRIC FORMS, CURVES, OVERHANGING VOLUMES.

On the highlands around Cape Town, this work of architecture catches the eye. Three curved volumes, stacked, like white waves in concrete and glass. The villa is almost hidden, but the garden opens out to offer an expansive view of the Atlantic. Inside, the curved walls of the entrance set the tone for the entire house and its organic forms. The space is not organized in separate blocks, but flows from one zone to the next in a natural way. After the entrance comes a spectacular zone: a low circular table surrounded by six armchairs in steel rod and red velvet, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll in 1966. This conversation area also features a futuristic lamp by Ross Lovegrove (Skydro for Artemide). The designers (the studio ARRCC, with offices in Cape Town and projects from China to the Bahamas) call this the “coffee lounge”. The view of the sea creates a convivial mood of opulence that continues in the two-story living area, where the strong architectural touch is the glass cylinder of the elevator with a steel staircase wrapped around it. The nearby kitchen forms a contrast with its minimal lines and neutral palette of white walls and gray floors. The dining room is more formal, completing the layout of the ground floor along with a second lounge and a swimming pool. On the next level a curved corridor in frosted glass leads to the master bedroom, with an en suite bathroom where the tub literally emerges from the volume of the building to offer a 180° view. This level also contains two bedrooms for the children, a playroom and a guestroom. The third level is for a studio, a fitness room and a spa with sauna.