LLANDUDNO HOME

INSPIRED BY ITS SPECTACULAR COASTAL LOCATION, THIS FAMILY HOME IS A DARING ARCHITECTURAL MARRIAGE OF ART, SCULPTURE AND ENGINEERING.

There are 360 degrees. Why stick to one?” said the late starchitect Zaha Hadid – and this philosophy could well describe Mica and Marcel Angel’s Llandudno home. At its entrance, concrete slabs suspended over a body of water deliver you to a pair of angular, concrete planes that defy gravity as they slant casually skywards. The entrance is straddled by two linear concrete boxes, one of which is home to an outsized sculptural staircase that runs the full height of the double-volume space. It’s an astonishing first impression.

But then this home is designed to marry not just the disparate aesthetic predilections of its owners – an aspiring clinical psychologist and a racing driver – but also the splendour of its setting. Set on giant granite boulders between Llandudno and Sandy Bay, it was designed by M&B Architects’ Christo Botha in response to its spectacular surrounds.

United by a passion for fast cars – and having worked together previously on commercial projects – Christo had a good idea of Marcel’s love for contemporary, modern architecture. However, his challenge lay in incorporating that with Mica’s preference for a more sculptural, eclectic, lived-in feel, as well as her brief for a space that could accommodate the five children (from 28 to 11 years old) they share between them. And of course, their three dogs, Sishi, Valentino and Paris.

Inspired by the likes of Santiago Calatrava and the aforementioned Zaha Hadid, Christo immediately saw the opportunity to create a sculptural building that could play to Mica’s sensibilities while satisfying Marcel’s penchant for modernism. “My starting point was to mould the house into the rocky landscape so as to create a strong, stable construction, much like an amphitheatre, that could open up to the ocean,” he explains. This allowed the house to adapt easily to the dramatic and changeable microclimate that occurs on the coastline, where the sea can go from gentle lapping waves to giant swell in a matter of hours. “The house definitely moves with the climate – barriers such as the sliding doors on the seafront can disappear into the walls on warm summer days to create a seamless flow between indoors and out, and then act as both insulation and a contained aperture to the elements on Cape Town’s wild, wet winter days,” he adds.

Laid out over three levels with just four bedrooms, the 1 000m2 house is surprisingly intimate given its size and the drama of its entrance façade at street level. To accommodate the varying architectural elements, Christo proposed off-shutter concrete – an easy material to shape to create the kind of cantilevers that were required, but also because it’s honest and grounded, and would provide a consistent materiality throughout.

The subterranean lower level is home to Marcel’s study, as well as the ample parking, laundry and storage areas. The ground level is where the extensive living, dining, kitchen and entertainment areas are located. A guest suite on this level leads out onto the pool and terrace too, while the guest loo is located in an arc of asymmetrical offshutter concrete walls. Upstairs, the main bedroom sits in the centre of the house, flanked by two more bedrooms and Mica’s study. At the back of this level, a pyjama lounge and playroom lead off the main staircase.

“Our Sunday family lunches, when all five children – some with partners – converge, are a highlight, while our Christmas table seems to increase in size every year. And we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mica says.

For Marcel, who is collaborating on the launch of a new international racing series in South Africa, the house offers a respite from a busy working life, and an opportunity to watch the Grand Prix in his soundproof man cave with friends. “It’s a home that caters to our differing needs perfectly,” says Mica. “Marcel is a social animal while I’m more solitary – yet the house allows space for both our personalities with effortless ease.” mbarchitects.co.za

Cathedral-like in their design, the two concrete planes rise skywards, marking the entrance to the house.

ABOVE Architect Christo Botha’s task to design “a home that met the ocean” resulted in an amphitheatre on the sea-facing side that takes in the spectacular wave explosions. OPPOSITE At the street entrance level, the presence of out-of-proportion concrete walls sets the tone for the journey that follows. “It was about creating a progression from entering the house across slabs of concrete suspended over water, to the raised concrete planes that sit between two boxes,” says Christo.

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE Central to the house is a circular staircase. Rising the full height of the double-volume space, the curvaceous lines lead to the upstairs bedrooms, and work to soften the sharp, masculine angles that predominate throughout. The mood is palatial yet monastic, with light from the floor-toceiling glazed windows washing down the off-shutter concrete walls and polished concrete stairs.

A sculptural spiral design that rises all the way to the ceiling, the staircase was no mean feat. “It was quite something to install,” says Christo. “It was manufactured 2 000km away and carted in by trucks; then we had to finish it on site before connecting it to the various levels.” The blue-and-white hand-woven rug was especially commissioned for the Angels from India through Tirmah Interiors.

THIS PAGE While curves rule inside, outdoors is all about angles, with the main bedroom cantilevered over the entertainment area by way of a column. Views out to sea create a feeling of privacy and seclusion. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP In the living area, modular sofas by Ascot Design – inspired by Roche Bobois’s Mah Jong style – are complemented by a coffee table from Mulo Furn and cork stools by Wiid Design; an outdoor daybed is flanked by ceramic-andtimber Soma planters from Indigenus; the kitchen joinery is black, creating the perfect backdrop for the warmth of a wooden dining table and chairs by James Mudge, a light fixture from Morgan Day Lighting, and a collection of colourful glassware – all 100% recycled in a collaboration between Wiid Design and Ngwenya Glass in Swaziland.

THIS PAGE The staircase as seen from the first floor, where glass balustrades provide safety without cluttering the space. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT In the main en suite bathroom, off-shutter concrete walls are a canvas for plants; the wallpaper in 13-year-old Georgia’s bedroom is by Hertex and the carved headboard is from Moroccan Warehouse; in 11-year old Dillyn’s bathroom, a pink bath from Victorian Bathrooms takes pride of place; Dillyn’s four-poster was commissioned from Eco Furniture Design.

THIS PAGE The main bedroom is calm and ordered, and given over to views. The footstool at end of bed was custommade by Ascot Design, and the bedside lamps are from Newport Lighting. OPPOSITE In the main bathroom, a copper bath from Copper Bath is set cleverly on a raised plinth behind the bed’s built-in concrete headboard. The standing lamp with glass shade was custom-made for the space. The black-and-white chequered porcelain stool is from Amatuli Artefacts, and the AmaNiceNice black-and-white basket is from Design Afrika.