Savoy Cabbage
Completed in 1998 in a complex of 350 year old buildings, this restaurant, which is still trading today, forms part of Heritage Square, one of the first historically sensitive redevelopments in the Cape Town city centre.
Our design brought together a series of previously disconnected spaces, by means of a glass roof over the triple storey central area where the disparate original floor levels meet, creating a cohesive venue for a split-level dining area with deli-style serving counter on the ground floor, and a champagne bar on the mezzanine level above.
‘Inspiration and design clues were provided by the original building, where stone walls were revealed, and the new contemporary layer added using natural materials.’
The client’s food concept was the idea of resourceful cuisine, using all cuts and not wasting anything. We translated this concept into our design, retaining the original materials and surfaces in place, and re-using material salvaged from the space wherever possible, such as the old timber beams which were repurposed to make dining tables and the champagne bar.
Inspiration and design clues were provided by the original building, where stone walls were revealed, and the new contemporary layer added using natural materials, such as timber, stone, steel and glass.
The historic nature of the original building required careful consideration and coordination of all the new services and elements necessary to convert it into a functioning restaurant, including the sensitive treatment of historic aqueducts with rivulets which were discovered under the original floor during construction.
The fact that this restaurant is still trading today, is a testament to the timeless nature of the design, which has endured in an otherwise trend-driven environment.
This restaurant has been featured in two publications, see Media.
Savoy Cabbage
Completed in 1998 in a complex of 350 year old buildings, this restaurant, which is still trading today, forms part of Heritage Square, one of the first historically sensitive redevelopments in the Cape Town city centre.
Our design brought together a series of previously disconnected spaces, by means of a glass roof over the triple storey central area where the disparate original floor levels meet, creating a cohesive venue for a split-level dining area with deli-style serving counter on the ground floor, and a champagne bar on the mezzanine level above.
‘Inspiration and design clues were provided by the original building, where stone walls were revealed, and the new contemporary layer added using natural materials.’
The client’s food concept was the idea of resourceful cuisine, using all cuts and not wasting anything. We translated this concept into our design, retaining the original materials and surfaces in place, and re-using material salvaged from the space wherever possible, such as the old timber beams which were repurposed to make dining tables and the champagne bar.
Inspiration and design clues were provided by the original building, where stone walls were revealed, and the new contemporary layer added using natural materials, such as timber, stone, steel and glass.
The historic nature of the original building required careful consideration and coordination of all the new services and elements necessary to convert it into a functioning restaurant, including the sensitive treatment of historic aqueducts with rivulets which were discovered under the original floor during construction.
The fact that this restaurant is still trading today, is a testament to the timeless nature of the design, which has endured in an otherwise trend-driven environment.
This restaurant has been featured in two publications, see Media.
