Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa

Anushka Poddar l UG190148
Kalyan Mudris l U21064

Kruti Makwana l UG190733
Murali Manohara K V l U21093
Prof. Percy Adil Pithawala | Sneha Lakhani
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa

Thomas Heatherwick - Heatherwick Studio
WS22 – FA005 Applying Avantgarde design strategies & thought processes to envision Future of Architecture WINTER SCHOOL ‘22
Table of Content
About the Architect - Ideology and Works ..…1
History and Timeline of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa ..…2
Site, Context and Program ..…3
Concept and Design Development leading to Construction Process ..…4
Structural Resolution ..…5
Disassembling the Silos ..…6
Cutting the Silos - Carving out the Atrium Space ..…7
Material Study ..…8
Conceptualizing and Constructing the ‘Pillow Windows’ ..…9
Construction and Fitting of the Spiral Staircase ..…10
Understanding the spaces in the new and existing building ..…11
Understanding basement and 2nd floor spaces ..…12
Understanding floor plans ..…13
Understanding terrace floor spaces ..…14
Design Experience and Contemporary Art Display ..…15
Reflections ..…16
References ..…17
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa

Thomas Heatherwick - Heatherwick Studio
About the Architect - Ideology and Works
Heatherwick Studios Some Other Projects by

Thomas Heatherwick Heatherwick Studios-
Coal Drops Yard, London (2018) 1000 Trees, Shanghai (2021) Little Island Park, NYC (2021)
Long-time resident of King’s Cross, the 1,000 Trees is a mixed-use development Little Island is a public park that shelters three
studio has reinvented two heritage rail designed to emerge like a pair of new performance venues on the Hudson
buildings from the 1850s as a new shopping forest-capped mountains from the waterfront River. Designed as a haven for people and
district with close to 60 units, fully opening in Shanghai. wildlife, it is a green oasis, held above the
up the site to the public for the first time. The first phase to be completed – the western water by sculptural planters, and located just
The project is the first major building half of the site – contains shops, cafes, a short walk across a gangplank from
completion in London for Heatherwick Studio restaurants, new public spaces and Manhattan’s Lower West Side.
and one of several large-scale developments promenades, and integrates an existing park The whole project is made up of structural
in the capital that the studio is currently and heritage structure. Heatherwick Studio modules which extend to pile foundations.
working on. These include a new major explored how this formerly inaccessible Each module has a similar structural system in
building for Google in King’s Cross that is abandoned early industrial space could be pre-cast concrete which plugs into the
currently under construction and the opened up to the city. surrounding pods.
transformation of Olympia London.
Thomas Heatherwick
British designer and inventor Thomas

Heatherwick set up Heatherwick Studio in
1994, establishing a unique design practice
with a spirit of discovery and invention at its
heart. Heatherwick Studio does not have a
fixed style and focuses on problem solving.
He has said: “It is more like solving a crime..
Heatherwick studio focuses on sustainability

and innovation. According to them, people
care forn what they value and we What we
can do as makers and inventors is ensure
that every project is designed from the
outset to care for the planet and to be
cherished by the people who use it. All their
experience suggests that creativity – not just
science – is fundamental to tackling the
climate emergency and biodiversity crisis.
Image Source-
https://www.archdaily.com/975297/1000-trees-heatherwick-studio?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab
https://www.archdaily.com/904676/coal-drops-yard-heatherwick-studio?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab
https://www.archdaily.com/962374/little-island-park-heatherwick-studio?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab
Pg. no.1
About the Architect

Heatherwick Studio’s ideology and works
History and Timeline
CEO of V&A Tracksheds
The structure is Waterfront and removed in order to
closed for use as a March
1924 silo, but remains in 2006 Heatherwick studio
discuss the future of 2012 restore them and
install it as the 2014
place at harbour, the building distinctive entrance
1935 - 1995: Icon By Design derelict & unused.
The 57m tall working house served a

multitude of functions. It received grain
from carts on the track shed, lifted it to
the top of the building by the use of Ravi Naidoo and Scan of kernel of
The Grain Silo is corn used to Design concept
elevators and provided facilities for opened, Thomas
grain to be weighed, cleaned, bagged, becoming the
2001 Heatherwick 2011 model the
conceptual
2013 presented at the
Design Indaba
tallest building in discuss about the conference in
stored and distributed. Grain Silo building design of the
Southern Africa atrium Cape Town
Brutalist Design Aesthetics
Upon first glance, the silo presents its

rough, industrial concrete aesthetics.
It’s a typical design of the Brutalist
architectural style, most known for raw,
exposed, concrete. Brutalist
architecture often displayed massive
forms, weight, and scale with an ‘Pillow’ windows
emphasis on exposed materials and Custom made lifts Old exterior paint is
and spiral staircases chipped to reveal a
conceptualised and April
displayed structures such as pipes, September are inserted into the 2016 beautifully 2014-2015 a South African
Manufacturer would 2014
bolts and steel 2017 carved tubes weathered concrete
finish
create them
2017: A 21st Century Museum
Pillow windows are 2-3 million Major

Zeitz MOCAA is person-hr required construction work
Heatherwick Studio’s goal to preserve open to the public 2016-2017 individually craned
into place on the 2015 to cut through the 2014 on the museum
concrete tubes to commences
structures while playing with the exterior of the
form the spaces
curiosity of contemporary art is building
apparent when entering the museum’s
atrium, which was inspired by “carving
the shape of a single grain, but
enlarged through this building”,
according to Heatherwick.
Image Source:
https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/
zeitz-mocaa/
Pg. no.2
History and Timeline

Timeline showing the redevelopment of the existing Grain Silo Building into the Zeitz MOCAA
Site Context and Program
The museum is located in the Silo District at the Victoria & Alfred The building sits in the middle of the harbour abandoned since It’s split into two buildings: there’s the elevator tower, and the
Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa’s oldest working harbour 2001, while the remaining area around is heavily redeveloped. storage annex next to it, and due to heritage restrictions no
filled with bars and restaurants. The V&A Waterfront is a mixture of the harbour which are still surrounding building could be taller than the storage annex. This
functioning and it has various restaurants, hotels, shopping characteristic of elevator tower being the tallest was quite
malls, etc. important as one would always be able to see that building from
There was a large network of silos that were all built together at
both Cape Town and within the V+A waterfront.
the same time as this silo. These were connected by railway which
It became the symbol of the harbour, testimony to the industrial
would take the harvested grain production of south africa. It was
architecture and skills of those times. The V&A Waterfront invited Heatherwick Studio to come up with a
then channeled through this Cape Town silo.
new function for this building which stayed there abandoned.
Regions producing grain in South Africa and the railway track through these further The building stands the tallest in the V&A waterfront. Source: www.archute.com
channeled by the silo in Cape Town.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVm1CsWHfmM
It was apparent that something cultural, something open to people

like a gallery or a museum would be fitting. Along with it Zeitz
MOCAA came up with their collection of Contemporary art too.
The brief was to reinvent the historic Grain Silo at the V&A
Waterfront in Cape Town, as a non-profit cultural institution
housing the most significant collection of contemporary art from
Africa. Besides being a museum, it had to play an active role in
transforming its local urban area and redeveloping the historic
docklands as a mixed-use area with a focus on retail, tourism and
residential development with a working harbour at its centre.
Unlike conversions of historic buildings which have grand spaces

ready to be repurposed, this building had none. Rather than
striping out the evidence of the building’s industrial heritage, a
0 100 m way to celebrate it had to be found. The project’s aim was to
imagine an interior carved from within an infrastructural historic
object.
The grain silos from 1926 in the days when they were in full flow. Zeitz MOCAA sits in the middle of the harbour.
Source: www.designcurial.com Source: www.architectural-review.com.
Pg. no.3
Site Context and Program

Located in the Silo District at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, the grain silo was transformed into a museum.
Concept and Design Development leading to the Construction Process “We took one grain of corn
and started playing around
Existing Building New Building with it. That’s how we came
up with the idea to carve
Cavities where grain-shaped openings into
people didn’t have
access to.
the cement walls that now
Therefore the form the museum’s atrium.”
question was how
to exhibit art in -Thomas Heatherwick
these?
Existing building Connecting the

consisted of two two building was
building, the tower Disassembling a necessary hence
and the silos. They part of silos in an atrium space
were connected by order to was decided to be
the basement incorporate the carved out of the
tunnels art galleries. silos
Machinery included To carve out the

steel equipments Wedging the atrium, a kernel
for cleaning, ‘white boxes’ (art scan was scaled up
processing and gallery spaces) to derive the shape
storing the grains. into the and volume of the
concrete tubes. atrium
Contrast Central atrium

between the space created that
Silos were the serious minimal connected the two
hollow concrete art boxes and buildings and
tubes. Highlighted the existing raw served for an
here in pink that concrete immersive museum
stored the grains structure is seen experience
Image Source: Heatherwick Studio, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVm1CsWHfmM Pg. no.4
Concept and Design Development

Heatherwick studio conceptualised the design based on the culture, contexts and features of the existing silos
Structural Resolution
Stability of the Silos Mass System of the Silos Carving out the Atrium
The diagram explaining the concept of inertia. For stability, inertia of structure The silos were standing still due to the concept of inertia mentioned earlier but
should not be close to the central line. Source: Mudris, K. (2022) something was required to hold the silos together.
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa
For any tower or structure, to be tall, concept of inertia has to be

followed. If the inertia of the structure is closer to the central line
then the structure might fall and fail due to its self weight. For the
structure to stand, either its height is reduced or the inertia is
taken away from the central line. To increase the inertia, various
structures of same dimensions could be connected to the existing
structure. So, with increase in width, the inertia increases and the
structure remains stable.
Unlike the rest of the building, a lighter frame system is used on
top of the tower. The beams take care of the tension while the
columns undergo compression. The load is then transferred to the
mass below.
The diagram explaining the concept of inertia. For stability, inertia of structure
should not be close to the central line.
Lighter frame structure on the top
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
in order to decrease load on the
existing concrete silos
As the whole system came out to be a mass structure, it became
comparatively easier to carve out of it which is not quite possible
in surface and frame systems. In carving the atrium, the silo
members present in the system provided a different path for the
load transfer which helped keeping the structure standing. Most
The diagram explaining the concept of inertia. For stability, inertia of structure of the carving was carried out in a catanary manner, wherein the
should not be close to the central line. Source: curves and the arched follow the catenary shape which is
https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
considered to be a stable system. As the concrete consists of
At the junctions, the silos were joined to each other through steel and cement, the steel takes care of the tension while the
concrete at the upper and lower ends while four continuous hardened cement and other aggregates take care of compression
strips of concrete ran from the top to bottom. As each silo was due to which the concrete acts as a monolith. The carving out of
connected to other silos at four points, with the exceptions of
Load transfer diagram of the entire building. the silos would not have been possible if they were made of bricks
the outer silos being connected on three sides, the whole
system came out to be a single mass structure of concrete. or any other masonry structure.
Compression
Pg. no.5
Tension
Structural Resolution
Structural principles being used while designing and constructing the building
Disassembling the Silos
Silos before the construction process were connected to each A systematic network of steel was erected inside the silos to
other at the diamond junction and the whole system of the 42 provide them structural support and prevent them from falling.
silos acted as single structure which could stand freely. The steel system also provided a network for manual workers to
access different sections of the silos. Since the concrete, after so
many years of constructions, acted a monolithic structure, it was
If there were no junctions provided for the silos i.e., if the silos logical to think of carving it.
were not connected to each other, the structure, even in the
existing building could have collapsed even before the The silos, almost being over a 100 years old, became extremely
construction could be completed.These silos were almost a hard and tough while other members of the structure became
hundred years old which made them even stronger to stand as the spoiled and weak. It was a tough job to handle both the hard and
weak parts of the projects simultaneously. Larger parts were
hardness of the concrete archives its maximum extent in a
disassembled using cranes which were laid down in the space
hundred years after which the structure usually starts to decay. created for the the floors to further break the concrete.
Upper coverings of the silos were removed before disassembling it
Outer framework was built in order to hold the structure as the outer part was to Disassembling silos to wedge in white boxes of the art galleries
Joinery details of the existing concrete tubes of the silos
be maintained as it is. After disassembling these silos, floor plates for art Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAx479dx8vQ
galleries were added
A total of 42 silos were a part of the Art Museum before

disassembly. The upper coverings of the silos were removed and
a steel structure was constructed around the silos to ensure that
they remain stationary and don’t fall during the disassembly. The
structure around the silos helped prevent them from falling and
provided a system on which workers could work manually.
From the side away from the tower, using cranes and heavy
machinery, a total of 12 silos were disassembled completely and
18 silos were half disassembled. This made space for the floors
to be accommodated. The silos at the periphery were used as
external walls. These were not used as internal walls for
exhibitions as it would have been problematic to exhibit on
Silos were connected to each other from outside. A diamond was formed where 4 curved walls. Framework to layer the concrete tubes with a specific concrete mix and then
silos met. This part was connected used steel rods. disassemble it
Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAx479dx8vQ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Pg. no.6
Disassembling the Silos

The construction principles and processes behind making space for the floors.
Cutting the Silos- Carving out the Space for Atrium
The complete state of atrium after all

the processes mentioned. Image
SOurce-https://www.heatherwick.com
/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Image Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
1 2 3 4 5 6
2. Shuttering- 5. Processing-
Wooden and metal shutterings were After carving out the concrete, it
used for setting up the new layer of still possessed the raw and rough
concrete upto the mark where the texture which was to be eliminated.
silos were getting cut. 3. Filling- The grinding of the concrete to
The shutterings are installed make it comparatively smoother
manually and new concrete layer is was done manually using the sam
created. drills and grinders.
1. Marking- 4. Cutting- 6. Finishing-

Before adding a layer of concrete, The process of cutting and carving After this, a thin layer of smooth
the silos were marked as to from out the existing concrete from the concrete was applied to smoothen
where to cut them. The markings silos. This includes the use of it further and polish it.
were done by laser- GPS as diamond bit drill saws. The tools The output after carving came out
manually marking them would have were used manually which costed to be rough and unfinished
had chances of mistakes. The marks around 2-3 million man hours. concrete plane which had to be
were then made more clear by further polished.
hammering them with nails.
After making the space for the floors, it was time for carving the space for the atrium from the concrete silos. The silos were mapped using a 3D Software on a computer, to cut out an atrium in the shape of
corn. Tools like cranes, diamond bit drill saws which ranged from 50 cm to 1 m in diameter were used to disassemble and carve the silos to incorporate the atrium’s design. The existing old silos are initially
marked for cutting using GPS and laser systems and then a system is implemented to neatly cut the concrete according to desired shape. A scaffolding is implemented along the marked line where the
concrete will be cut. A fresh new layer of reinforced concrete is filled along the scaffolding in accordance with the line of cutting. Once the concrete has dried up, diamond bit drill saws are used to parallely
slice of the older silo. The newer concrete fill also acts as a strengthening structure for the old silo, since it is a 100 year old concrete structure.
Image Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Pg. no.7
Carving Out the Atrium

The construction processes followed during carving out the silos.
Materials
Specialist Concrete Mix Polystyrene and Agglomerated cork and rubber Laminated Glass
underscreeds
The original Yellow paint to the concrete tubes was chipped off in Post-consumer polystyrene is recycled back into beads through Each of the carved tubes was capped with a 6m dia panel of
order to attain the texture of 100 year old raw concrete. However, recycling plants. laminated glass that brings light to the atrium.
the strength of concrete had degraded over time. Hence it was
coated with a new lightweight layer of concrete. This polystyrene is then used as aggregate mixed with cement Structural laminated glass allowed for the bulged convex effect. It
and additives to form insulated, soundproof and fireproof, strengthened the frames of 60mm x 15mm steel bars to make a
Specific concrete mix was used that would work well a kind of water-resistant and lightweight concrete blocks and screeds. A transparent shell. Forming a kaleidoscope of changing textures
self - compacting and self - levelling concrete. High slag content cork-based underscreed provides high dimensional stability and and colours the glazing creates irregular, sparkling patterns and
was necessary from green building point of view. 85-15 durable performance throughout the building’s lifetime, thereby provides far-reaching views.
composition. Where 85% is OPC AND 15% is the slag. minimizing the “sinking effect”.
Raw concrete texture after chipping off the original yellow paint Polystyrene and Agglomerated cork and rubber underscreeds layer Using laminated glass to work out a module of the ‘Pillow Window’
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Source: https://www.google.com/ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Greenlite Concrete
Greenlite Concrete is a type of foam concrete. 100% recycled
polystyrene is used to manufacture insulated, light weight
concrete block and floor screeds
Greenlite concrete or foam concrete blocks Applying of the new Screed Concrete layer and the final raw effect of concrete ‘Pillow windows’ manufactured by an African retailer
Source:https://mg.co.za/friday/2022-11-11-the-art-of-architecture-zeitz-museum- Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Source:https://mg.co.za/friday/2022-11-11-the-art-of-architecture-zeitz-museum-
of-contemporary-art-africa/ of-contemporary-art-africa/
Pg. no.8
Material Study
Various Materials used in the building
Conceptualizing and Construction of Pillow Windows
Straight rectangular windows were removed as it gave the museum a corporate New life of the building meant to gently inflate the facade while the structure They drew inspiration from the venetian lamps that are inflated and have a lantern
building look, not doing justice to the cultural context and soul of the building holds the window back. Thus giving rise to the ‘Pillow window’ facade. effect. The ‘Pillow window’ facade would have a similar lantern effect.
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Heatherwick’s Vision
Each window reflects the sky.

It grabs the different views of
Cape Town and brings them
together. Made from double
glazed performance glass cut
into triangles and then
mounted into the framework
of steel bars gives the feeling Part module of ‘Pillow windows’ was worked out using Laminated glass
of a mirror bowl.
Heatherwick’s vision for the

windows was to make it
seem like the building is
breathing and releasing the
pressure from inside. The
design makes solid glass
appear malleable which
contrasts with the rigid
concrete and metaphorical
pressure of all the grain once
held inside each tube. As a
beacon for art in Africa, the
Detailed axonometric of the Pillow window. Source: building is seen as a
https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz- lighthouse looking out to the Manufactured by an African Retailer, the windows were fixed in place by cranes.
mocaa/ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
sea.
Pg. no.9
Concept and Construction of ‘Pillow Windows’

Heatherwick Studio aimed to create pillow window facade to give a lantern effect to the building
Construction and Fitting of the Staircase
Key Plan. Highlighted

Spiral staircase and elevators had to installed and fitted in a different way. Prefabricated staircase and elevators were brought into the spaces are the 3 concrete
building from top. Hence 3 tubes went beyond 5 floors in order to open up these elevators and staircase to the 6th floor terrace. tubes. Source:
https://www.heatherwick.co
m/projects/buildings/zeitz-
mocaa/
Crane being used to carry the prefabricated staircase from the ground Staircase being transported into the concrete hollow tube Separate units of the staircase are welded together inside the hollow tube.
The Dialogue between the Old and New
In the original building there was steel machinery that moved

grain around. This was the inspiration for features like the spiral
staircase and the walkways which are made of steel that now
work to move people around the space. The stairs were then
painted grey to meld with the rest of the concrete.
Fixing of two separate prefabricated staircase units. Elevators fixed into the carved concrete silo tubes Spiral staircase for circulation creating a theatrical experience as one walks
Pg. no.10
Construction Process of the Spiral Staircase

Prefabricated staircase inserted into the hollow concrete tubes from top
The Existing and the New Building
Section AA’ Section BB’
The silo which was used to store grains, disused since 1990, was then transformed The central atrium is surrounded by concrete shafts overhead and to the sides. The architects carved galleries and a central-circulation from the silos’ cellular
into a museum. Source: https://asd.sutd.edu.sg/ Inside, white spaces provide gallery spaces. Source: https://asd.sutd.edu.sg/ concrete structure to create the central atrium.
Source: www.architectural-review.com
Visitors are able to vertically circulate the museum whilst admiring

the tubular structure by either walking up spiral staircases or
shooting up and down in glass cylindrical lifts. Both are imbedded
into partially cut silos. This thoughtful circulation strategy
complements both aspects of the building: new and old.
Celebrated in these intermediate spaces are segments of the
original concrete, distinguished by its lighter hue. The contrast
Entrance between new and old construction is now part of the museum’s
experience; a reappearing visual register of from where the
building originated.
The two parts of the building are connected by bridges at the top
levels, and by a tunnel in the basement. The galleries wrap around
the atrium for several floors, making it easy to walk the space in a
circular flow. The cross-section cut through eight of these central
Level 1 concrete tubes creates the oval shaft. Other silo bins are carved
The structure comprises of two adjacent buildings, the grain lift and the storage One enters the museum through the trackshed into the central atrium. away above ground level leaving the rounded exterior walls intact.
annexe. Source: www.heatherwick.com Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk
The building is split into two parts - the storage annexe and the The entrance to Zeitz MOCAA is through the former trackshed,
elevator tower. Due to heritage restrictions no other building could an original structure of the silo. Upon entering the museum,
be taller than this. The building stood the tallest in the visitors are met with a narrow, vertical foyer. One’s attention is Services
surroundings and was always seen in the V&A Waterfront and soon after drawn to the ceiling above that showcases the
Cape Town. original metal chutes which used to pour grains.
Pg. no.11
The Existing and the New Building

The silo building was abandoned which was then transformed into a museum with thoughtful interventions.
Spaces at Various Levels
Classroom
Atrium
Tunnels
Classroom
Basement Plan
The basement level has been left as aEducation

raw, as-found space for installations. It has
Gallery The maze of tunnels in the basement provides a memory of The connection of 4 silos forms a diamond junction. The oval
two classrooms which can hold upto 50 children and education gallery for artists to the silos’ previous incarnation, complete with fire bucket atrium starts from the basement level. Source:
dialogue with the old structure. Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk hooks and peeling painted signage. www.architectsjournal.co.uk
Source: https://issuu.com/
The complete ‘cathedral-like’ central atrium space. Source: Adjacent to the atrium is the spiral staircase, which, together
Level 2 These lifts and staircase conceived as a ‘drill bit’, allow for vertical www.architectsjournal.co.uk with the lifts in neighbouring silos, are like the spine of these
circulation. Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk spaces. These stairs are where form meets function. Source:
Services www.frameweb.com
Pg. no.12

Atrium was surrounded by tunnels and educational spaces at the Basement level and galleries at the Level 2 .
Level 3 Bridges connect gallery spaces through dramatic, naturally lit The galleries – two floors of temporary exhibition space
The steel bridges connect the gallery spaces in crevices between silos while internal windows allow views above two floors of permanent collection displays – have
two parts of the building. Source: through the atrium, providing a welcome release from been inserted into the windowless cavities on either side of
www.architectsjournal.co.uk potential gallery fatigue. Source: https://issuu.com/ the atrium, and are accessed via a utilitarian steel spiral stair
or glass cylindrical lifts which shoot up and down the shafts
of the partially cut silos.
Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk
Level 4
The hotel starts from the Level 4 in one part,
while the gallery spaces continue on the other The ‘white box’ gallery approach contradicts the structure’s The original structure revealed within a gallery space is seen
side. Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk original tubular nature. Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk between the white walls. Source:
www.architectural-review.com
Services
Pg. no.13

Gallery spaces continued to the above levels, while the hotel started from the Level 4.
The exterior hints to the boutique, exclusive hotel that resides on From the interior of the room beautiful vistas to the
the upper levels of the building. Unlike the windowless structure waterfront and the city is seen through these pillow
The steel bridges connect the gallery spaces in two
Level 5 parts of the building.
below, the hotel is differentiated by Heatherwick’s ‘detailed, windows. Source: www.travellermade.com
pillow-like windows’ that act as a beacon of reflected light; to be
Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk
seen for miles around. Source: www.issuu.com
Level 6 Only the three tubular structures continue till the top
floor to provide access to it by the staircase and the lifts. Located directly on top of the atrium, these glass skylights filter On the sixth floor, the rooftop sculpture garden provides
Source: www.architectsjournal.co.uk daylight into the structure. These glass skylights are art a breakout space where one can reflect and take in the
installations – covered in artist El Loko’s ‘Cosmic Alphabet’. panoramic views of the city and the harbour.
Services Source: www.issuu.com Source: www.issuu.com
Pg. no.14

The hotel continues till the top floor, while above the galleries there is a rooftop sculptural garden and a restaurant.
Design, Experience and Contemporary Art Display
Light Galleries Experience
During the day natural light floods into the atrium from the top of Galleries or the ‘white boxes’ make up the exhibition and display The entrance to Zeitz MOCAA is through the former trackshed, an
the tubes through facets of glass that recall El Loko’s artwork spaces. The idea to keep these spaces as a box and having no original structure of the silo. The grain was brought in along four
“Cosmic Alphabet”. architectural feature was in order to focus on the art that is railway tracks, which you can still see along the ground outside
exhibited rather than the space. the museum.
Light is captured beautifully through the skylights that light up the entire atrium till Various kind of contemporary art pieces exhibited in the ‘white boxes’. Thus Earlier track shed entrance allowed trains to enter which carried grains. The new
the basement level. Gives the space a cathedral like feel allowing people to focus on the story of the art than architecture of that room entrance has the track sheds restored in order to draw its significance
Acoustics Apart from this, these exhibitions were transported from one Anyone entering the room at street level inevitably looks upwards
museum to other. Hence these generic white spaces in every and is almost reminded of a Gothic cathedral by the elements
museum would be able to house these displays. Though Art was striving to reach the sky. In two of the side tubes, cylindrical
The atrium space is a great acoustics space. If an orchestra displayed in these white boxes, spaces are not disconnected, in elevators glide up and down, in others spiral staircases lead up to
performs, the notes from their strings rising up through the
fact they’re connected through dramatic bridges. The art is the exhibition halls. Circulation spaces are quite dramatic and
vaulted, eave like upper cutouts that give the space a
near-cathedral feel. Moreover, the coating of a Specific concrete made to flow out into the atrium space as we see a central theatrical in nature due to their volumes and art that is exhibited
mix further adds to the acoustic quality in the atrium, circulation installation hanging from the top. It flows into the open garden along.
spaces and the terraces. spaces too on the 6th floor.
Band performance in the Zeitz Museum makes the space very lively. Art is allowed to flow into spaces. Sculptures are seen hanging in the atrium as Cinematic quality of the circulation spaces in the museum, engages the user thus
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ well as the terrace on top has artwork exhibited. providing for an immersive experience
Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/ Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
Pg. no.15
Design, Experience and Contemporary Art Display

The Museum provides for an immersive experience, engaging the user at every interval
Reflections/ Opinions
Can more such buildings be built to not only preserve Adaptive Reuse
that existed but also give a new dimension to the new
building? The industrial heritage here has neither been Strategies involved in Adaptive-Reuse projects.
forgotten nor overly fixated upon. Heatherwick Studio
has stuck a balance; utilising valuable features of the Building to conserve the heritage and culture, thus
pre-existing structure for the creation of new, giving new life to the existing structure.
profound public space. The social potentials of
architecture are realised through this adaptive reuse Deriving ways to achieve a new structure that would
of the decommissioned grain silo complex. not put much load on the existing structure.
The vision of the Zeitz MOCAA is to defy what was, Innovating to solve challenges yet keep the essence of
define what is and describe what the future could be. the existing building in place.
In terms of challenging past ideals, the regeneration
of the waterfront’s grain silos is an example of Collaborating in order to give the project it’s new life.
effective, approachable design. It entices, it
Track shed entrance earlier allowed trains of grain to enter the building. Now it now
only serves as an entrance to the museum but also serves as a semi-outdoor entertains, and it is ‘one of a kind’ on the African Benefits of this Adaptive Reuse Project in Africa
space to encourage people to participate in a number of activities. continent. The architecture itself is almost faultless in
Source: http://capeoffun.co.za/zeitz-mocaa
terms of authenticity of materiality and ingenuity of The project helped keep the importance of the Grain
new spatial configurations. Both aspects lend Silo building due to its strategic location. It not only
themselves to the successful reprogramming of the gave light and life to the Contemporary Art of Africa
industrial structure. but it also allowed all sorts of people to be a part of the
structure and experience it’s richness. The Grain Silo
As a repository for contemporary African art, with an building was an icon from outside however no one
awe-inspiring entrance and climate-controlled could access it from inside to understand the process
exhibition rooms, it is a resounding success. The of storing of grains and the need for the massive
architecture challenges South Africa’s social and volume. By carving out the atriums from the Silo tubes,
spatial bias, by aiming to inspire and generate Heatherwick studio allows public to experience life
proactivity in the revitalisation of culture and a feeling inside this concrete shell. They’ve restored machinery
of belonging. and equipments and kept in display for people passing
by to image how the silo was 100 years back.
Silos that did not allow any human presence or vision, after being carved out allow
crowds of people to be a part of it’s immersive experience
The essence of a building is what generates character

within a space. It is what sets it apart from those
around it. An adaptation of a building should not
determine a loss of character when reintroducing
functionality into its programming. The Zeitz MOCAA is
defined by its large, expansive atrium that was
excavated from the silos’ industrial warren of cellular
forms. The sizeable oval cavity has become the heart
of the museum that in turn has become the heart of Range of Contemporary African Art telling it’s own story Restoring the entrance of the Building
Source: http://capeoffun.co.za/zeitz-mocaa Source: https://www.heatherwick.com/projects/buildings/zeitz-mocaa/
culture and art in South Africa.
Pg. no.16
Reflections
Opinions and Thoughts about Zeitz MOCAA and Adaptive reuse projects
References
Anonymous, (n.d). What did it take to build Africa’s first museum of contemporary art? Retrieved from:
https://www.frameweb.com/article/museum/what-did-it-take-to-build-africas-first-museum-of-contemporary-art
Anonymous, (n.d.). Zeitz MOCAA, Ciudad del Cabo: Heatherwick Studio. Arquitectura Viva. Retrieved From:
https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/museo-zeitz-de-arte-contemporaneo-africano-1
Beaumont, E. (2020, August 7). Building study: Heatherwick Studio’s Zeitz MOCAA gallery in Cape Town. The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved from:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/building-study-heatherwick-studios-zeitz-mocaa-gallery-in-cape-town
Castro, F. (2022, December 22). Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa / Heatherwick Studio. ArchDaily. Retrieved from:
https://www.archdaily.com/879763/zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa-heatherwick-studio
CreamerMedia. (2018, May 17). Technical construction used to change historical building to modern art museum . YouTube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAx479dx8vQ
Colley, I. (2020, July 14). The Zeitz MOCAA: Industrial Reuse in the Post-Apartheid City. Issuu. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/mixedrealitiesltd/docs/z0d15
Dobbins, T. (2018, June 20). Why Heatherwick Studio’s Zeitz MOCAA Is “A Call to Arms” For African Museums. ArchDaily. Retrieved from:
https://www.archdaily.com/896395/why-heatherwick-studios-zeitz-mocaa-is-a-call-to-arms-for-african-museums
Geleff, J. (2022, August 18). Architectural Details: Heatherwick Studio’s Majestic Zeitz MOCAA. Journal. Retrieved from:
https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/heatherwick-zeitz-mocaa/
Goldhagen, S. W. (2019, November 5). Zeitz MoCAA by Heatherwick Studio. 2017-12-01 | Architectural Record. Retrieved from:
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13122-zeitz-mocaa-by-heatherwick-studio
Heatherwick Studio | Design & Architecture | Zeitz MOCAA. (2019, November 22). Heatherwick Studio | Design & Architecture. Retrieved from:
https://www.heatherwick.com/project/zeitz-mocaa/
Hoess, J. (2021, September 10). The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art. Johanna Hoess. Retrieved from:
http://johannahoess.com/portfolio/writing/the-zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-african-art
Keller, H. (2017, September 15). Thomas Heatherwick Gives AD a Tour of the Zeitz MOCAA. Architectural Digest. Retrieved from:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/thomas-heatherwick-cape-town-zeitz-mocaa-south-africa
Portugal, F. (n.d.). Insulation with cork in the Zeitz Museum in Cape Town. Amorim Cork Composites. Retrieved from:
https://amorimcorkcomposites.com/en/materials-applications/construction/projects/insulation-with-cork-in-the-zeitz-museum-in-cape-town/
Siganporia, N. (2021, January 8). Private Museums of the World: Zeitz MOCAA. Retrieved from:
https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-private-museums-of-the-world-zeitz-mocaa
Spaces, L. (2022, January 14). Inside the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (ZEITZ MOCAA) in Cape Town, South Africa . Livin Spaces. Retrieved from:
https://www.livinspaces.net/ls-tv/inside-the-new-zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa-in-cape-town-south-africa/
Pg. no.17
References
Data used to understand the project
References
Sulcas, R. (2017, October 27). A Provocative Museum Places African Art on the Global Stage. The New York Times. Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/arts/design/zeitz-museum-contemporary-art-cape-town.html
Webmaster, P. (2022, January 14). Zeitz MOCAA and Silo Hotel. Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD). Retrieved from:
https://asd.sutd.edu.sg/architectural-works/student-projects/zeitz-mocaa-and-silo-hotel
Writer, S. (2017, December 12). Recycled Polystyrene Used In Zeitz Mocaa Refurb. B2B Central. Retrieved from:
https://www.b2bcentral.co.za/recycled-polystyrene-used-in-zeitz-mocaa-refurb/
World Architecture Festival. (2020, October 1). New and Old Completed Buildings Winner: Heatherwick Studio. YouTube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVm1CsWHfmM
Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) | Heatherwick Studio, iGuzzini, KEIM . (n.d.). Archello. Retrieved from:
https://archello.com/project/zeitz-mocaa-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa MOCAA / Heatherwick Studios |. (n.d.). Retrieved from:
https://www.archidatum.com/projects/zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa-mocaa-heatherwick-studios/
Pg. no.18
References
Data used to understand the project

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa - FINAL - Anushka, Kruti, Kalyan, Murali

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Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa - FINAL - Anushka, Kruti, Kalyan, Murali

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Anushka Poddar l UG190148

Kalyan Mudris l U21064

Prof. Percy Adil Pithawala | Sneha Lakhani

About the Architect - Ideology and Works ..…1

Site, Context and Program ..…3

Concept and Design Development leading to Construction Process ..…4

Structural Resolution ..…5

Disassembling the Silos ..…6

Cutting the Silos - Carving out the Atrium Space ..…7

Material Study ..…8

Conceptualizing and Constructing the ‘Pillow Windows’ ..…9

Construction and Fitting of the Spiral Staircase ..…10

Understanding the spaces in the new and existing building ..…11

Understanding basement and 2nd floor spaces ..…12

Understanding floor plans ..…13

Understanding terrace floor spaces ..…14

Design Experience and Contemporary Art Display ..…15

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa

Heatherwick Studios Some Other Projects by

British designer and inventor Thomas

Heatherwick studio focuses on sustainability

About the Architect

The 57m tall working house served a

Brutalist Design Aesthetics

Upon first glance, the silo presents its

2017: A 21st Century Museum

Pillow windows are 2-3 million Major

History and Timeline

It was apparent that something cultural, something open to people

Unlike conversions of historic buildings which have grand spaces

Site Context and Program

Existing building Connecting the

Machinery included To carve out the

Contrast Central atrium

Image Source: Heatherwick Studio, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVm1CsWHfmM Pg. no.4

Concept and Design Development

For any tower or structure, to be tall, concept of inertia has to be

A total of 42 silos were a part of the Art Museum before

Disassembling the Silos

The complete state of atrium after all

1. Marking- 4. Cutting- 6. Finishing-

Carving Out the Atrium

Each window reflects the sky.

Heatherwick’s vision for the

Concept and Construction of ‘Pillow Windows’

Key Plan. Highlighted

The Dialogue between the Old and New

In the original building there was steel machinery that moved

Construction Process of the Spiral Staircase

Section AA’ Section BB’

Visitors are able to vertically circulate the museum whilst admiring

The Existing and the New Building

The basement level has been left as aEducation

Spaces at Various Levels

Spaces at Various Levels

Spaces at Various Levels

Design, Experience and Contemporary Art Display

The essence of a building is what generates character

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