FOR ALL THE FUN André Krige and Theo Kruger so obviously have with their projects, they're pragmatists at heart. Take Uxolo as an example. Since its completion in 2021, the building's unique tapestry-inspired brickwork and bubblegum-pink balconies have been catnip to content creators, yet André says their goal wasn't to create Instagram-mable architecture.
"One of the worst things about our job is that we demolish a hell of a lot of buildings, and we hate it," he explains. "Our fundamental principle is to design buildings intended to stand for more than a 100 years. That sometimes means not looking at the most environmentally friendly materials - but if the same site is repurposed every 10 or 15 years, the environmental impact is drastically larger. We say, let's rather create architecture that's not boring and won't make people want to break it down five years from now."
Both born in 1988, the two grew up within kilometres of each other in Linden and, while their paths often crossed, they only became friends when they ended up studying architecture at the University of the Free State. They attribute a lot of their shared design sensibilities to the burgeoning gaming culture of the early 1990s. "There was a definitive aesthetic within that environment that wasn't really evident in the rest of the world," says André. "When Sony brought out the first PlayStation, the remote didn't have an A, B and C, but rather a little square, triangle, circle and X in four different colours. As a result, a twoyear-old could pick it up and understand which buttons to push. We spend a lot of time and energy on the way our buildings communicate. The language of architecture should be simple enough for a two-year-old to understand it as well."
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THE STORY OF AN AFRICAN ICON
With a long line of very successful ancestors, the new-generation TOYOTA LAND CRUISER PRADO had some big tyres to fill. We look at the approach its design team took to CONTINUE THE LEGACY.
THROUGH THE LENS
We asked one of VISI's favourite photographers, PARIS BRUMMER, to choose her four FAVOURITE CAMERAS. The brief? \"From the fun to the profesh!\"
YOUR GARDEN DAY CROWN
Gardens have the power to unite us - which is why the GARDEN DAY movement encourages plant enthusiasts to don a flower crown and CELEBRATE THEIR GREEN SPACES in unique ways.
RETRO-LICIOUS
Mid-century is not just making an interior design comeback: food is following right behind. So put on your vintage 1950s LUCIENNE DAY-PRINT APRON - or '70s HALSTON JUMPSUIT if you're feeling a little funkier - and get inspired by ABIGAIL DONNELLY's reimagining of classic dishes. Think moulded jellies, finger foods and soft-serve ice cream.
FERMENTATION
When you hear about FERMENTED FOODS, your mind probably goes to pickles and beer. But thanks to a growing interest in Asian staples such as kimchi and miso, we're becoming more used to these flavour profiles, and even seeing them in fine-dining restaurants. We asked ABIGAIL DONNELLY to share her favourite recipes for fermented flavour bombs that you can replicate in your OWN KITCHEN.
THE CERAMICIST
IN AN ART DECO BLOCK IN THE HEART OF CAPE TOWN'S CITY CENTRE, RENOWNED CERAMICIST MERVYN GERS HAS RENOVATED AN APARTMENT TO REFLECT HIS OWN TASTES AND HIS LOVE FOR FIRED AND GLAZED CLAY.
SEAMLESS
SITUATED ON A PRIVATE GAME FARM NEAR RUSTENBURG, THIS BUSHVELD GETAWAY HAS ARISEN FROM THE ASHES OF ITS PREDECESSOR TO PROVIDE ITS JOBURG-BASED OWNERS WITH A TRANQUIL WEEKEND ESCAPE.
BUILDING AN ICON
Kevin Fellingham, principal architect at Kevin Fellingham Architects, and a former lecturer at Cambridge University, UCT and the School of Explorative Architecture, talks about HOUSE HANSON and DENSTONE COURT, built in 1937/38.
THE VANGUARD KELLY WEARSTLER
In this instalment of our series on the new wave of INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS, we look at the super-talented Kelly Wearstler's DISTINCT STYLE and seemingly INFINITE CREATIVITY.
COOL COLLAB OF THE YEAR
In a partnership that highlights the strength and diversity of local talent, this collaboration by LULASCLAN and POPSTRUKT had an unplanned helping hand from VISI.
