JOBURG’S NEW VICTORIA YARDS PRECINCT IS LEADING THE WAY IN IMAGINING HOW SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CAN BE COMBINED WITH COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE IN SOUTH AFRICA’S URBAN SPACES
On a sunny Saturday morning, Joburg arts and culture lovers buzz around Daville Baillie Gallery, clutching bubbly and croissants. They are not only here to see the artwork of designer Faatimah Mohamed- Luke and her creative director husband Al, who are exhibiting together for the first time: they are also here to visit an area that has become quite a talking point owing to the rejuvenation taking place in it.
The new Victoria Yards development comprises artists’ studios and artisans’ workshops, as well as a small urban farm and event space. Design-wise, it’s characterised by its numbered old cement buildings, some of which feature exposed brick and others still bearing the peeling painted signs of former tenants. Fauna such as bees, bats and owls have been introduced, and lush young vegetable patches and trees have been planted in between the new pedestrian paving and warehouse plots. The result is a veritable urban ecosystem.
Just a year ago the 30 000m 2 Victoria Yards project was a mere vision in the head of Group 44 developer Brian Green, and now its farm’s fresh produce is harvested every Friday for tenants’ use. It’s also home to the Impi Brewing Co, which offers craft beers and wood-fired pizzas – and will soon be moving its currently Kyalami-based microbrewery to the premises.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
At The Breakfast Table With Jonty Rhodes And Family
Recently renovated, the historic Cape Town home of Jonty and Melanie Rhodes is an adaptable base for an active, clean-eating clan of six
LUNCH IN THE GARDEN with siblings Bronwyn and Jonathan Cane
Alfresco gatherings are the order of the day at this updated century-old semi – the home of a design-centric sister and brother in Brixton, Joburg
IN THE KITCHEN with Karen Dudley and family
For Karen Dudley, food informs the family dynamic and her home is as multilayered and as delicious a delight as her colourful personality and cooking style
THE TRADITIONAL KITCHEN
The perfect piece to pull together a country-style kitchen is a beautiful wooden table that will age with time and hold its place in the memories made around it.
IN THE FRAME
'The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light.’
DRINKS AT THE TABLE with David Cope and Donné Bullivant
A dream kitchen renovation meant wine lovers Dave Cope and Donné Bullivant could finally settle down in their wondrously moody City Bowl apartment
THE MODULAR KITCHEN
DECOR TIP Modular elements like these USM Haller systems are a great way to create interesting, non-permanent storage that can be customised to your needs.
SUPPER IN THE BARN with the Thatenhorst family
Munich-based interior designer Stephanie Thatenhorst transformed the barn at her parents’ farm in Bavaria into an eclectic family retreat
BREAKING BREAD
The pendulum has swung back for this nutritious, crusty staple of flour, yeast, water and time – the much-beloved artisanal loaf
SNACKS ON THE TERRACE with sisters Vicky Crease and Maira Koutsoudakis
The traditional Cycladic home of dynamic sisters Vicky Crease and Maira Koutsoudakis on the island of Serifos is a reminder of what it means to be a part of a close-knit family
