With its uninterrupted views of the sea and the Twelve Apostles mountain range, there are few vantage points as extraordinary as this plot in Signal Hill, Cape Town.
And houses here are not easy to come by. The owners bought this in the 1990s after a lengthy search, but feeling the small house didn't match the vistas, they commissioned architect Phillippe Fouché of SAOTA to design a new home that celebrates its location.
"The old house didn't take full advantage of the views that made the property special,' say the owners. 'We knew it would be hard, but we wanted a home that would make a feature of all 360 degrees surrounding us.' In addition to those jaw-dropping views, there was also a spectacular art collection to accommodate.
The old structure was demolished to make way for this modernist mansion that appears to float out over the sea. As he explains, Phillippe wanted to create a series of minimalist planes floating above the ravine, opening seamlessly to the outdoors and reducing interference with the surroundings.
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