A hotel built in an old power station reflects the ongoing renewal of a beautiful coast town.
From the air, the approach to George Airport is one of the more attractive in the country, and the same can be said of the drive from there to Knysna via Wilderness and Sedgefield and the beautiful beaches, rivers, lakes, and lagoon that accessorize those towns.
It’s clear how far the devastating fires of 2018 extended, but all is green again now, and the relative openness of the terrain brings the profound beauty of the untouched fragments of forest and orchard and wetland into sharper focus, making you appreciate what is old and new simultaneously.
Driving into Knysna – particularly if you haven’t been there for a while – the effect is similar. The once rustic coastal village shows off its layers of development as you head into town, with Thesen Island, previously the site of a huge timber processing plant and now reimagined as accommodation, retail, dining and high-end housing destination, probably the starkest measure of the difference between Knysna’s past and present.
Factory settings
The Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa now fills the space once occupied by a power station fuelled by the wood pulp created by the timber industry, and the design incorporates the original boilers and generators used to generate electricity up until as recently as 2001.
The result is fascinating. It’s like Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was edited by Condé Nast.
There are odd layers, with weird mezzanine levels designed to fit into the shell of the old station and to fit the geography of the island and the irregular shapes of the giant machines.
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Skyways.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Skyways.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Fit For Purpose
Changing legislation offers a range of opportunities in the health sector
Good For Grinches
Finally! A holiday season Scrooge himself can invest in
A Paradise In The Wilderness
Visitors find freedom at Treedom on the Garden Route
Do It For The Kids
Parenting styles play an important role in helping children develop through the pandemic and beyond
Trekking With Teens
Travelling with adolescents comes with a unique set of challenges
Know Your Mind
Our brain uses shortcuts to think quickly but, sometimes, these mental timesavers let us down. Dr Pragya Agarwal discusses the science of cognitive biases, and why it’s more important than ever to understand how they hold sway over our views
Infected With The Travel Bug Again
As tourism-related establishments up their game to ensure visitor health and safety, it’s possible to feel positive about travelling again
Star attraction
Greater Kruger lodge makes a spectacular first impression
Palala position
The effect of the past on the present is positively felt in a luxury Waterberg lodge
Can the spam!
Irrelevant advertising will almost certainly turn consumers against your product