The building that plays host to the new Zeitz MOCAA has been a part of Cape Town since the early 1900's. At 57 metres, the Grain Silo was once the tallest building in Cape Town, when it was built in 1921. It was decommissioned as a grain silo in 2001, and gradually became more derelict. In 2017, it was converted to the remarkable Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), in a spectacular contemporary reimagining of this Historical Building. Created by London-based architect; Thomas Heatherwick. The institution’s 80 gallery spaces were converted from 42 historic grain silos, storage units which were once used to hold and grade maize from all over South Africa.
The Heatherwick Studio then transformed the tightly packed tubes into open areas of contemplation, carving out various oblong shapes to make room for large social spaces and lots of light from overhead windows. The Architect wished to clear out large spaces for the Galleries, however he was also careful about not eliminating the tubular structure of the Building completely.
“We realised we needed to do something that your eye couldn’t instantly predict,” Heatherwick said. As well as: “Our role was destructing rather than constructing, but trying to destruct with a confidence and an energy, and not treating the building as a shrine.”
The nearly 20,000 square foot Museum is one of many facilities that form the V&A Waterfront, a cultural centre dotted with several bars and restaurants on the Mother City’s, Harbour.