VISI
| Fresnaye Apartment Complex
T FIRST GLANCE, THE ARCADIA LOOKS LIKE A HOUSE –
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visi.co.za
THE FAÇADE OFFERS SEEMINGLY ENDLESS COMBINATIONS OF DIAGONAL LINES AND VANISHING POINTS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU STAND.
a very striking house, but a house nonetheless. Architecturally assertive and sculptural, it even stands out among its Fresnaye neighbours – a collection of imposingly big properties one wouldn’t exactly classify as retiring daisies. According to its architect Roberto Forte, whose firm Forte Architetti is based in Sicily, with additional offices in Milan and Cape Town, that was the goal. “The brief from my client at Axis Property Group was clear,” he says. “He wanted a luxury residential complex that wouldn’t read as just a regular block of flats. Each of the five units had to be unique, but still needed to present as a whole.” Additional requirements from the client were that future residents enjoy absolute privacy from one another and, perhaps most importantly, that they all have the sense their views of the Atlantic Ocean were theirs alone. The last mentioned prerequisite is no small feat, as bagging a great view is the objective of all new builds in Fresnaye – often to the vexation of existing homeowners. “I went back to Sicily and we closed our offices for two weeks to brainstorm the design of the building,” says Roberto. “Our main goal when we start any project is to work with the space we are given.” In the case of The Arcadia, the space the team was presented with was an awkward, rhomboid-shaped parcel of land consisting of two erfs, one perched above the other. Roberto and his team utilised every square metre to come up with a structure that’s immediately iconic in its geometrically fragmented exterior. Dominated by two overlapping tapered slabs and a graphic iroko screen, the façade offers seemingly endless combinations of diagonal lines and vanishing points depending on where you stand. “We work with shapes and angles a lot,” says Roberto, adding that his years spent working with renowned architect Daniel Libeskind in Berlin definitely informed his approach to design. From the back, five separate units are visible – stacked on top of one another but fanned out like a deck of cards to ensure that each gets its own unobstructed ocean view. Roberto was also tasked with the interior design of the apartments. To echo the sleek design of the exterior, he went to great lengths to keep lines sharp and seamless by paying careful attention to the details: doors and skirting boards sit flush with the walls, bathroom mirrors extend into the ceilings, air-con vents are recessed, and terrace doors disappear when not required. On the fourth floor – the largest unit at 416 square metres – the interior opens up onto a sprawling terrace that culminates in a raised timber deck around a rim-flow pool that appears to be spilling straight into the ocean. At its edge, two bronze hares by sculptor Guy du Toit sit on a bench, staring at The Arcadia as if in deep contemplation. “I loved them from the first second the owner introduced them,” says Roberto. “They fit really nicely with the space, and bring the entire composition to the right proportion. They also add a touch of irony.” After all, who could blame the bunnies for turning their backs on the ocean, when the view in front of them is so thoroughly absorbing? fortearchitetti.it