Amazing project with a Genius Loci kitchen in Cape Town

For this extraordinary kitchen project, our partner in South Africa, Valcucine Cape Town, collaborated with Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design, a Cape Town-based architecture firm with a strong design focus that provides an integrated professional service including master planning, architecture, interior architecture, construction supervision, and interior design. This home embraces the beautiful natural landscape offered by the slopes of Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill.

Located in the center of the City Bowl curvature between Devil's Peak and Signal Hill, the building site offers sweeping views of the city and surrounding metropolitan area.

Some of the challenges posed by the site were negotiating the sloping terrain leading from the lower cable car tracks to Table Mountain National Park with a consistent spatial flow and mediating environmental factors while maximizing and framing panoramic views of the city, bay, and surrounding mountains.

The architecture is defined by its relationship to the landscape; in some cases, it reveals glimpses of the natural environment, while in others it blurs the definition of indoor and outdoor spaces, completely opening up interior spaces to their surroundings. A double-volume kitchen on the mountain side of the house allows interaction between the more private spaces (such as the study, TV room, and upper bedrooms) and the living area below.

The relationship of the house to the landscape, both at the immediate and macro scale, is further emphasized by the placement of the swimming pool and covered entertainment areas on the "back" or mountain side of the building; this reinforces the feeling of being enveloped by the mountain slopes and offers some respite from the energy of the city. Genius Loci, with its clean lines, timeless aesthetics, and craftsmanship, was the first choice to reflect the sophistication and refinement of the home's existing interior while serving as a stage for the owners to entertain. With individuality possible throughout the design of this kitchen, starting with the drawers, which can be customized with a range of materials and details, including traditional Italian craft techniques such as inlaid wood and marble and finishes such as brushed copper or antique brass, the owners opted for natural materials in harmony with the home's physical backdrops, as well as for added texture.

The end result of this striking interior design is definitely in line with the DNA of Valcucine and Genius Loci: a highly functional kitchen in touch with nature and its surroundings.

Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design