the silo hotel in cape town by thomas heatherwick

a new hotel that forms one-half of a former grain silo renovated by heatherwick studio has opened its doors to guests in south africa. towering above cape town’s victoria & alfred waterfront, ‘the silo’ is housed within the grain elevator portion of the historic complex, occupying six floors above what will become a major contemporary art museum.

all images courtesy of the royal portfolio

the building, which has been unused since 2001, has seen its exterior redesigned by heatherwick studio, who began working on the scheme in 2013. the london-based firm was tasked with the transformation of the elevator house and the adjacent storage annex of six rows of seven silos. the brief also required that the building retained its cultural significance, while creating a design that would become synonymous with the south african city. the silo’s amenities include spa and gym facilities, a rooftop restaurant and swimming pool, and private meeting and dining rooms.

glazing has been inserted into the geometry of the hotel floors

externally, the biggest visible change to the original structure is the addition of glazing, which has been inserted into the geometry of the hotel floors. these pillowed panels bulge outward as if gently inflated. at night, this gesture transforms the building into a glowing lantern on the waterfront. the hotel includes 28 rooms, including a one bedroom penthouse. each suite has been individually designed by liz biden with colorful, eclectic pieces intended to juxtapose the industrial architecture.

the hotel includes a total of 28 rooms

standing at a height of 57 meters (187 feet), the grain silo was the tallest building in sub-saharan africa when it opened in august 1924. the structure has two parts: the elevator tower, and the actual storage silos themselves. while the hotel is sited within the tower, the adjacent silos will contain the new museum of contemporary art, which will open in september 2017. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

amenities include spa and gym facilities, as well as a rooftop restaurant and swimming pool