Cape Town Parliament
Two historic brick buildings are joined under a leaning glass prism: a covered public street runs through the parliament and opens it to the city.
A public street inside the parliament.
Between a five-storey wing and a two-storey classical building, the project adds no new block: it roofs the space between them. A white steel-and-glass diagrid leans over the plaza and turns the passage into a covered street, with trees, galleries and light that draws a lattice on the floor. The historic buildings keep their brick, mouldings and windows; above the classical building, a new glass storey steps back behind the parapet. The new rests on the existing without touching its façades. The complex faces the pedestrian avenue of the city’s historic garden; the covered street extends that public route into the parliament.
Two buildings, one street
From the plaza: the brick wing on the right, the classical building and its courtyard on the left and, between them, the glass prism leaning over the entrance.
The diagonal roof
High view along the diagrid: the roof runs diagonally between the two blocks and reveals the inner street end to end.
Courtyards and new storey
From above, the courtyards of the classical building, its tiled roof and the new glass storey set back behind the parapet.
The street reaches the city
At the other end, the covered street emerges between the five-storey wing and the classical building: the parliament can be crossed on foot.