#Site D - General - CBD

8870 Views 42 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Foxyman, Mar 2, 2020

NicSA

Discussion Starter · Nov 1, 2017

I think this is a new one?:

Developments in Cape Town are reaching for the sky, with the latest proposal from RAS Architects delivering a 192 metre tall skyscraper office building called Cullinan Square, on what is currently only known as ‘Site D’ in the city.

According to RAS, the 42 floor tower is designed to be a mixed-use development, and would be the tallest building in the city – trumping the yet-to-be developed Zero2one, which is expected to reach 148 metres.

One of the major stumbling blocks around constructing a tall building in the mother city is dealing with the severe winds.

RAS said the orientation and shape of the tower has been designed in collaboration with engineers to deal with the winds “in an economic manner” – while also keeping the city’s famous views of Table Mountain and the surrounds.

https://businesstech.co.za/news/bus...-sleek-new-skyscraper-proposed-for-cape-town/

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Freecorner

· #2 · Nov 1, 2017

What is a healthy amount of plazas or parks for a modern CBD ? It seems like Cape Town does not have enough of them.

Lydon

· #3 · Nov 1, 2017

This isn't the actual proposal for the site, though.

Diggerdog

· #4 · Nov 2, 2017

Freecorner said:
What is a healthy amount of plazas or parks for a modern CBD ? It seems like Cape Town does not have enough of them.

Cape Town CBD is so small and so low-rise though.
With Green Point basically a huge urban park and green space, not to mention Signal Hill and the TMNP adjacent to the city fringe, we are well served with greenery and open space.
The Company gardens are fabulous and populated with huge trees and greenery, and are part of the CBD.
As the city grows all this green space will become more integrated into the built up area.

I would welcome a few more heavily greened, small squares right in the foreshore area perhaps, but only if we can then counterbalance with some actual height in some of the towers, and some more shiny stuff.

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NicSA

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 2, 2017

Yea, Cape Town wins over almost any other major city by having both Table Mountain and beaches almost within walking distance of the CBD. So I would argue there is little need for any more urban parks in the CBD, but they are sorely needed in the Cape Flats/township areas. I wish CoCT could build something along the lines of Greenpoint Urban Park in the Khayelitsha/Mitchells Plain area.

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Dynamoe

· #6 · Nov 2, 2017

Khayelitsha has some great parks, check out Mandela Park. Also, Mitchells Plain has the Westridge Gardens. But agreed, some more smaller scale public spaces is needed in these communities.

Marsupalami

· #7 · Nov 2, 2017

CoCT has actually been unveiling loads of refurbished and brand new parks in Khayalitsha/ Langa and the Cape Flats - first world playground equipment, vibrant and clean. They've been pretty on point in this regards

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Freecorner

· #8 · Nov 2, 2017

I should probably rephrase my question. Does the city have enough accessible, safe and open areas for the office workers from the commercial businesses in the CBD ?
I know the mountain and sea argument, but nobody can just quickly go during lunch and chill on the mountain with some coffee & sandwiches while feeding the birds on the side.
Whenever I am in the CBD, I feel claustrophobic. There is Green Market Square, but that is filled to the brim with hawkers/stalls. There is Riebeeck Square, but that is used as a parking lot. Company Gardens is the only escape you can get from the office on limited time. Grand Parade would be nice if it had some more benches and greenery. The proposed site was a very rear thing where you can actually just take a quick break. I would much prefer it if they would improve on it but still retain that open green escape. But I fully understand that growth beats comfort, just wondering out load if putting another building there will improve the office workers stress levels.

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JohanSA

· #9 · Nov 2, 2017

Freecorner said:
I should probably rephrase my question. Does the city have enough accessible, safe and open areas for the office workers from the commercial businesses in the CBD ?
I know the mountain and sea argument, but nobody can just quickly go during lunch and chill on the mountain with some coffee & sandwiches while feeding the birds on the side.
Whenever I am in the CBD, I feel claustrophobic. There is Green Market Square, but that is filled to the brim with hawkers/stalls. There is Riebeeck Square, but that is used as a parking lot. Company Gardens is the only escape you can get from the office on limited time. Grand Parade would be nice if it had some more benches and greenery. The proposed site was a very rear thing where you can actually just take a quick break. I would much prefer it if they would improve on it but still retain that open green escape. But I fully understand that growth beats comfort, just wondering out load if putting another building there will improve the office workers stress levels.

Ah yes 'rest parks'.

Like Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, Washington Square Park, Union Square Park etc.

It's these Parks that actually give New York life.

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Freecorner

· #10 · Nov 2, 2017

JohanSA said:
Ah yes 'rest parks'.

Like Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, Washington Square Park, Union Square Park etc.

It's these Parks that actually give New York life.

^^Exactly what I was talking about :apple:

Just a nice bird feeding, lunch eating, coffee drinking, lone time, REST park
I will go back and check if any of the foreshore highway plans had some good rest parks, that could improve the lower part of town a lot.

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Marsupalami

· #11 · Nov 2, 2017

Consider the micro park / rest area which takes up nothing more than a parking space and was piloted on Long or Bree st a few months back and featured on MO's CT urbanism website and Instagram feed. I believe they looked cool, quirky and most importantly offered a convenient, hip looking, inner CBD area to sit and eat your sarmie. What happened to that pilot I wonder? :/

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Urban Rambler

· #12 · Nov 2, 2017

Lydon said:
This isn't the actual proposal for the site, though.

How do you mean?

Kaapstad

· #13 · Nov 2, 2017

Wasn't that the one in partnership with BLOK... I seem to remember the city shutting it down as it didn't conform to some policy/zoning/general red tape. While it was there it was an awesome space used and enjoyed by literally all walks of life. And yes, contained in the area of a single parking space.

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Marsupalami

· #14 · Nov 2, 2017

^^

Which begs the question - CID/ Westgro/ Corporates/Hipsters of CT united etc all need to compell the council to reconsider the loss of a parking space here or there and embrace non linear thinking... same thing for murals art too.

Caisson Boy

· #15 · Nov 2, 2017

Dynamoe said:
Khayelitsha has some great parks, check out Mandela Park. Also, Mitchells Plain has the Westridge Gardens. But agreed, some more smaller scale public spaces is needed in these communities.

I think that it's about more than parks when it comes to these areas. The soil is almost exclusively sea sand. Few things grow there and in the dry months, a lot of that gets blown around. Look at the streets in Delft, for example. They are often filled with little sand dunes. There is almost no greening of these areas, including any new developments. No trees, no shrubs. This is what makes them quite hostile, in my opinion. For anything to grow, a huge lot of fertile soil probably needs to be carted in for each tree, each acre of vegetation.

Had it not been for our awful Apartheid spatial planning, I doubt these flats would even have been considered for human habitation.

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NicSA

Discussion Starter · #16 · Nov 2, 2017

Another problem in the Cape Town CBD is the sidewalks/pavements are too narrow and there is far too much on street parking for the size of the roads. This is unlikely to change while public transport remains so bad. Ideally most pavements should be almost doubled in size, and this allows for nicer landscaping, more pedestrian walking space, benches, bus stops etc. Areas in Sea Point etc. have already done this and it makes such a positive impact.

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Lydon

· #17 · Nov 2, 2017

Urban Rambler said:
How do you mean?

I'm told this isn't the proposal the developers are considering, so while pretty, this isn't going to be built

_urbandreamer

· #18 · Nov 2, 2017

Kaapstad said:
Wasn't that the one in partnership with BLOK... I seem to remember the city shutting it down as it didn't conform to some policy/zoning/general red tape. While it was there it was an awesome space used and enjoyed by literally all walks of life. And yes, contained in the area of a single parking space.

The Blok parklet was actually taken down due to x2 businesses claiming they lost massive business even those there is always parking available in the area, as well as questioning the "type of people" it brought to the area, which is incredibly infuriating.

The City essentially sided with the x2 businesses versus the over 500 signatures in support of keeping it installed. So yes, the City is choosing interesting battles to support and oppose..

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Lydon

· #19 · Nov 2, 2017

NicSA said:
Another problem in the Cape Town CBD is the sidewalks/pavements are too narrow and there is far too much on street parking for the size of the roads. This is unlikely to change while public transport remains so bad. Ideally most pavements should be almost doubled in size, and this allows for nicer landscaping, more pedestrian walking space, benches, bus stops etc. Areas in Sea Point etc. have already done this and it makes such a positive impact.

The bump-outs the city has been constructing on most pavement corners in the CBD have had a big effect on the pedestrian realm. They've created a lot more space not only for people - especially those in wheelchairs - but also for trees, benches etc. Loop Street feels a lot more welcoming, while Long Street feels cleaner and less crowded.

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Freecorner

· #20 · Nov 2, 2017

Parklets

Here is BLOK's Parklet:

Here are some other international ones:

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