丨南非开普敦

SANTAM - SANLAM Building - Waalburg

Central

Cape Town

, Western Cape

Wynand Hendrik LOUW

: Design Architect

LOUW and LOUW

: Architect

Date

:

1930

Type

:

Offices

Status

:

Extant

Street

:

28 Wale Street

Coordinates:

33°55'25.68" S 18°25'07.43" E Alt: 38m

THE affiliated insurance companies S.A.N.L.A.M. and S.A.N.T.A.M. have been growing so rapidly even in these times of depression that they were compelled to have a new building erected, the old building in Adderley Street having been outgrown.

This new building at the corner of Wale and Burg Streets, is erected on a polished podium of granite, and "growing" out of it are pylons of cast sandstone soaring into space and giving the two street facades a dignified and firm appearance.

Certain spaces between the windows are decorated with ornamental panels having South African motifs in bronze relief and others of cast stone representing Agriculture. Commerce, Sport, etc.

The ground and first floors and portion of the second are occupied by S.A.N.T.A.M. and S.A.N.L.A.M. and the remaining space contains well-lit and adequately ventilated offices let to the public. Two up-to-date lifts serve the different floors and provision is made for a third.

The portico with its granite walls, and floor, and bronze door, window and name-board and ceiling is a worthy entrance to a wonderfully decorated interior. Various kinds of marbles have extensively been used to enrich the wall-surfaces, but the South African green marble used on the concrete piers of the Trust Halls deserves special mention.

The floors of the vestibule and stairs are in specially designed mosaic in

terrazzo

and the floors of the two Trust Departments are in parquetry. Special celotex has been used extensively on the ceilings in order to minimise noise.

The windscreen and also the grilles to the counters are of brightly coloured silver-like metal.

The building was later extended up Wale Street.