Combining architecture with agriculture, the newdevelopment ‘moyo’ by south african firm tsai design studiofeatures a twostorey restaurant and open air market. located at the V&A waterfront oncape town’s historic working harbor, the site is a major tourist destinationwith over 23 million visitors per year. the project sought to tell a storythrough food and the full cycle it goes through, from preparation to plate. thetheatrical display of food in all its stages informs the the overall layout;starting with produce growth, the trading of it as a commodity, the culinaryexperience of cooking and preparation, consumption and finally as organic wastethat can be used as fertilizer, completing the cycle. The marketstalls consist of a cluster of prefabricated, flexible modular units that canbe adapted to each tenant’s requirements. arranged around the main arcade,their formation creates small intimate streets, like that of a traditionalafrican souk. the area is sheltered by a series of solar panels, that power thestalls during the day and act as a shading space from the heat of the sun. Theurban farm features a customized ‘aquaponic’ system that provides fresh greensand tilapia fish for the restaurant. located inside, an aquaponic green walldoubles as a visual feature, complete with plant enhancing LEDs. the groundfloor is designed as an extension of the market, and is divided into threezones – food preparation (butchery and fish monger), cooking (a grill counterand a bakery) and dining area. a performance stage on the first floor is afocal point for the surrounding dining space.
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