THE MENNEL PAVILION

The Mennel Pavilion, Melrose, Gauteng, South Africa

The concept of outdoor living and the sequential build-up of space is implicit in the African spatial model. The building is a fusion of the ideals of modernism with local traditions and culture, rooting the building in its climate and landscape. The pavilion is refined and rigorously detailed, a sophisticated yet understated use of steel and glass, establishing a sense of place and a hierarchy of spaces in this otherwise mundane backyard.

Two overlapping roof planes structure the building in space. This defines and ritualizes the entrance walkway as an architectural promenade, with the separate volume of the main building housing a bar and wine cellar. Sliding glass doors, fixed glazing and planar curvilinear walls allow for the integration of inside and outside space, connecting and screening one outdoor room from the other.

The pavilion is far more than a refined modernist artifact. It becomes a cultural statement by combining modernism with local traditions and endeavors to further strengthen a uniquely South African Architecture.

Awards

• National Award of Merit, 1992; South African Institute of Architects.