Lighting in Design Q2 2021

A landscape and lighting intervention Drawing inspiration from the ways the San and the early Dutch settlers first inhabited the Breede River Valley, the Garden Cafe is one of two sister buildings, the other a gift shop, carefully burrowed into expansive gardens.

A creative collaboration between London- based archi tects Steyn Studio, Liam Mooney Studio and Square One Landscape Architects’ South African office has resulted in the effortless fusion between architecture and landscape, with gardens that wrap over new buildings, which in turn are woven back into the landscape with intricate trellis structures. It is a subtle celebration of the Breedekloof Valley in South Africa’s Western Cape region’s rich cultural history. “Predominantly the brief was to respond to the architecture of the space as well as the existing design elements in the Bosjes brand,” explains Liam Mooney from Liam Mooney Studio. The client’s brief called for the new development, which included gardens, a small restaurant/café called ‘Die Spens’ (The Pantry) and gift shop (‘Winkel’), on the Bosjes Estate to be relevant and contextual, providing an inviting and inspiring journey between the two key attractions on the estate: the well- known Bosjes chapel and the manor house, whilst not interfering with the visual dialogue between the two. On the lighting, Mooney notes that, “The light had to very quietly add to the design without

being overwhelming.” The new garden is a conceptual microcosm of the broader landscape, referencing the regional context of the agricultural Breedekloof Valley. The new didactic gardens, therefore, cultivate the land with enchanting playscapes that encourage children and adults to engage with the natural world, and the buildings nestled within it. Diverse ecologies were created by integrating wetlands and natural water treatment systems with forest habitats and rehabilitated indigenous vegetation. The overall design respectfully acknowledges the presence of the historic manor house and chapel on the estate and visually enhances the previously established relationship between the two, as well as the surrounding vineyards and mountain backdrops, balancing its composition with new planting and the creation of a series of processional routes. The landscaping and buildings were carefully designed so as not to compete with the existing architectural features of the estate. It has a low visual profile with tree planting reinforcing

4

LiD Q2 - 2021