Standing at the intersection of history and modernity, the Union Castle Building (UCB) commands a quiet authority within Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront Precinct. Originally built in 1919, it once served as a gateway between continents — a maritime symbol that connected Cape Town to the world. Today, through a grand adaptive reuse project, the UCB has been reimagined not only as a heritage landmark but as the beating heart of the precinct: a vibrant juncture where past and present converge.
With a visionary architectural brief in hand, Niaz Ahmed and Migyle Stevens led the redevelopment, seeking to restore the UCB’s dignity while introducing a new social function. The design aims to create a destination and departure point: a place that increases movement, celebrates history, and welcomes the public to linger. With a location adjacent to Dock Road, the Union Castle Building (UCB) and the neighbouring Forum building establish a pivotal urban node. This is where several key precincts in the historic Waterfront district meet — the Breakwater and Granger Bay, the Clock Tower, the Silos, and the Aquarium. Historically, this intersection was underutilised, its promise hidden in plain sight.
The redesign supports the site’s purpose as a confluence of movement. In opening up the ground plane, introducing Union Square as a vibrant new public space, and connecting it to Alfred Plaza, the project reframes the UCB as a place of meeting. It’s no longer a neglected structure but a lively focal point within the Waterfront’s urban story.
“Through adaptive reuse and visionary design, the Union Castle Building becomes a living confluence of history and modernity.”
Revealing heritage
Working with a listed heritage building, the project required precision, control, and reverence. Collaboration with Heritage Western Cape and the Built Environment Committee (BELCom) influenced every decision, with heritage practitioner Mike Scurr guiding the process. With limited existing drawings available, the team used Lidar scans to create a remarkably detailed digital map of the building — a technological step that bolstered the delicate restoration process.
Classical beauty, contemporary design
The building’s classical composition remains intact: its rusticated stone base, plaster quoining, tall vertical windows, and decorative parapet have been accurately preserved. However, internally, the project integrates a bold new language: generous double volumes, a sculptural glass pavilion, and layered interventions that diverge from rather than imitate the old.
Central to the redesign was the concept of transparency — physically, through glass, and metaphorically, through openness and connection. A glazed scenic glass lift links the first and second floors, externalising movement and offering expansive views of the city and the waterfront. A bespoke glazed pavilion, home to Marble Restaurant, treats visitors to sweeping vistas of Cape Town. A wraparound canopy links shelters, creating cover and spaces for concessions and casual meetings, while curved glass corners intentionally counterbalance the UCB’s older rectilinear structure. Timber-framed windows were repaired and restored. Terrazzo floor tiles were introduced to strengthen the connection between retail and public spaces, and a powder-coated aluminium sunscreen provides shade to the upper levels and reinforces architectural contrast.
From this delicate relationship between materials — heritage stone and plaster encountering steel and glass — a layered narrative of old and new emerges.
Reinvigorating public spaces
Activating the UCB at every level necessitated a redevelopment strategy centred on curating a lively mix of tenants. Global brands like Nike, Thule, and H&M are positioned alongside iconic local offerings such as Wedgewood and the flagship Marble Restaurant.
The building’s free-flowing ground floor encourages porousness, drawing visitors through the space, while the upper levels curate moments of encounter framed by panoramic views of the city and harbour. Internally, the building’s heritage is subtly celebrated: original beams remain exposed and are supported by new steel structures, while clerestory lighting and triple-height volumes introduce a radiant, modern energy. Conceived as extensions of the building’s social role, two central public spaces — Union Square and Alfred Plaza — were essential to the design vision. Union Square fronts the UCB, centred on a spectacular mosaic centrepiece inspired by the building’s maritime history and Cape Town’s global connections. Its concentric paving patterns radiate outward, reinforcing the site’s role as a centre of movement and convergence.
Meanwhile, Alfred Plaza has been reinvigorated as a lively urban backdrop. Indigenous planting, including Cape Flats Dune Strandveld and Peninsula Granite Fynbos softens the plaza’s edges, while reused balau decking and salvaged shale cladding layer the space with texture and memory. Infused with new energy and movement, the space can return to its historic role as a backdrop for busking, performance, and gatherings.
A living landmark
Reimagining the Union Castle Building has gone beyond a heritage restoration — it has articulated an urban narrative. This example of adaptive reuse highlights Cape Town’s potential to reinvent itself while remaining anchored in its rich history, weaving new threads into existing fabric. While the UCB retains its classical exterior, anchoring it within the historic Waterfront precinct, its new elements are indicative of a contemporary composure, a decision to let heritage exist, evolve, and stir the imagination.
Through this visionary transformation, the UCB has become a living landmark where history shapes experience rather than constraining it. As one steps into Union Square, gazes upon the brass sea routes implanted in the mosaic and takes in the views across the city from the glass pavilion, the site’s legacy continues — firmly rooted in its past yet wholly open to Cape Town’s future.
