C T I C C   E A S T   E X T E N S I O N

The Cape Town International Convetion Centre - East Extension

2012 - 2017

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The expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, which opened its doors in May 2003, was anticipated even during construction of the original Centre some 14 years ago. It was understood then, that to remain competitive in the International Convex market, future expansion was a must.

During this time, several sites for expansion were investigated : to the North, the V + A Gateway Precinct and finally to the East - the so called ‘Naspers Site’. During this time, the Design Team faced changes in : brief, budget, site, CEO’s, and party Political governance in the Province and City. (Both the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape are shareholders in the project).

Currently under construction on the East site, the project underwent further and substantial changes to the brief after construction had commenced.

The extension building, now referred to as ‘CTICC EAST’, consists of three primary parts :

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The Halls (10 000 sqm) with adjacent marshalling yards, the Concourse and suites of Meeting Rooms and a portion of the site set aside for a future mixed use high rise development.

The structure is constructed on two levels of basement parking. The hall’s, at 5000 sqm each, are constructed on two levels and further divisible into three smaller halls by means of 9m high acoustic ‘operable’ walls.

The Concourse, or Atrium space, (with suites of Meeting Rooms), was added to the original brief after construction was commenced. This space measures approximately 90 x 45 m at grade, effectively one City block in extent. Thus the space is viewed as an ‘Urban Room’, which in addition is entirely accessible to the man in the street as it is bounded on three sides by pedestrian sidewalks. The space is separated from the Halls by means of a ‘collar structure’ containing, services, back of house facilities, vertical circulation, (including links to basements below), kitchens, stores, ablutions, Centre Management Office space and Meeting Rooms. A further three levels of Meeting Suites are stacked in a structure separate to the ‘collar’, but within the ‘overall enclosure’ of the Concourse. The ‘stack’ of Meeting Rooms is positioned in the North West corner of the Concourse structure, facing the intersection of the Lower Heerengracht and Rua Bartholomeu Diaz, overlooking the circle in the Heeerengracht and elevated above the primary pedestrian entrance to the CTICC EAST extension building. A Coffee Shop is situated at grade below the Meeting Rooms structure. It is envisaged that the Concourse will extend at grade, including to beneath the future high rise development, and will serve also as a public entrance to the high rise development which will be positioned above the Concourse. (occupied floor levels of the high rise building commence at + / - 18 m above grade). The ‘elevation’ of the Concourse therefore will enclose the entire ‘Urban Room’ – 90 x 45m and approximately 23 metres high, and is intended to be as transparent as possible, whilst equally as accessible as possible.

The transparency of the Concourse is proposed to be in juxtaposition to the structure containing the 10 000 sqm of Exhibition Halls. The enclosure of the Halls measures approximately 23 metres in height, is clad in stone and all the openings within this massive stone surface are ‘punctured’. The structural resolution of the Halls and Concourse speaks to the requirement for the Halls to be multi-functional exhibition spaces, which at times require ‘black out’ or sound proofing, whilst the Concourse presents a transparent and easily accessible Urban space serving as a foyer to the extension building.

Service access to the building is contained in marshalling yards to the North, (beneath the elevated freeways), and the South, with direct access to the Halls and vehicular elevators serving the upper level Halls.

The EAST building will be linked to the WEST building by means of a bridge which will span the Lower Heerengracht at Level 1, 6.5 m above grade. The bridge will be constructed of lightweight steel framing and will be fully glazed. A below ground service tunnel will link the EAST and WEST basements.

VDMMA in association with SV and MDL

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View the original 'CTICC' project