The Good Hope Centre, viewed from Newmarket Street in ForeshoreInside the building during its temporary use as a meeting place by the National Assembly, while the Houses of Parliament underwent renovations
The Centre's business was subsumed over time by the more modern Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), as well as conference facilities in Century City.[5] As of February 2026, a tender process is planned for the same year, to begin completely redeveloping the precinct in which the building stands. This follows approval having been granted by the City of Cape Town for the project to move ahead.[3]
History
The Good Hope Centre was designed in 1976, and inaugurated in 1977.[2] At the time it was constructed, its structural design marked an engineering milestone, featuring the largest precast concrete roof cross-vault in the world.[1]
The Centre served as a socio-cultural hub during apartheid, hosting numerous public events and competitions.[1]
In recent years (since the 2010s), the Centre has lost popularity, has barely been used as a hosting venue, and has fallen into a state of disrepair.[4] This has in large part been due to the opening of the larger, more modern, and better-located Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), which completed construction in 2003, with significant investment from the City of Cape Town.[7][4]
In 2015, it was announced that the Good Hope Centre, which had become defunct, would be leased as a temporary film studio, to raise funds and boost employment.[8]
In November 2024, the City stated that the Good Hope Centre was leased on a monthly basis, and generated total revenue of R520,000 per month.[1]
Redevelopment
In November 2025, the City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee (Mayco) granted in-principle approval for the redevelopment of the Good Hope Centre precinct. The decision, championed by the City’s Economic Growth Directorate, aims to harness the precinct’s significant potential and drive major investments that could generate significant employment opportunities for Cape Town residents.[3]
At the time of the approval, the redevelopment was awaiting full approval from the City Council. Once this was secured, the property would go to market in a transparent and competitive public auction, planned for early 2026, and managed by City-appointed auctioneer Claremart. Mayco member for Economic Growth, James Vos, said the redevelopment project would protect the city's heritage, unlock investment, and generate jobs in a strategically-located part of the city.[3]
The Centre is located within a designated City of Cape Town Development Focus Area (DFA), in the Table Bay District Plan. It forms part of the City’s Consolidated Land Pipeline and Release Program (IDP 2022–2027). According to the City of Cape Town, the building's proximity to the CBD (the city's main economic hub), as well as major transit corridors, and the District Six cultural and educational precinct, positions the site for a vibrant mixed-use redevelopment.[9]
In December 2025, the City signed an agreement with the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), in which the City of Cape Town transferred ownership of parcels of land in the area around the Houses of Parliament, in exchange for parcels of land previously owned by the DPWI situated within the Good Hope Centre precinct.[10]
Possible use cases suggested for the new precinct include residential, retail, and commercial buildings, structured underground parking, a revived multi-use heritage venue, public plazas, and improved pedestrian environments.[3]
The project represents one of the most ambitious regeneration initiatives in Cape Town CBD's history.[3]
Design
The Good Hope Centre was designed in 1976 by Italian engineer and architect Pier Luigi Nervi, who is considered to have been one of the masters of 20th-century reinforced concrete structures.[2]
The exhibition hall comprises an arch with a tie-beam on each of its four vertical facades, and two diagonal arches supporting two intersecting barrel-like roofs. These roofs were constructed from pre-cast concrete triangular coffers, with in-situ concrete beams on the edges.
Construction
The main contractor for the Centre was Murray and Stewart. Consulting engineers KFD Wilkinson and Partners were local agents for Studio Nervi. Depropping of the entire structure was carried out during December 1976. Murray and Stewart published a postcard showing 18 tower cranes at their sites in Cape Town that same year.[citation needed]
Features
The Good Hope Centre comprises a dome-shaped Main Hall, Drommedaris Hall, Reyger Hall, Goedehoop Hall, and parking facilities (above and below ground).[1]
The exhibition centre offers a wide range of spaces and a total of 4,500square metres of floorspace. As a sports arena, the venue has a maximum capacity of 7,000 people.[citation needed]
The building is listed as a Grade 3B heritage resource. As such, any future investors will be required to preserve its distinctive features, including designer Pier Luigi Nervi's Italian architecture-inspired dome roof.[4]
Events
1991
The RSA Games for Quad Roller Hockey for Ladies and Men
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