Project | |
---|---|
Website | waterfront |
Physical features | |
Divisions | Roggebaai Canal, Alfred Basin, Victoria Basin, Duncan Dock, Granger Bay |
Location | |
Coordinates: 33°54′11″S18°25′22″E / 33.90306°S 18.42278°E | |
Country | South Africa |
City | Cape Town |
Location | Table Bay Harbour |
Area | |
• Total | 123 ha (304 acres) |
The V&A Waterfront is a mixed-use destination located in the oldest working harbour in the Southern Hemisphere. [1] With Table Mountain as its backdrop, [2] the 123-hectare neighbourhood is located within the Cape Town, South Africa, where millions of people visit each year. [3] It contains art, entrepreneurs, and sustainable design. [4] [5]
The V&A Waterfront (Victoria and Alfred Waterfront) is named after Prince Alfred and Queen Victoria, members of the Royal Family of Britain when Cape Town was part of the Cape Colony. Alfred, while serving in the British Royal Navy, visited Cape Town and ordered construction of a new harbour for the colony.
The V&A Waterfront is a mixed-use property [6] that contains:
The V&A Waterfront is a central part of the very beginning of the settlement of the city of Cape Town. [14] In 1654, two years after his arrival in this relatively safe bay at the foot of Table Mountain, Jan van Riebeeck built a small jetty as part of his task to establish a refreshment station at the Cape. [14] Fresh water and fresh produce were provided to the ships of the Dutch East India Company on their arduous and lengthy journey to their outposts in Java and Batavia. The sea and the harbour lie at the heart of Cape Town's history. [14]
In June 1858, serious winter storms, which were a common occurrence, wrecked over 30 vessels. As a consequence, Lloyds of London refused to cover ships spending the winter in Table Bay. [14] On a sunny day in September 17, 1860 Midshipman HRH Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's second son, tipped the first load of stone to start construction of the breakwater for Cape Town's first harbour to make it a safe haven all year round for passing ships. [14]
In 1984, Sol Kreiner, Mayor of Cape Town, advanced what would become the V&A Waterfront by forming a steering committee to consider a waterfront scheme: "As Johannesburg has gold, we have a beautiful city as a tourist attraction and we must all work together for a better Cape Town. We have a large cross-section of people who are prepared to sit down and discuss a scheme which will bring back the old city where one can freely walk around, visit the harbour, go for tug rides and learn more about our heritage." [15] Kreiner later became the council-nominated director on the board of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Company. [16]
The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa meant that the first section of harbour, the Alfred Basin, was not large enough to accommodate the increased number of ships, and the Victoria Basin was built. [17] The construction of these two harbour basins took place between 1860 and 1920, and this area of the harbour still has an array of outstanding heritage buildings from this era.
In 1938 work was started to reclaim land between the city centre and the harbour, most notably the new Duncan Dock. The Foreshore (230 hectares) made city expansion possible. In the early 20th century South Africa depended mainly on imports for many basic articles in daily use, which explains the importance of the harbour to the people who lived here. [18]
In November 1988, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (Pty) Ltd was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary by Transnet Ltd. [19] Its aim was to redevelop the historic docklands around the Victoria and Alfred Basins as a mixed-use area with a focus on retail, tourism and residential development with a working harbour at its centre.
Today it is a mixed-use development that spans 23 hectares, with 24 million visitors a year. Over 23 000 people work and live within its neighbourhood.
The V&A Waterfront has several distinct districts. [20]
This urban district connects the V&A waterfront to the City of Cape Town. [21] The area contains Battery Park, and a spa and showroom at Waterway House. [22]
Contains a clock tower built in 1882, [23] a retail mall, and the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island ferry terminal. [24]
Contains The Lookout events space, The Grand Beach Cafe, the Breakwater residential development, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, and boardwalks with ocean views. [25]
This district connects the V&A waterfront and the Atlantic Seaboard, [26] and includes the UCT Graduate School of Business, a golf course, the corporate offices and Deloitte HQ, and an urban garden. [27]
This district includes the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, the Southern Guild design gallery, restaurants, bars, hotels and office space. [28] It sits next to the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, which also houses Makers Landing, a home for budding food entrepreneurs showcasing a mix of South African cuisine. [29]
This district contains industrial space, and a harbour where fishing industries operate. [30] Commercial vessels also berth at this harbour.
The V&A Waterfront has seen development in the Silo district, which currently houses the headquarters of Allan Gray Investment Management at Silo 1 and apartments at Silo 2. The project was completed in 2017 with a Virgin Active gym, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and the adjoining ultra-luxury Silo Hotel. [31] [32]
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the country's second-largest city, after Johannesburg, and the largest in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
Qonce, or King William's Town, is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of the Indian Ocean port of East London. It has a population of around 35,000 inhabitants and forms part of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
Hout Bay is a seaside suburb of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of the Central business district of Cape Town. The name "Hout Bay" can refer to the town, the bay on which it is situated, or the entire valley.
Cape Town City Hall is a large Edwardian building in Cape Town city centre which was built in 1905. It is located on the Grand Parade to the west of the Castle and is built from honey-coloured oolitic limestone imported from Bath in England.
Concor Holdings (Proprietary) Limited. is a South African construction and mining services company. It is active throughout Southern Africa, involved in civil engineering, buildings, roads and mining projects. Concor returned as an independent brand in late 2016.
The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is a convention centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The centre opened in June 2003. It is run as a partnership between the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government.
The Two Oceans Aquarium is an aquarium located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The aquarium was opened on the 13 November 1995 and comprises several exhibition galleries with large viewing windows: The aquarium is named for its location, where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.
The Port of Cape Town, South Africa, is situated in Table Bay.
Gardens is an affluent inner-city suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre located in the higher elevations of the "City Bowl" and directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. It is home to several national museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum. The University of Cape Town also houses its Fine Arts department in the suburb, at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Company's Garden, South Africa's oldest garden, a public park and heritage site is a focal point of the suburb. The area is also home to the oldest synagogue in Southern Africa, the Old Shul and its successor, the Gardens Shul, "The Mother Synagogue of South Africa."
Jochen Zeitz is a businessman serving as the president, CEO and chairman of the board of Harley-Davidson, Inc. He is also Chairman of LiveWire Inc..Before that, he served as the chairman and CEO of Puma for 18 years. He also served as board member of Kering, the luxury goods company and chaired their Sustainability Committee, for whom he developed its global sustainability strategy. Zeitz is currently a board member of Harley Davidson, The B Team and Cranemere. In addition to this, Zeitz previously served on the board of Wilderness Safaris. Jochen Zeitz is also the co-founder of The B Team with Sir Richard Branson, Zeitz MOCAA and Founder of the Zeitz Foundation to support sustainable solutions that balance conservation, community, culture and commerce, and The Long Run.
Western Harbour is a mainly residential development in Newhaven, Scotland.
The University of Cape TownGraduate School of Business (UCT-GSB) operates as the business school affiliated with the University of Cape Town (UCT) with programs including the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Executive MBA, and Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice (PgDip). Executive education at the school provides short courses for professional development including customized programs for corporate clients.
The Chavonnes Battery was a fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa, built in the early 18th century. It is now a museum and function venue.
The Breakwater Lodge in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa was built as a prison in 1859. It is now part of the University of Cape Town and a hotel.
The Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0T of 1874 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
The Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0WT of 1879 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is a public non-profit museum in Cape Town, South Africa. Zeitz MOCAA opened on September 22, 2017 as the largest museum of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. The museum is located in the Silo District at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. A retail and hospitality property, the Waterfront receives around 24 million local and international visitors per year.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cape Town:
The M6 is a short metropolitan route in Cape Town, South Africa. It connects the Cape Town CBD with Glencairn on the False Bay coast via Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay. It is an alternative route to the M4 for travel between Cape Town CBD and Glencairn, with the M6 passing to the west of Table Mountain.
Sol Kreiner is a retired South African politician that served as Mayor of Cape Town between 1983 and 1985. At the time of his inauguration, he was the city's second-youngest mayor. His late brother, Louis Kreiner (1928–1994) also served as Mayor of Cape Town between 1979 and 1981. His sister-in-law, Patricia Sulcas Kreiner subsequently served as mayor from 1993 to 1995.