Historic relevance

The complex was used by the Natal Harbour Board and subsequently the Natal Harbour Department between 1890-1910 with the original building dating back to c1925. The original structure, used as Stevedore barracks and a haystore is historically significant as one of the few remaining red clay facebrick structures in the Point precinct. It forms a tangible connection to a period pre dating the mechanisation of Durban harbour.

The proposed offices for the KZN Tourism department expresses the nature of an industrial district while adhering to contemporary urban principles and socially sustainable design. By creating a new use for an existing  structure, the project serves to protect the historic architecture as well as utilise existing resources.

New interventions are visibly juxtaposed with the old, providing a layering of identities and adding to the character of the complex. The design expresses a sense of nostalgia while looking to the future. This is achieved by taking the memory of the architecture forward to provide new relevance for future generations of users.