Durban Harbour Tunnel
urban
infrastructure
client:
eThekwini Municipality
location:
Point Precinct
Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal
Proposal
The service structure and access point for the Durban harbour acts as a filtration device, allowing for significant ventilation into the tunnel below. These ventilation elements have been concealed into the architecture.
Urban Sensitivity
The location of the top structure at the end of Point Road has been determined by the tunnel layout below and will serve as a significant urban device, adding value to the Durban Point Development Framework Plan.
Architectural Sensitivity
The structure forms a seamless capsule allowing workers and vehicles 24-hour access within a safe environment to service the tunnel below. While responsive to the industrial harbour context, the sculptural plastic roof form serves as a recognisable landmark along Mahatma Ghandi Road. All stone has been reconstituted from waste collected from various local stonemasons. The stone matches that of the local grey dolerite, which served historically as a significant building material to the Durban Harbour walls.