Historic Cape Town Architecture
Cape Town’s old buildings tell a story of the city’s diverse cultural roots and the influences that have helped to make it 1 of the world’s most cosmopolitan destinations. They also reveal the superb design talents of three leading architects who, in the 18th and 19th centuries, came together in the Cape to transform the landscape of the inner city.
Right now, the influences of these world-class draughtsmen, as well the architectural styles throughout the centuries, are strongly felt throughout the city centre and further afield. Dutch, French, Victorian, German Baroque and French neo-classicism are some of the most enduring styles still found throughout Cape Town, and a lot of old buildings have been carefully maintained and restored to preserve the intricate designs.
Take a stroll through the heart of Cape Town, or travel into the scenic Cape Winelands, to discover the ornate architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the influence of the Dutch, French and British settlers to the Cape.
Theme Park Design vs. Architecture
Theme Design vs. Architecture
By
Peter Alexander
Totally Fun Company
www.totallyfuncompany.com
So you want to design a theme entertainment project?
Okay, so where do you start?
You start by selecting an architect, right?
Well, not necessarily! Asking an architect to create a theme project is like asking a multiplex theater designer to direct a movie: you’re putting the cart before the horse.
In a theme resort, store, restaurant or any themed entertainment project you are creating a “show,” a three dimensional movie you can smell and feel. You are not creating a ‘place’ as architects do…you are creating sets, and populating them with actors, as in a film. In a theme entertainment project, the role of the actors is played by the visitors (called guests) and employees (called “the cast”). You enhance these actors’ performances with props, special effects, lighting and theme architecture…the sum total of the experience is called “the show.” The “show” is everything the guest sees, hears and experiences during his or her visit. The architecture can be seen as the “stage” upon which the “show” is performed.
Since theme design is about creating a “show,” one of your first acts should be to select a “show designer.” This “show designer” should be someone with proven experience in the theme design field. They will utilize design principles originally pioneered in the theme park industry to create your project. Whether the project is a resort hotel, restaurant, shopping center or theme park doesn’t really matter. Regardless of the land use, it will be the show designer’s job to create an environment that immerses the guest in an emotional experience. If they do their job well, your guests will be immersed inside a world that may intrigue, amuse, or even frighten them, but always entertains them; a world your guests will want to visit again and again.
What are Green Buildings?
These days, real estate developers are trying to come up with buildings which are not only gorgeous but also resourceful. To develop a residential or commercial developing, 1 wants both natural and man-created resources and green buildings make effective use of both.
Wikipedia describes green buildings as a means to increase the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and supplies — although decreasing building impacts on human health and the environment, by way of better design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle. The value is in supplying a safe and healthy environment. Over 100 million people are involved in the construction business globally and the industry is estimated at about .6 trillion and contributes to about 10 per cent of the global GDP.