Architect and Builder Dec 2017 / Jan 2018 | Page 36

Corobrik’s Face Bricks Offer
Smooth Finish to Radisson RED
The Radisson RED hotel is a vibrant addition to Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront with construction including
one of Corobrik’s popular face brick range.
T
he use of natural materials, such as
Corobrik’s clay product, contributed
towards the 5 Star Green Star
rating awarded to the Radisson RED hotel
building (Silo 6) – the first ever Green Star
Custom Hotel rating for ‘new build’.
“The incorporation of Corobrik’s face-
brick into this artistically-designed hotel
façade proves the incredible diversity of
the product,” said Christie van Niekerk,
Corobrik Manager for the Western Cape.
The Radisson RED is the first hotel
countrywide to receive an outstanding
5 Star Green Star Custom Hotel design
rating for a new build, setting the
benchmark for other hotel design and
construction projects.
Manfred Braune, executive director:
Certifications at the GBCSA, said that this
is an exciting moment for green building in
South Africa, signalling the move of green
buildings into the hospitality sector. “This
is not just about doing the right thing,
although that is, of course, vital in the
face of our local and global environmental
challenges. It also makes good business
sense to build green and, going forward,
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we look forward to further green trans-
formation in the hospitality sector in
South Africa. Hotels such as Hotel Verde
and DoubleTree have achieved Green Star
ratings for their existing operations, and
now the Radisson RED is the first hotel to
receive a Green Star rating for its design
and construction – hospitality is definitely
going green.”
The hotel was built using 160,000 of
Corobrik’s De Hoop Red Smooth Blended
face bricks for the exterior. Selected for
its extreme durability, heat resistance and
sound insulation properties, the clay brick
is ideally suited to the harsh micro-climate
and harbour conditions experienced on the
V&A Waterfront.
Architectural firms, DesignSpaceAfrica
and Peerutin Architects, opted for
‘second grade’ De Hoop bricks because
of the imperfections that would achieve
the weathered look they desired. This
particular Corobrik product is zoned for use
in these unique circumstances with this
project requiring second grade bricks with
clean lines. Because of the hotel’s location
within the Silo district, architects wanted
to create a robust building with industrial
character suited to its surrounds while
providing a unique aesthetic presence that
has an impact.
“The industrial character we wanted
was achieved by the irregular brick coursing
as opposed to the typical, clean face brick
coursing,” explained Luyanda Mpahlwa,
lead architect on the project and director
of DesignSpaceAfrica. “The imperfections
of this brick were ideal for this, and mortar
was laid flush with the brick to create a
more coherent but textured façade finish.
The industrially produced, dark-stained and
sleek aluminium window pop-outs provide
an interesting contrast to the light grey-
coloured random face brick coursing. This
contrast makes the façade unique, with
the pop-outs also provide sun shading
during the peak hours of hot sun early
morning and midday.”
However, the architects wanted a more
toned-down hue than the red of the De
Hoop so they selected Keim, an external
wall finish that allowed them their colour
of choice with the silver wash. Keim is a
naturally-based organic and durable paint
application which can be applied with a
render and weather-protective layer to
improve the quality of the mortar to the
same standard as the face brick, all while
preventing moisture penetration. The final
effect is subtle light grey finish with a
silver, metallic wash that gives the façade
a special shimmer when sunlight hits it.
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