Thoroughly Modern Muizenberg! Art Deco walking tour

Thoroughly Modern Muizenberg!

A walking tour exploring the mansions and maisonettes of the Jazz Age

Saturday 21 November at 10h00

By the 1930s Muizenberg was the most popular resort on the Cape Riviera, and eminent visitors included novelist Agatha Christie, HRH Prince of Wales and playwright and philosopher George Bernard Shaw. This golden age coincided with a new form of architectural expression Art Deco and it wasn t long before hotels, mansions and flats in Muizenberg started sporting the bold geometric compositions, sleek horizontal lines, and stepped massing so characteristic of the era.

Join us on an exploration of its Art Deco built heritage. We ll visit famous hotels - the Balmoral, Rio Grande and Imperial and be impressed by the cool modernism of Wortreich s Chemist. We ll admire perfectly proportioned apartment blocks, including the wonderful Silver Court, some very characterful walls, and a home boasting an observatory home that was designed for an eminent astronomer.

Our tour will end at one Muizenberg s most impressive residences, Gloria Heights. Occupying a corner site, its architect took great care in its external form and architectural detailing. But it is its interior that will take your breath away, showcasing luxurious materials and design techniques that are unique to the period.

MEET: Brett McDougall at the parking lot on the corner of Beach Road and Alexander Road.

START TIME: 10h00 please arrive ahead of time.

DURATION: 2 hours

Wear comfortable walking shoes, use sunscreen and bring a hat!