Transnet Heritage Restoration

Project Details

  • Location: Salt River, Cape Town, South Africa

  • Size: Phase 1 - 1,400m²; Phase 2 - 1,500m² ; Phase 3 - Pending

  • Timeline: 1 year

  • Client: Transnet Engineering

  • Collaboration: Contours Landscapes, GLA Architects

Environmental Response

The project addressed significant remediation challenges, including:

  • Removal of toxic waste and asbestos

  • Integration of industrial materials that honor the site's heritage

  • Selection of salt-tolerant species to thrive in challenging site conditions

  • Creation of a sustainable landscape in what was previously an ecological void

Project Impact

This transformation has reinstated the dignity of a significant heritage building while creating valuable outdoor spaces for users. The design establishes a dialogue between the historic structure and its contemporary function, demonstrating how thoughtful landscape architecture can bridge past and present.

Historic Railway Building Revitalized

The restoration of Transnet's 150-year-old Cape Town office building represents a thoughtful transformation of a neglected historic site into a vibrant contemporary landscape. This Salt River project demonstrates how industrial heritage can be honored while creating functional spaces for today's needs.

Project Highlights

  • Communal Landscape: A welcoming park at the entrance serves both employees and visitors, transforming what was once a dumping ground into a dignified public space.

  • Heritage Integration: Materials like gabion structures, ballast stone, and core tin elements reference the site's railway history while creating a contemporary aesthetic.

  • Water Management: Strategically placed detention ponds address runoff and potential flooding concerns, with plant selections specifically adapted to the site's high saline conditions.

  • Multi-functional Design: Low retaining walls serve multiple purposes—providing seating, creating level transitions, and defining distinct areas within the landscape.

  • An image of the Cultural Center.

    Magazine Article: Pro Landscaper Africa

  • An image of the Cultural Center.

    Magazine Article: Pro Landscaper Africa

  • An image of the Cultural Center.

    View over the entrance park, Lions Head & SIgnal Hill in the background

  • Water feature design inspired by railway lines.

    Water feature design inspired by railway lines.

  • Water Detention Pond with adaptable reed planting.

  • Sustainable Gabion Retaining walls using local stone.

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