Rooi Els residents up in arms over 'monstrosity'

Dismay is mounting over an ultra-modern building rising from the coastline of the quaint seaside village of Rooi Els. But the high-profile owner's architectural team has defended the home as a model of design excellence, ecological sensitivity and extra-vigilant adherence to the law. The building, on Erf 115 on the rocky north-facing point at Rooi Els on the False Bay coastline, is being built for a wealthy Gauteng businessman, last year listed in the Sunday Times Rich List as the 37th wealthiest South African.

Leon Kirkinis is the head of African Bank Investments Limited (Abil), and his fortune, based on shares held in the bank alone, was estimated at R410-million, R18m ahead of next-placed Saki Macozoma.

A large crane is working on the site, and residents canvassed by the Cape Argus expressed dismay that the structure was "monstrous" and "deeply inappropriate" for the quaint, ecologically sensitive and mainly understated coastal village.

The building has around 450m2 of internal space, excluding a 46m balcony and an elevated swimming pool not far above the crashing waves.

George Elphick, of Elphick & Proome Architects in Durban, said the project was a model development.

"The erf was originally zoned for a hotel but the owner felt that this was not appropriate," he said. So, at great cost, the owner had spent the past decade rezoning the erf to "single residential" status and gone far beyond what the law required of him.

The owner's professional design and building team had worked closely and constructively with the Overstrand municipality,

Elphick said his client had undertaken a lengthy and costly environmental impact assessment to ascertain how the home could be built with minimal impact on the surrounding ecology.

Building had begun 18 months ago and was due to be complete by Christmas.

Elphick confirmed that the building was a "family holiday home" - despite its size.

As an example of the measures taken to minimise the impact on nature, fynbos which grew where the building now stands on stilts had been carefully removed and was being nurtured in a nursery, and would be returned when the building was complete.

Elphick said his client was also voluntarily rehabilitating a neighbouring primary sand dune, at his own expense, in order to restore the area to its natural state.

Elphick suggested that residents alarmed by the building should in fact celebrate the owner's dedication to environmental best practice.

"In my 23 years as an architect, I have yet to encounter such determination to do the right thing on any site - let alone on a very sensitive piece of coastal land," Elphick said.

Either way, the building is likely to become a landmark property on the Cape coast.

The steel-frame structure rises dramatically out of the dunes on steel legs and dominates the coastal village's skyline and shoreline.

Architecturally, Elphick said the design was "informed by direct views across the ocean and across to Cape Point, towards Hangklip and the surrounding mountains and the need for the building to float above the fynbos".

He added: "There are also strong maritime expressions. People oughtn't pass judgment on the building until it's complete. They're looking at a skeletal structure.

"Once complete, the entire building is clad in a series of electronically operated timber screens, which serve as verandah roofs when the residents are home and then drop down to form security for the building - particularly to keep the baboons out - when they're away."

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