Ecca collection

Soweto Theatre

When the sun is setting in Soweto, South Africa, the walls of the new Soweto Theatre glow in a warm gold colour. In fact, these walls are clad in a grey colour, but their double curvature means that they reflect their surroundings, picking up not only the warm tones of the low sun but also the green of nearby trees. This visual richness is simply one manifestation of the wealth of ideas and ambition that are invested in a building that will serve both the local community and the national and international visitors who already come to the township, bringing much needed tourist income.

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Refurbishment Police Academy

Architect Leon Thier talks of the unexpected silence in the 25m-high atrium, the focal point and “new heart” of the recently refurbished Apeldoorn Policy Academy building in the central Netherlands.

Images courtesy of Thea van den Heuvel

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Quai 9

From a distance, the outer shell of Quai 9 resembles an alien spaceship which has landed in the town of Lanester in north-western France. But on closer inspection, the facade is clearly composed of a series of triangular shapes which evoke the white sails of the boats that have been the lifeblood of this area for centuries. The name Quai 9 reflects both the maritime heritage of the region, and the fact that Lanester was established as an independent town in 1909.

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