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Exchange Building
Cape Town, Western Cape
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Click to view map Coordinates: | Cumming George 1933 )EXCHANGE Building, erected for the shipping firm of Messrs. Mann, George & Co., is situated at the corner of St. George's and Waterkant Streets and faces Exchange Place. It is a reinforced concrete frame structure resting on a base of dressed stone to the first floor level, with plinth of black polished granite. The facades facing St. George's and Waterkant Streets are framed-in on either face between bold and simple pilasters treated as pre-cast stone, carried through five storeys in height, and connected with a heavily enriched cornice which is returned and stopped against the corner tower. The tower forms the dominating feature. It is square on plan, and strongly treated on modern lines. Above the roof level the tower is utilised as a flag-room. The top storey is set back and recessed. The ground and first floors are used by the owners. The shipping hall occupies the ground floor and is panelled in teak with an enriched plaster ceiling. The Board Room is similarly panelled with a domed ceiling in plaster. The Main Stairs and Entrance Hall are paved and panelled in black and white marble with groined ceilings in plaster. An independent staircase and lift are provided for service purposes and for the use of messengers. Bronze doors give access to the shipping hall and tenants' entrance. The upper floors are grouped round a quadrangle. The building throughout is designed to suit present-day requirements, and is modern in all respects. The angle treatment is strong and effective, and successfully solves the corner difficulties. (SAB Jul 1927:43; Pryce-Lewis list 15 283) All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. Books that reference Exchange Building
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