Contact Artefacts please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.	Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon		National Mutual Building Cape Town, Western Cape PERRY and DELBRIDGE: Architect

Date: 1933 Type: Offices Status: Extant Street: 44 Plein Street

[Note: This building should be looked at in conjunction with the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia as the buildings were built together as one project]. Ground and 6 floors, concrete framed. Ground floor : polished black and pink Transvaal granite shop facings with bronze trimmings, fine period shop entrance door. Recent framed canopy with copper fascia. Shop fronts modified, roller shutters and boarded fascia work above transom. First floor : pink granite continues but facade almost completely covered with modern aluminium louvres. Upper floors : dressed Cape granite facings, 7 bay wide, bronze pivot windows and spandrels. Outer 4 bays develop arched tops and flagstaffs, also sun decorated panels. Central bay rises to higher parapet with two granite sculptured leopard heads and central "fountain" panel. Building links through to National Mutual Life Association of Australasia on Church Square. Refer Cumming-George Volume 2, p77. Architects J. PERRY and W. J. DELBRIDGE. Built c1933 as part of the major extensions to the BAKER & MASEY building on Church Square. [Pryce-Lewis list item 15 651; Rennie J, 1978. The buildings of central Cape Town 1978 - Volume two : Catelogue. Cape Town: Cape Provincial Institute of Architects. p, 216-7.] 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 and articles that reference National Mutual Building Cumming-George, L. 1934. Architecture in South Africa - Volume Two. Cape Town: The Speciality Press of S.A. Ltd.. pg 77 Rennie, John for CPIA. 1978. The Buildings of Central Cape Town 1978. Volume Two : Catalogue. Cape Town: Cape Provincial Institute of Architects. pg 216-217