Cape Town's Best Kept Secret: The Assembly Room Apartment in Mutual Heights
Category News
Stepping into the Mutual Heights building feels like walking onto the set of the lovechild of Batman and The Great Gatsby. Indeed, the tall, narrow, gold veined, black marble entrance and burnished gold ceiling are a far cry from the hustle of Darling Street life beyond.
Mutual Heights was built as a testament to success, security and strength. Completed in 1939 as the headquarters of the South African Mutual Life Assurance Society, the inside and out design is a unique collaboration between the architects, builders, sculptors and artists.
This ambitious, no expenses spared project saw commissioned architects travelling worldwide to find inspiration and source materials. The result is a striking example of South Africa's best art deco architecture and design.
On completion, it was the tallest building on the continent and housed four of the fastest lifts in the world. Hewn from Paarl mountain granite, the external facade of the building is intricate and features one of the longest granite friezes in the world, stretching around the three sides of the building and adorned with carvings of wild animals. The rest of the building is clothed in marble imported from Italy and brass and chrome fittings from England. The foyer is lined with black gold-veined onyx, and the ceiling is gilded in gold leaf.
In 2003 Old Mutual initiated a residential conversion of the building, and in 2015, the remaining heritage sections were sold, including the banking hall, directors' suite and the Assembly Room.
It was a broader project that revitalised the most historic parts of the city, encouraging those with a passion for the heart of Cape Town to enjoy the proximity to Parliament, City Hall, the Company Gardens and outstanding restaurants.
One exceptionally breathtaking apartment is that of what was once the Assembly Room. Nine floors up, it hides what is arguably one of the most refined interiors in Cape Town.
Adorned in frescos done by Le Roux Smith Le Roux and completed after three years in 1941, scenes of the discovery of gold and the progression of city life envelop one's senses the moment one steps out onto the completely private floor (a cool 450 sqm at that). It feels like nothing short of discovering a secret revealed to a select few viewers. It would also make for a fabulous party location, and one can imagine hosting the city's finest in its golden embrace.
The apartment was redeveloped with meticulous sensitivity. Designer furniture was custom-made to match the grande aesthetic. The Assembly Room is the heart of the apartment. Bedrooms, bathrooms, a TV nook, kitchen, scullery, and study lead up, off and away from it; each one tastefully appointed with just the right amount of texture and colour. Indeed one forgets rather quickly that one is in the middle of the city, so quiet are the antechambers.
The bedrooms and kitchen also have balconies that allow one to soak up the sun, gaze over the city and admire the views of Table Mountain.
The Assembly Room apartment is a world unto itself, whispering stories of the past and inviting a new and exciting future for a particular new owner.
For more about the apartment and Mutual Heights, contact Suzy Davies.
Author: Seeff Atlantic Seaboard & City Bowl
