Sited on a ridge beneath Cape Town’s famous string of rocky peaks, the home features an impressive concrete canopy that covers the outdoor terrace and extends to the edge of the property where the views are most dramatic.
A view of the house from Table Mountain National Park. The thick central band rimming the second-story terraces serves as a sky-high garden.
Just outside the summer lounge, an infinity-edge pond faces the Twelve Apostles mountain range. The ceiling’s sandblasted precast white-concrete beams hide utilities such as lighting. Parkington designed the travertine fireplace’s etched pattern to relate to the concrete louvered roof. Vladimir Kagan’s curved Serpentine sofa is upholstered in Schumacher’s Short Shag fabric and joins Parkington’s custom sectional dressed in Donghia’s Ashlar gray fabric.
In the family lounge, the Tufty-Too sofas by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia are ideal for casual gatherings. Serge Mouille’s three-arm standing lamp and a sculpture by Edoardo Villa complete the scene.
SAOTA designed the central terrace to accommodate a traditional South African “braai,” or barbecue, outfitted with Viking equipment. The reflecting pond mirrors patterned sunlight, which illuminates the entry and motor court below. The artist Angus Taylor created the bronze coffee bar (background).
To shield the sunny passage between the master bedroom and study, a hefty Cor-Ten screen was fabricated by metalwork studio Bad Machine to offer protection from the coast’s heavy winds.
Knoll’s Platner easy chairs and a marble Eros coffee table by Angelo Mangiarotti hold court in the summer lounge, while Mario Bellini’s Cab chairs and La Basilica table for Cassina in the dining area blend with the oak cabinetry in the kitchen.
The winter lounge features a plush velvet vintage Bellini sofa.
The brass nine-globe Branching Bubble chandelier by the New York designer Lindsey Adelman adds an organic element to the angular kitchen and dining room area. Sliding pocket doors allow interior space to merge with the shaded courtyard.
The light-filled passageway showcases art by Robert Hodgins and sculpture by Rodan Kane Hart.
The master bedroom’s expansive windows feature few mullions, limiting distractions from the stunning views. “The materiality of the house was critical for continuity,” says Olmesdahl, noting that second-floor ceilings—both inside and out—are made of the same zinc as the roof.
