Construction has started on Tropicana, a new apartment hotel in Sea Point for the developer Signature. Going up next to the old fire station in Kloof Road, the full-service apartment hotel, managed by Perch Short Stays, will comprise 54 self-catering apartments ranging in size from 25m² (bachelor studios) to 39m² (one-bedroom suites).
Tropicana has both heritage and planning approval, but apartments are not for sale. “Having been spared the ‘Hunger Games’ of having to pre-sell everything off-plan, we’re therefore allowed to push the envelope with an edgier, more innovative design,” says Robert Silke from Robert Silke & Partners, the architect of the building.
According to Silke off-plan sectional title developments often have to err on the side of the ordinary begging questions such as: “Could I live with that colour?”. He says hospitality offerings, on the contrary, must step out of the proverbial box and provide something cooler and more memorable – as guests often do want to take a break from their own lives.
The development team collaborated with heritage consultant Ashley Lillie in their attempt to build a seaside building that is responsive to and respectful of its environment and that aims to be as characterful as the surrounding properties. “The design is original, theatrical and sculptural – yet still speaks to the design vernacular of its Art Deco neighbours,” says Silke.
Product design company Dokter and Misses will be creating a number of custom furnishing items for the rooms including a strelizia lamp, Rietveld-inspired beds and a number of other authentic pieces.
The restaurant Tasha’s will be opening on the ground floor with a sea facing terrace and garden in the back. The roof deck will offer guest a pool for cooling down in and offer views across the ocean.
“We love design and architecture and sometimes, to the detriment of the bottom line, we want things to be beautiful and fun. Only because, hopefully, the buildings will outlast us and when people see them, it will provoke some positive and joyful thoughts,” says Signatura and Perch Short Stays MD David Cohen. “We are also fighting a bit of the drabness that has crept into the residential development space where conservative designs ensure that most buildings just look very similar to each other.”
