Coromandel Estate Manor House

“The journey towards the Africa Manor House is mysterious – along the winding driveway a thicket of trees conceals exquisitely carved and crafted dolerite stone walls which overlook the scenic estate from their raised position on an ascending hillside, and hide their contents. Conceptually, the house reflects the qualities of an Italian town, a public piazza in the middle for gathering in, with narrow roads leading into more private dormitory spaces. Press remarked that anyone having visited Rome would forever be touched by the patina of its cobbled streets and the spaces for living that its piazzas offered. Zanuso further observed that on a South African farm, there is really too much sun, heat and glare. So the structure must provide copious shade, coolness, greenery & water. The atria should be delicately narrow – like the streets of Rome, always in the shade. Traditions of the region, local stone pebbles, cross cut timber as floor finish that emphasizes the rustic qualities of the natural palette, deep shaded veranda’s & windows, was a response to harsh climatic variations and a deep sensitivity to the grasslands, farming landscape and natural features. The house can be described as a dramatic manipulation of the landscape that offers practical, periodic shelter within its organised spaces and rational lines. Deeply rooted in Zanuso’s architectural ethos, his regards for context, typology, image, spatial organization and rational technical construction is revealed in all layers of the design.” Further information on: Architizer