Durban Art Deco Society

Merit Awards 2024

Each year during Heritage month (September), the Durban Art Deco Society considers recent work that has been done on Art Deco styled buildings in the city. Bearing in mind that these buildings originate in the 1930’s and 1940’s, it is no mean task to keep the buildings attractive and serviceable. Owners often go the extra mile to highlight the Art Deco features, and apply appropriate Art Deco colour palettes. These are important conservation activities, often requiring treatment of surface erosion and spalling of the reinforced concrete.

In this year, 2024, the Society pays special respect to two “downtown” buildings where owners have persevered with their preservation work, whilst faced with the additional difficulties of their locations, such as vandalism, theft of metal and fittings, and economic constraints.

Downtown Hotel (Metropole)

106 Smith (Anton Lembede) Street

Architect: unknown (The original Metropole Hotel on the site, Victorian with covered lower and upper verandahs, was designed by Frank Manoah Kent, deceased 1904)

The Metropole, in its present incarnation as “Downtown Hotel”, is located at the busy intersection of Anton Lembede (Smith) and Prince Alfred Streets. There are three upper floors with a liquor store and a tavern on the ground floor. The two street-facing sides of this L-shaped building are heavily decorated with window frames and eyeshades running above the windows. The entrance is centred on the symmetrical Smith Street side, with four fins running up to the skyline. A stepped curved canopy extends over the entrance. The current painting has given more emphasis to these Art Deco features, and restored all exterior surfaces.

The Durban Art Deco Society Merit Certificate was presented by Chairperson Carol Allan to the Hotel Manager, Dave Velayadam, on 12 October 2024.

Kingsway House

111 West (Dr Pixley KaSeme) Street

Architects: Powers & Powers, 1936

This is an eleven-storey apartment building with a motor showroom on the ground floor. The upper floors have enclosed rounded balconies which are symmetrically disposed around the centre-line. However, the entrance for the apartments is offset at the one end, where one proceeds through a beautiful travertine-lined passageway to the well-preserved travertine-lined lift foyer at the back of the building. On the skyline are the rounded canopies of two penthouses. The tiled spandrel surface running in a band below the windows is a slightly glossy cream, creating an attractive contrast with the rest of the facade which is exposed brick.

The Durban Art Deco Society Merit Certificate was presented by Chairperson Carol Allan to trustee Ozzie Essa on 12 October 2024.

Downtown Hotel (Metropole)

Chairperson of the Durban Art Deco Society, Carol Allan, presents the Merit Certificate to Dave Valayadam, Manager of Downtown Hotel. In the photo, from left to right, are Sihli Bhengu (Bottle Store), Carol Allan, Ricky Pillay (Maintenance), Dave Valayadam (Manager), Patrick Muthwa (Barman) and Nonjabulo Gabela (Reception).