Umbilo Road Walk 2023
Billed as "UMBILO ROAD: City Gateway - Industrial, Commercial & Residential", a walk along the East end of Umbilo Road was guided by Arthur Gammage on Sunday 28 May, 2023. With his background in Urban Planning and Design, and his keen interest in the history of Durban, Arthur was able to account for the way this part of the city developed. Twenty-two members and friends of the Durban Art Deco Society attended the event. An interesting finding was that some 6-8 of Durban's significant architects of the 1930's and 1940's had been involved, even in this somewhat run-down area, with smaller scale buildings.
Crown Building 93/5 Umbilo Road
Architect A A Ritchie-McKinlay, Mediterranean (Berea) style for B. Lurie in 1929.
Origin Night Club, 9 Clark Road
Originally the
“Argyle Hotel”, it had a popular beerhall style bar on the
bottom floor. Later this became “The Winston”, an alternative bar run for 25
years by Belinda Baney, which started off countless garage bands in such genres
as Rock, Punk, Goth and Death Metal.
Arby Court, 146 Umbilo Road
Symmetric two-storey
building with two shops at ground level and residences above.
ALI Supermarket, 144 Gale Street
Comet Undies CC, 132 Gale Street
Streamline Moderne style two-storey industrial
building. Entrance is on a flat side and is highlighted by a vertical flat
panel rising above the skyline. The architect was Clement Fridjhon in 1945/46.