Disa Park
Controversial development in Cape Town
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Disa Park is a series of towers in the Vredehoek area of Cape Town, South Africa. The towers were built in response to a "white housing crisis" in the city and completed in 1969.[2] The buildings were designed by architectural firm Bergamasco, Duncan & James, which also designed most of the contemporary Catholic churches in Cape Town.[2]
| Disa Park | |
|---|---|
 The three towers of Disa Park viewed from Signal Hill | |
 Interactive map of the Disa Park area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Apartment block |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| Location | 33°56′32″S 18°25′35″E, Cape Town, South Africa |
| Completed | 1969 |
| Cost | R3,000,000[1] |
| Height | |
| Height | 54.8 metres |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 24.3 metres |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Bergamasco, Duncan & James |
| Main contractor | Murray & Roberts |
Overview
Built by the construction company Murray & Roberts in the 1960s, these three 17 story, cylindrical towers, called Blinkwater, Platteklip and Silverstroom, are nestled on the slopes of Table Mountain, and are almost universally proclaimed to be a blemish on the face of the majestic mountain.[citation needed] The three towers are popularly known to Capetonians as "The Pepper Pots", "Toilet Rolls" and "Tampon Towers". It has 259 residential units providing enough housing for roughly 1,000 residents.[1]
Murray & Roberts found a loophole in the building restrictions on the mountainside, and built the base below the allowable development line, then built upward, above the line.
The residents tend to disagree with the demolitionists;[citation needed] their homes have access to dozens of trails and hikes on their doorstep as well as a tennis court, squash courts, a braai area and a swimming pool. The towers also provide an excellent vantage point[opinion] for scenic views over the region, but dominate views of Table Mountain from below.
Gallery
Disa Park with Salt River and Woodstock in the background.
Disa Park viewed from Chelmsford Avenue, Vredehoek.
