In 1969, Cape Town-based architect Roelof Uytenbogaardt submitted a design proposal to the South African Life Assurance Society, now known as Old Mutual, for a shopping complex next to the Main Road in Claremont, a suburb of Cape Town.[3] The development intended to revitalise the east side of the Main Road, which was at risk of experiencing urban blight.[3] The shopping centre was designed in a modernist style inspired by the work of Swiss architect Le Corbusier.[4] Uytenbogaardt wrote in his proposal that the development would be "a hinterland of a well mixed community ranging from high income through to middle and low."[3] The proposal was reported to have been approved in February 1969[3] with the building being named after the then-chairperson of Old Mutual, George Werdmuller.[5] Construction on the building began in 1970.[3]
The Werdmuller Centre opened in 1975 and was reported on favourably in local media with John Benzon writing in the Cape Times that the building was "best thing that has happened to Claremont both commercially and architecturally."[1][3] The Werdmuller had to compete with Cavendish Square, a conventional shopping mall located across from the building; Cavendish was also developed by Old Mutual. The smaller retail spaces in the Werdmuller, which were designed according to a micro-market retail concept, were then adjusted to resemble conventional, larger shops.[3] Over the years, retail spaces in the centre were continuously altered to attract suitable tenants, however, these attempts were unsuccessful.[3]
The Werdmuller contained 49 shops during its operational years and never had traditional anchor tenants. Furniture chain Beares did have a store in the centre, however, it closed and the retail space it occupied was later rented by a church.[1]
In 2006, the building's owner, Old Mutual Properties, applied for a demolition permit, which was met with opposition from the local architectural community as well as the heritage community.[3] A Heritage Impact Assessment conducted in December 2007 specified that the reason that the owners wanted to demolish it, was because it had become a financial liability.[3] The Werdmuller's final tenant vacated the centre in 2012 and the centre subsequently closed with its entrances boarded up.[2] Old Mutual Properties unsuccessfully sought a demolition permit for a second time in 2012.[6] By January 2014, the Werdmuller had been acquired by New Property Ventures, who sought to demolish the building.[1]
The derelict interior of the shopping centre has been leased as a film set for the The Dark Tower series in 2016 as well as for the Resident Evil series in 2021.[4][7]
In 2023, the part demolition of the building was approved by Heritage Western Cape.[5] The building is to undergo redevelopment to become a mixed-used development named the "The Neo" which will have a gross leasable area of 30,000 square metres. The redeveloped building will also have a height of 64 metres which will make it the tallest building in Claremont. Construction was set to begin in 2024.[5] The Claremont Improvement District Company's "State of Claremont" Report for 2025/2026 lists the development as still "Planned".[8]
