National Sea Rescue Institute
The National Sea Rescue Institute Rescue Station No.10 was established in 1967 after the late and highly respected Patti Price had written numerous letters to the press recognising the need for a sea rescue service in South Africa. The Site is nestled between the False bay Yacht Club and Naval Base in the Simon’s Town Harbour with views overlooking the Simon’s Bay waters and with its backdrop as the rocky Simonsberg Mountain.
Client:
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)
Location
Simons Town, Cape Town
Status:
Completed
With their fleet of vessels being upgraded, the NSRI commissioned VMA Architects to provide a proposal for a new larger base station to accommodate their increased capacity.
Spatially the building is divided into 2 zones – the operations wing set in a double volume, houses the boats, equipment, and ablutions facilities. The 2nd zone, is used for administrative functions, accommodating a control room, meeting spaces, training facilities, and a staff kitchen. Materially, the building responds to the industrial harbour context with the use of face brick and steel. The steel acts as both roofing and wall across the double-storey structure, expressing the utilitarian space below, whilst the face brick evokes a sense of anchorage and protection, giving warmth to the human-scaled zone of the east wing facilities. The building’s form thus carefully considers the required balance for both man and machine, while the roof plain pays homage to the Mountain backdrop beyond.