This installation pays tribute to the legacy of Rob Meek, an architect, urban designer and yachtsman who specialised in marina and waterfront projects. As a founding director of GAPP Architects & Urban Designers, the firm that led the urban design of Cape Town’s regenerated historic harbour, Rob and a team of specially appointed professionals had a profound influence in shaping the V&A Waterfront from its earliest beginnings into the world-class destination it is today.
As one of South Africa’s top competitive yachtsmen and navigators, his love of sailing and the sea brought a unique perspective to the urban designs for his many waterfront environments.
Rob’s approach aimed at enhancing the visitor’s experience, whether they were arriving on foot or by boat. It was his understanding of how quaysides, and whole cities, looked from the sea that made his approach to waterfront design so much richer than simply understanding how things work on the quayside itself.
For him, it was as important to showcase the marine environment as the land. The urban profile as seen from the water, the viewing corridors and spaces from the sea through the built environment to the landmark Table Mountain backdrop were as critical to the design as those leading back to the water.
Keenly aware of types of water-craft and the ebb and flow of water traffic, he ensured pedestrian walkways and bridges were aligned with the views and activities of the connecting channels, harbour basins and the ocean beyond.
His urban design drawings always featured yachts or fishing boats, often even including their keel depth, to show where and how they would fit into a water basin and the overall design plan.
He felt strongly that waterfronts should remain working harbours rather than simply becoming settings for cosmetic re-purposing as centres for retail and tourism.
They had to speak of their maritime origins. As one sees today, boatbuilding facilities, dry docks, tugs, traditional fishing boats, sightseeing craft, Robben Island ferries, cruise ships, Dragon Boats, and yachts competing in local and prestigious round-the-world races, are integral to a visitor’s experience.
The placing of this installation in Rob’s memory at the Pierhead of the historic old harbour is no coincidence. It is a site that offers 360° views connecting so much of Rob’s life that highlight his contribution to Cape Town’s foreshore and the world around him.
He had a remarkable sense of place and this place, as a fulcrum of where everything in the V&A comes together, is a unique focus point that was particularly special for him.
North, are two iconic buildings designed by Rob. He led the pioneering project for the conversion of the Quay Four restaurant complex and the new facilities for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). Both have stood the test of time and typically feature distinctive nautical characteristics.
South to the Swing Bridge which serves as the core pedestrian link from the city which Rob thought important to maintain. It takes one past the historic Clock Tower and across the main channel for boats coming in and out of the Alfred Basin and the Marina.
East offers a direct line of sight through the harbour entrance to Table Bay and the vast open seas of the Atlantic Ocean where Rob raced as a member of the nearby Royal Cape Yacht Club. A four times recipient of South African Colours for Sailing, he was honoured posthumously with a Life Time Service Award for leadership roles held at the club. A 180 nautical mile race up the West Coast has been named in his memory and an Award for the Youth Sailor of the Year established in his name.
West, across the inner yacht basin, is the boat building yard which Rob re-designed as a base for South Africa’s first ever challenge for the America’s Cup, the pinnacle event of world sailing. It leads to the start of the canal system which links the Waterfront to Cape Town’s International Convention Centre. Rob’s hope was that it would increasingly be used for easy access to and from the city centre and connect the city back to its waterfront origins.
Rob loved sensible, no-nonsense, utilitarian design and this aesthetic is captured in this multipurpose installation designed by Mark Thomas Architects. It is constructed using marine technology to evoke yacht decking – an ode to seamanship and a way of reflecting Rob’s love of sailing. The material used is recycled Balau hardwood which was originally used for seating at the V&A amphitheatre.
The words ‘Blowing in the Wind’ have been inscribed on the installation, lyrics from Bob Dylan’s iconic song – one of Rob’s favourites – that resonated with the freedom he found at sea and in the spaces that interface with it. The coordinates of Cape Town are engraved on the decking, referencing Rob’s navigational legacy and the city that shaped him. His name is featured in his signature handwriting.
Rob loved the V&A Waterfront. He loved to sit and observe the world from places like this. He was always curious and questioning: What was the direction of the wind, the level of the tide? What did the ‘tablecloth’ of cloud covering the mountain mean for the day’s sailing?
He would take note of which boats were coming in and out of the harbour, what attracted a bob of seals or a line of low-flying cormorants, the number of people crossing the swing bridge.
His vast circle of colleagues and friends attest to his open, collaborative nature, enquiring mind and abounding energy. His legacy endures through the lives he touched and the projects he shaped.
His life stands as a beacon to us all to live life to the full and to strive to add our best through individual innovation, commitment and enthusiasm.
Here, with this installation, one is invited to sit, climb, recline, linger, be quiet and contemplative, or active and animated, face in any direction one chooses, feel the place and what’s blowing in the wind.
That’s what Rob would have loved about it: it’s for everyone – people of all ages and from all walks of life in this wonderful milieu that he so much believed in and contributed to.
Click here to watch a video of Rob talking about waterfront projects, the history of the V&A and yacht racing in Table Bay.
Click here to learn how the installation was designed and constructed by father and daughter architectural team Mark and Katie Thomas.
The installation was commissioned by Louise, Claudia and Di Meek in collaboration with the V&A Waterfront. It was designed by Mark Thomas Architects and built by Kimon Mamacos of Sentinel Timbers.