- Project: Beyond
- Architect: SAOTA
- Location: South Africa, Clifton, Cape Town
- Year: 2019
- Area: 2200 m2
- Photography: Adam Letch, Stefan Antoni
Perched high on the cliffs of Clifton—Cape Town’s most coveted coastline—Beyond by SAOTA is more than a luxury residence. It is the personal home of Stefan Antoni, SAOTA’s principal director, a work that expresses both architectural ambition and personal sensibility. Overlooking the Twelve Apostles, Clifton’s beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean, this seven-level home is a compelling interplay of light, space, and materiality—crafted as both a residence and an evolving gallery of contemporary South African art.
Cliffside Living with Vertical Drama
Built into the slopes of Lion’s Head, the home occupies one of the most prestigious addresses in South Africa—Nettleton Road. From the street, Beyond appears as four modest stories, but inside, the home unfolds dramatically upward into seven levels, culminating in an expansive double-volume living space at the top.
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Lower Levels: Six bedrooms (three of which connect as a family suite), plus a spa, cinema, games area, and entertainment zone
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Upper Levels: Kitchen, dining, living, bar, family lounge, mezzanine study, winter lounge, and art studio
The top-floor pavilion opens entirely toward the ocean with retractable glass walls, while the rear spills into a private garden merging with Table Mountain National Park. A linear pool stretches toward the sea, completing a space where nature, architecture, and art converge.
A Modernist Journey Through Light
The architectural language of Beyond draws from modernist principles, specifically Le Corbusier’s vision of architecture as “a magnificent play of masses brought together in light.” The entry sequence, wrapped in shadow and raw material, gives way to luminous upper levels. Intersecting planes, floating volumes, and clever floor transitions define spaces without rigid compartmentalization.
A standout is the glass bar that dramatically projects over the pool with a glass floor, forming a moment of vertigo and elegance. Materials repeat across levels with narrative precision—the timber ceiling on the lower level is formed from the same planks used to shutter the rough concrete above, forging continuity through texture and story.
A Gallery That Feels Like Home
Beyond is as much an art gallery as a home. Every room is layered with curated pieces from the owner’s South African art collection:
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A Paul Blomkamp tapestry and Paul Edmunds sculpture animate the atmospheric entry
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A whimsical, inhabitable “Blowfish” by Porky Hefer floats in the entertainment space
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African masks punctuate the dark kitchen walls with cultural depth
This collection is intentionally integrated—never merely decorative, always in dialogue with the architecture. The interiors were designed by ARRCC with furnishings by OKHA, ensuring a seamless aesthetic across structure and styling.
Material Honesty and Experiential Design
The material palette is raw yet refined: concrete, glass, timber, and natural stone form the foundation. Light is a recurring protagonist—filtered, framed, reflected—creating a kinetic architectural experience that evolves throughout the day and seasons.
From the chiaroscuro effect of the entrance to the glowing pyramid-like top level at night, Beyond by SAOTA stands as an exemplar of Cape Town luxury, deeply rooted in place, vision, and personal artistry.
