- Project: South Villa
- Architect: SAOTA, ARRCC
- Location: South Africa, Clifton, Cape Town
- Year: 2022
- Area: 1000 m2
- Photography: Adam Letch
Rising above the iconic coastline of Clifton, Cape Town, South Villa by ARRCC and SAOTA is a five-story penthouse within the award-winning Clifton Terraces development on Victoria Road. With panoramic views of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and Clifton’s beaches, this exclusive residence is a sophisticated convergence of Art Deco influence, contemporary architecture, and African craftsmanship.
Terraced Architecture Meets Interior Refinement
The building’s terraced form, designed by SAOTA, follows the natural contours of the site, ensuring that views from surrounding residences are preserved—or even enhanced. With deep overhangs, a natural material palette, and lush landscaped terraces, the building is designed to age gracefully into its coastal surroundings.
Inside, the interior architecture and décor—by ARRCC and OKHA—draws stylistic inspiration from the Style Moderne movement of the 1920s and 1930s, while embedding layers of South African and international design sensibility.
“It became a passion project—a fusion of global design and local artistry,” says the client, who collaborated closely with both ARRCC and OKHA.
Arrival with Dramatic Precision
Residents and guests enter via a stone-clad reception area, ascending in a private lift to the penthouse’s main level. Here, a Fantasy marble panel, oak and brass inlays, and a backlit Verde Fume Onice Onyx slab set the tone for a layered and luxurious design language.
The living area opens to a double-height space defined by a steel mesh door, bronze finishes, and a feature staircase. A 150 m² terrace extends outward, featuring a heated rectangular pool with 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain, and Camps Bay.
A Home That Doubles as a Gallery
South Villa is more than a home—it is a private art gallery. Curated in collaboration with OKHA, the collection includes works from Southern Guild, SMAC, and What If the World, featuring notable artists such as:
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Chris Soal
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Galia Gluckman
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Alexandra Karakashian
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Mongezi Ncaphayi
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Pierre Vermeulen
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Atang Tshikare
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Chuma Maweni
This curated narrative blurs the lines between interior design and cultural storytelling, placing art at the core of the spatial experience.
Custom Furniture as Architectural Art
Throughout the penthouse, custom-designed furniture by OKHA enhances the tactile and visual dialogue:
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The Morpheus Dining Table in a double trapezoid form
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The ViA Console in the lobby
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The Tectra Coffee Table, modular in design, crafted from Calcatta Vagli marble and blackened mild steel
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A green velvet armchair, oak and French cane headboard, and marble-topped timber side tables in the master bedroom
This emphasis on form, mass, and scale is central to the interior vision. As OKHA’s Adam Court explains, “We gave each form space to communicate, aligning with style moderne principles where scale, clarity, and composition take precedence over ornamentation.”
Thoughtful Materiality and Sensory Contrast
ARRCC’s use of ribbed wall paneling, dark green tones, and timber detailing in the master suite echo the Cape pine trees framing the views of Camps Bay. In the master bathroom, slabs of Bianco Carrara marble meet bronze mirrors and French cane inlays, creating a moody yet luminous retreat.
From the glass-and-timber dining wall to charcoal grey ribbed finishes in the coffee lounge and Verde Guatemala marble highlights, the design layers texture, temperature, and tone to dramatic effect.
A Statement in Contemporary South African Luxury
South Villa by ARRCC and SAOTA represents a new pinnacle in modern African residential design—elevated, expressive, and emotionally resonant. It is a project that reflects art, architecture, and atmosphere, curated with nuance and clarity by three of South Africa’s leading design studios: SAOTA, ARRCC, and OKHA.
