THE BUILDING
The Lionel Smit studio is in a unique area steeped in history: The Paarde Vlei precinct. Finding its place amongst heritage buildings, the studio was built with meticulous care, to honour the history of these structures. The studio was built to blend in, and at the same time, sets itself apart.
About the building
HB Architects used the industrial aesthetic of adjacent factories, creating a dark, steeply pitched roof and off-white walls. The windows, vertically proportioned.
The Design
The building is purposefully unpretentious. Each design element is relevant and integral to its structure and purpose. Working with the boundaries of an odd-shaped site, two long sheds were constructed, parallel to each other but placed out of sequence: one shed projected beyond the other.
The Lighting
The production and celebration of art, whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional, requires three primary elements: mainly diffused light, generous spaces, and large wall surfaces. Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, exemplifies the use of diffused natural light being admitted from above, which allows optimum use of wall area to display artwork. This was the point of departure for the spatial form for the exhibition gallery and painting studio at Lionel Smit Studio: the two sheds were separated by a sunlight-admitting ‘spine’ which allows natural light to be diffused into the art production spaces and the gallery.
The Space
The administration area is above the main gallery and doubles as an exhibition space. The painting studio has two separate areas: the creative studio, where the artist has several canvasses and sculptures in production stage. Neighbouring this, an area where canvases are prepared, and unfinished works and material are stored.
The Area
The building is a sustainable structure: gum trees, felled in the area, were used as countertops, stair treads, and ‘parquet blocks’ on the veranda, while rainwater is stored in feature-ponds surrounded by mainly local grasses and indigenous trees.
