NEWSLETTER
Durban Art Deco Society
Newsletter #11: September 2002
Download a MS WORD Version
Download a PDF Version
Forthcoming Events
We have arranged a visit to Berea Court, 399 Berea Road, on Sunday 20 October, starting at 10am. This is a particularly fine Art Deco building designed in 1937 by Langton & Barboure for the Langton family. There are 41 apartments over six floors looking north east over the Berea. The finish is in stucco with a range of good mouldings in authentic Art Deco style. Fluted pilasters rise through the façade to a crenellated parapet with great lion features keeping watch nearby. A central balcony at high level is richly decorated as is the entrance. The rear elevation is almost as good with a play of cantilevered balconies and an amusing selection of windows to the stairway.
The interior, and particularly of the penthouse, is maintained in superb condition by the owner, Mrs 'Tink' Haswell and her son, Robert. The original light fittings still hang and illuminate a witty range of stained glass porthole windows that illustrate Durban themes of the thirties. Tink has invited us to join her for tea on the terrace. Bring some snacks and R5 if you are a member, R 10 if not. Meet at the front door in Berea Road.
Focus on: Berea Court
399 Berea Road. Wood Cut by John Roome
Excerpt from the Durban Deco Directory (http://users.mweb.co.za/a/an/andryn)
Berea Court was designed by the same team that had earlier designed Surrey Mansions. Although the two buildings share the same architects they are very different in atmosphere. Berea Court is more domestic and more spacious. All the flats have their entrance around an open airy courtyard. Each front door has leaded glass windows that depict Durban scenes eg. a ship entering the harbour between the Bluff and the Point and a 1930's aeroplane flying over the city. The foyer is still in good condition with many of the original light fittings still in place. An Art Deco security gate has been constructed and installed which is sympathetic to the building's design. The exterior decoration has a number of African references. Examples include the lions heads mounted on a geometric base plates at the buildings crown and eagle overflow pipe gargoyles. The building also contains a lot of geometric stucco detailing.
Light fittings - Penthouse
Heritage Month
The programme for September is integrated with other activities organised by the Architectural Heritage Committee. As a segment of the Faces of Durban theme there will be an introductory lecture on Wednesday 18th and a Tour of the Carlisle - Grey Street area on Sunday 22nd. This area is traditionally an Indian area. These events will focus on the little known fact that the precinct has a rich inventory of Art Deco buildings ranging in style from pure "Miami" to fascinating variations that we have categorised as "Indo Africa."
Fabric & Jewelry
France – Fabric by Schiparelli 1926 – Fine silk gauze and cut velvet pattern (Owner: J Powell)
A lecture, recently held on the 23rd June and later given, on request, at the Central Technical High School, is an overview of Art Deco and includes references to architecture, china, graphics, furniture, cars, trains etc. as well as textiles and jewellery. It has particular reference to three women: Sonja Delauney’s textiles (France), Eileen Gray’s furniture and architecture (Ireland & France) and Marion Dorn’s carpets (USA & London). Any individuals or institutions who would like a slide talk, like the one described above, or perhaps on other aspects of the Art Deco movement please contact either Jean Powell (terencep@saol.com) or Dennis Claude (claudius@yebo.co.za ). The Society is useing these presentations to raise funds. Many thanks to Carol Pooley from the jewellery department of the Durban Institute of Technology for her jewellery input and slides.
Art Deco Colour Palettes
The committee is involved in preparing a number of "Palettes" of authentic AD colour schemes which are available to building owners but the issue of funding maintenance operations is a real one, especially in view of the fact that many AD buildings are inhabited or owned by people with very limited budgets. Any ideas will be greatly welcome.
UPDATE: 7th World Congress on Art Deco, March-April 2003
Work progresses on the organisation of the Post Congress Meeting that is scheduled to take place in Durban from 30 March to 4 April. Andrew Moore, our web-wizard, is going to give a paper in Cape Town on the problem of maintenance to Durban AD buildings.
At the Post Congress Meeting in Durban the committee will present Durban as a multicultural city as well as highlight Durban’s beautiful and interesting Art Deco buildings. (see http://www.durbandeco.org for the official itinerary). Additional optional activities, aimed at our international visitors, will commence from Thursday 3rd April include: a Drakensburg mountain excursion via the Midland’s Art and Crafts meander and incorporating a tour of the bushman paintings and the flora of the mountains. Another option is a Battlefields tour which visits theatres of war from both the Anglo-Zulu War 1879 and the Anglo-Boer War 1899. This tour also incorporates a visit to the local cultural and ethnic villages. A third option is a tour of the Game parks in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. (Contact ‘Far & Wild’ for additional information at: farwild@africasafari.co.za )
We have also organised limited subsidised tickets for matric and tertiary design students for the main program. In addition, on completion of the meeting, a scholarship is being offered to the student who best combines their heritage with deco influences in a written and/or drawn piece of work. In this way the students will know their city better and therefore can design on their door step.
Ken Lipinski from Cape Town and Toronto Art Deco societies is touring Australian, New Zealand and American societies to tell them how interesting a visit to Cape Town, Durban and South Africa can be. He is also pointing out how cost effective it is to exploit the SA Deco Societies programs as an excellent introduction to this country.