V&A's Watershed creates opportunities for new traders

A dramatic internal and external renovation was undertaken in January 2014, and fit out has now started.

The new open-ended building includes a transformation of the double volume height, with a 100m long skylight ensuring an abundance of natural light and the southern façade sheeting replaced by glass overlooking the Robinson Dry Dock and Table Mountain.

The R50m Watershed development will house some 150 traders, commercial offices, 1,000m² of dedicated exhibition and eventing space, and Workshop 17, the innovation collaboration with the UCT's Graduate School of Business.

Catalyst for transformation

The catalyst for this dramatic transformation was in fact Workshop 17. It was this proposed innovation hub which led to the unlocking of the bigger space and the opportunity to broaden the project beyond the innovation hub to reimagine the existing craft space within the Blue Shed.

The amalgamation of the existing Blue Shed and the original Workshop 17 warehouse translates into a space that is 50% larger and able to accommodate a far wider product offering from small business owners. The innovative architectural design capitalised on the opportunity for connections and interactivity by creating a street through the physical building, turning it into a truly multi-functional space.

Speaking on the dramatic transformation and the design thinking, architect Heinrich Wolff said the diversity and intensity of human interaction had to be improved. "To achieve this goal a strategy of collective interest was developed. The proposal was to take over the whole shed, remove the two short end façades and make a street right through the middle of the building."

Wolff goes on to explain that design is required to make cities that work better for its citizens. In the case of this project, the urban corollary of a market economy, as opposed to a mall economy needed to be considered and would require not only a conglomeration of urban actors, but also a spatial structure that could grow and allow others to participate in it. The result is a space that substantially increases the diversity and intensity of human interaction in the street.

Small businesses

The two existing markets, the Craft Market and Wellness Centre and the Red Shed, at the V&A Waterfront have long been a springboard for small businesses. The new Watershed will present additional opportunities for new traders in the expanded space.

"We have the opportunity to build on our established small business platform for further economic growth. This is very much in line with the Western Cape government's focus on opening opportunities for citizens and creating conditions for economic growth. Additionally, we have creative talent in this country that is well worth showcasing, and we aim to provide a platform for these entrepreneurs of the future," says David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront.

The Watershed is positioned on Dock Road in the Waterfront, and is nestled between the Two Oceans Aquarium and Jou Ma Se Comedy Club. It will officially open for trade in October 2014.