Stefan Antoni knows Cape Town. He was born there, he studied there and he now runs world-renowned architecture practice SAOTA Architects there. Antoni designed a house in his hometown which features in Urbis issue 83, so we asked him a few questions about architecture in South Africa and his career to date. 

Urbis: Where do you live and what is your home like?

Stefan Antoni: I live in Higgovale, Cape Town, in a revamped mid-century modernist home designed by well-known Cape Town architect Gilbert Colyn in the 1960s. We are currently building a new home in Nettleton Road (which is famous for its view across the Atlantic ocean) in Clifton, Cape Town.

U: What drew you to architecture?

SA: My interest in architect began when, as a very young boy, I went on a trip to Poland. There, I had a magical encounter in a cathedral under construction. The thrill of design is addictive. Starting with nothing but a blank piece of paper, a site and a brief and creating something tangible and gently life changing – there’s a quality of magic about that.

U: Tell us about your firm, SAOTA.

SA: In 1987 I set up an architectural practice called Stefan Antoni Architects. As the practice grew, and more people became partners, it was only natural to re-brand to what is now SAOTA (Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects). Our projects are very varied. Historically, we focus on residential projects.

U: You worked on a Higgovale, Cape Town house, featured in Urbis issue 83. Tell us about the brief from the client.

SA: The clients, who owned and lived in the existing house, had outgrown the home. The new dwelling needed to respond to the site and garden, to allow enough space for the family’s diverse requirements, to create private spaces within the house, and to respond to the fierce winds which seasonally hurtle down Table Mountain. The house also needed to remain relaxed and homely in character; in the spirit of the suburb of Higgovale.

U: You’ve designed several Cape Town homes throughout your career. How would you describe SAOTA’s approach to designing residential homes in the city?

SA: Our brand is known for creating dynamic and dramatic spaces and memorable experiences as people seek out what has been dubbed ‘the Cape Town look’. This is sophistication with soul, a modern aesthetic playing with light and space, but also with charm and intimacy. 

U: What elements inform your South African designs the most?

SA: Climate heavily informs our work. It is about making the design functional and playing it off the context in which it stands. Technical studies aid our understanding and allow us to make practical design decisions. It also fuels the creative process as each site will present us with a different set of issues, all needing a design-minded response.