Cape Sands

The Cape Sands, a landmark sea-facing contemporary building in the Strand, was looking good in every respect. However, surface imperfections, which are all the more visible with the glare at the coast, posed a challenge to Pierre Volschenk, who was tasked to improve the finish. Volschenk worked alongside Cyril Bekker and Sean Rack, partners in Midas Earthcote Somerset West and Strand stores, to come up with a cost effective, quality finish.

Historic farmhouse, Domaine Des Anges

Paul Silberman of Midas Earthcote in Franschhoek was asked to come up with a coatings plan to help this 1913 farmhouse step proudly into the 21st Century. His solution was awarded the Midas Award of Excellence, November 2008.

The Green Point Stadium

In getting ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off, Cape Town’s 68 000-seater Green Point Stadium might have had its massive maze of corridors and change rooms finished in tiles. Yet the hi-tech design needed to be executed with cost efficiency in mind, so all possible solutions had to be considered. Midas Earthcote was invited to a three-way tender for coating the state-of-theart stadium. The company’s head office representative, Loraine Todt, collaborated with key members of the company’s knowledgeable, experienced paint team to come up with solutions.

Department of Foreign Affairs

The new Presidential guest accommodation in Tshwane is part of the iconic 80 000m² Department of Foreign Affairs complex, designed by TC Design Architects, incorporating office accommodation for the DFA head office, training and conference facilities, and two guest hotels for visiting international dignitaries. The building has a uniquely African feel, inside and out, achieved by using locally commissioned and custom made finishes and furnishings. An extensive specification demanded coatings to reflect the African context seamlessly within the contemporary design.

Hidden Valley Winery

The celebrated Hidden Valley Winery in Stellenbosch has many under-the-skin secrets. Breakthrough technologies and a scientific approach to the art of wine-making are very much a part of the recipe behind their award-winning wines. So when it came to keeping all the interior surfaces of their cellars in perfect order for wine production, the Hidden Valley Winery project managers called for a best of breed solution.

A building so organised it even cleans itself.

Five years after the Cape Town International Convention Centre opened for business, it still looks remarkably sparkly and white. It promises to remain so for years to come.

Enduring Blues: Colourfast Pigment & Tinting Technology

With taupe, stone, grey and white currently defining the colour palette of the urban landscape, we admired how Allan Gray departed from convention in deciding to use blue. Their Cape Town offices are located at the V&A Waterfront. Next to the sea, blues look fresh and confident but they’re seldom recommended by specifiers since the blue pigments in paint tend to be unstable and can be prone to fading fast.