Golden Acre entering her next era

There is something fitting about the multilevel shopping centre and office block entering another phase of reinvention

- Ash Müller

Rich history: Golden Acre has always been a place of transition, between train stations and taxis and between work and home. There are plans to redevelop the tower and upgrade the retail component. Photo: Wikipedia

(Wikipedia)

Cape Town has a knack for reinventing familiar buildings. Whether it’s heritage conversions or office-to-residential projects, I am obsessed with how the city transforms the narrative of concrete.

Recently, I tweeted about the sale of the iconic Golden Acre complex, which sparked a flood of memories in the comment section. Some remember buying their first pair of Dr Martens boots here, celebrating their birthday at Mike’s Kitchen, while others watched Karate Kid for the first time at the cinema.

Having walked through the building many times on my way to university and later, as a commercial property broker on the upper floors, trying to lease the large floor plates to call centres, I share the same nostalgic feelings many others have about the building.

Most Capetonians are familiar with the site but not many know the history behind the iconic building.

Long before the soft serves, Mac Munch burgers, bus queues and bargain shopping, the site served a different purpose.

During the initial construction of the Golden Acre, workers made a remarkable discovery. Before pouring concrete and erecting steel frameworks, they uncovered the remains of one of South Africa’s oldest Dutch structures.

The site sits on what was once the original coastline. Back in the day, the Foreshore suburb was completely submerged under the ocean. During excavation, remnants of a storage dam built in 1663 were discovered. The South African Museum stepped in to excavate and preserve the ruins, now known as the Golden Acre Ruins.