An editorial on Urban Spaces from the May/June 2012 edition.

1. DECOREX
Urban
spaces
and faces
Interior design company
Urban Spaces, has a passion
for all things Cape Town
‘I
t’s an exciting time to be an interior design company in Cape Town.
For us there can be no better place to put our passion for design into
practice,’ say design duo Stuart Allan and Reinhard Kretzen of Urban
Spaces in reference to Cape Town’s status as World Design Capital
2014. Cape Town may not have New York’s skyscrapers or London’s sense of
history, but it does have an energy created by its diversity of cultures, which
ensures that South African design is constantly evolving, they add.
What started out as Fusion Architecture, opened by Stuart in 2005, morphed
into Urban Spaces when Reinhard joined the firm. Fusion still exists as a sister
company, together with Emul8. These two companies focus on architecture
and technological design. As a one-stop design and architecture firm, Urban
Spaces can offer its clients competitive quotes. Because the three companies all
operate under one roof, their office is a formidable think tank where the team
members inspire one another and draw on one another’s expertise.
Urban Spaces is well known in all the right creative circles. ‘We love being
a small firm. We truly get to deal with people closely and we can see when we
hit the spot with our work. We set out to provide a professional design service
that is accessible to everyone. We know this and our staff know this, and this is
our niche,’ say Stuart and Reinhard.
Urban Spaces focuses predominately on the corporate and retail markets,
national and international, specialising in office refurbs and the branding of
trendy nightclubs and restaurants. They say, ‘We have always found that design
and construction go hand in hand, and our preference has always been to
manage our installations first hand, allowing us to make sure the result is true
to the design vision.’
Their offices are based in the design hub of Observatory, in an old house
that they converted to their urban space of choice. They’re inspired just by
driving through Obs, where ‘Old’ Cape Town meets new design on every
corner. ‘We also love the fact that Observatory is so central, as this allows us to
service clients all over the Western Cape,’ they say.
If you ask them which projects top their list as the most fun to do, they
answer, ‘Wow! Tough question! We have worked for corporate, residential and
retail – they all offer something. Obviously with office design it’s fun to create
Words Catherine Riley Photographs courtesy of Urban Spaces
the perfect ergonomic environment, a place where people love to go each
day.’ (Their offices are no exception.) ‘Whereas with residential, it’s actually an
honour when someone chooses us to beautify their home. Retail has its own
challenges, but we love the concept phase of a retail project.’
Stuart and Reinhard believe in and stick to the principle of taking one
extra step with each job they undertake, always asking themselves, ‘Is there
even more we can do?’ 086 111 2154, urbanspaces.co.za
This page, clockwise from top A vibrant painting on canvas mirrors the
dynamism of the winding staircase in this modern home in Gardens; Urban
Spaces refurbished a concrete wine store to create a contemporary office
space for Donkerhoek Data in Franschhoek; Java Junction’s streetwise look;
the classy and cool ZAR Lounge at the Cape Royale Hotel in Green Point.
138 | May/June 2012

2. DECOREX
All things
bright and
beautiful
Decorex Cape Town 2012 kept things real
D
ecorex Cape Town 2012 at the Cape Town
International Convention Centre was an eclectic
mix of colours, textures and creative concepts as
the ‘Real’ theme encouraged exhibitors to consider
urban design and rustic elements and to either upcycle existing
decor or simply refurbish it. Interior architect Susan Tait of
Urban Spaces, under the guidance of Stuart Allan and Reinhard
Kretzen, was the lead designer of the stand, which resembled
a modern living room combined with hints of a newsroom,
with plenty of white, splashes of grey, and of course, The Property
Magazine’s signature red. Stuart and Reinhard were inspired by
the mag’s contemporary and sleek appearance.
‘It was about designing a unique feature point in the stand,
which explains what the magazine is all about and complements
the brand,’ they explain. ‘The stand was designed to be eye-
catching, clean-cut and sophisticated, modern yet still inviting.’
Interesting features included swivel boxes displaying photographs
taken from the publication and pigeonholes for storing copies
of the mag. Urban Spaces’ sister company, Fusion Architecture,
assisted with the technical specifications and logistical elements
of the project. Quality shopfittings designer and manufacturer,
Smart Space, was involved in assembling the stand and the
signage was courtesy of Design-A-Sign. ‘Smart Space is our first
choice for an inventive project, and Design-A-Sign have a work
Words Catherine Riley Photographs Tim Lake
ethic like no other – always on time and a “can-deliver” attitude,’
say Stuart and Reinhard. For furniture, they sought out Créma
Design for select pieces. The beautiful grey-and-red Malena
armchair begged to be sat upon, while the cream Adelta Parabel
Table and Foscarini Diesel Rock Floor Lamp made a stylish
statement. ‘Créma Design always has very creative and luxurious
pieces that designers and the public love.They are a quality brand
and we enjoy working with them,’ say Stuart and Reinhard. Jack
Black and Jack White stackable lighting fixtures from Tom Dixon
added the final touch to the compelling space.
Créma Design, +27 (0)21 434 0661, cremadesign.co.za
Design-A-Sign, +27 (0)21 595 2259, design-a-sign.co.za
Fusion Architecture, 086 111 2154, pdagroup.co.za
Smart Space, +27 (0)21 704 3089, smart-space.co.za
Urban Spaces, 086 111 2154, urbanspaces.co.za
thepropertymag.co.za | 139