Cape Town’s hottest new hotel elevates industrial-chic to new heights

What is it?Quite simply the “hottest” hotel in Africa right now, The Silo can be found in the heart of Cape Town’s harbour area, atop the Zeitz MOCAA, a world-class museum dedicated to contemporary African art and opened to international acclaim last October. Both the hotel and museum are housed in a grain silo that was the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa when it was built, in 1924. Grain storing operations ceased in 2001, when the long process of transforming the building into a unique museum and hotel began.

This is industrial chic taken to the extreme; the museum’s cutting-edge artwork is showcased in the stark grain halls. Up above, the hotel is an extension of MOCAA in spirit, decor and design, though it maintains an aura of exclusiveness that only has tongues wagging even more vigorously. It soars like a Lego tower in what was the silo’s grain lift shaft. Into the building’s austere skeleton has been inserted a geometric mosaic of pillowed glass panels that bulge as if they have been gently inflated. Set against the waterfront and Table Mountain, The Silo dominates Cape Town’s skyline.

Has any of the art from below seeped into the hotel? Yes; vibrant avant-garde art is everywhere in The Silo, much of it by the same artists exhibited downstairs. Each room comes with a glossy catalogue of the works hanging on the wall, and even the hotel’s basement car park entrance doubles as a gallery, known as The Vault and featuring rising stars of the African art scene.

So what are the rooms like?Even the standard Silo room manages to impress, with the immense bubble-like windows stretching up some five metres from floor to ceiling. The decor is an eclectic mix of African artisan, vintage designer furniture, brightly coloured velvet sofas, twinkling crystal chandeliers and a stand-alone tub in which to soak while gazing out over all of Cape Town. The mere 28 rooms and suites include an extravagant 2,000 sq ft penthouse.