A look at the ambitious new ‘Plant Dome’ planned for Cape Town

Cape Town’s Luthuli Plaza is set to undergo a significant redesign at the hands of LOLA Architects and Design Indaba.

Originally built as a way of connecting the transport hub where people catch taxis, trains and buses to the Artscape precinct, the plaza now stands grey and mostly unused.

Design Indaba in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Veenstra, and Olav Bruin of Nomadic Resorts, now plans to breathe new life into the square by adding ‘the Dome of Plants’ – an urban public garden that starts at the Cape Town taxi rank and ends at Artscape.

Design Indaba said that the dome will be constructed with natural materials such as bamboo, wood and fynbos plants like Spekboom, which is known for its hardiness and ability to convert carbon dioxide into clean oxygen.

As the area is also facing a severe water shortage, Veenstra added that the dome will be fed by “purified urine from the bureaucrats working in the Cape Town Civic Centre building”, situated right behind the dome’s proposed location.

“The dome will take up 175 square meters of indoor space, complete with amphitheatre-style seating, stage and podium. At night, the site will transform, casting a soft green glow on Luthuli Plaza.”

“Together they offer space for discussions, events, workshops, exhibitions, meetings, lunch and a quick coffee outside the big institutions, accessible for everyone,” Design Indaba said.

Read: Inside Sol Kerzner’s new ultra-luxury estate in Cape Town