A slice of Miami in South Africa – a look at the iconic new micro-apartment block in Cape Town

A 71-apartment development in Cape Town – The Flamingo – is near completion, bringing an iconic, Miami-inspired facade to the Sea Point skyline.

The project, launched in 2020 by developers Signatura, saw the scaffolding around the completed development come down at the end of September, with the official completion announcement waiting in the wings.

Architect Robert Silke described the nine-story development as “Avante grade”, inspired by the tropical modernism of coastal cities like Miami or Rio.

Celebrating the site’s orientation, 55 out of the 71 apartments are arranged at a 45-degree angle to the grid, providing privacy for each balcony and views of Lion’s Head.

“Many of the one-bed corner units have frontal views towards the Atlantic Ocean, and some feature super-sized porthole windows,” Singatura said.

Apartments at the development have almost completely sold out, with only three R1.75 million studio apartments (26sqm) still listed.

The development has also partnered with luxury furniture group Weylandts to furnish the apartments from a bespoke collection.

The Flamingo is the latest building to be completed in the Mother City following the micro-apartment trend.

Another project launched earlier this year – The Rose – will follow this and also continue the ostentatious design philosophy adopted by many developers and architects in Cape Town.

A housing shortage in Cape Town, where demand exceeds supply, and a general space issue in the CBD means that property prices are generally higher in city than elsewhere in the country.

This was highlighted by the recent sale of a bachelor apartment in Sea Point for R1,450,000.

In the latest edition of the State of Cape Town Central City Report, published by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) – apartment living has been a driving force behind the city’s developments in terms of the property market.

The report found that the largest percentage of residential tenants in apartments were between the ages of 25 and 34 years old – presumably young professionals attracted by the “downtown lifestyle” and flourishing night-time economy offered by the central city.

By the end of 2021, the total number of residential apartments in Cape Town Central City was 5,791, up from 4,954 at the end of 2020, reported the CCID.

According to the report, in the centre of the City, studio apartments on average cost around R9,027 a month, one-bedroom apartments R11,124, two-bedroom apartments R17,768 and three of more for around R40,314 a month.

Read: Cape Town is getting a pink apartment block – with studios starting at R1 million