Werdmuller Centre
| Werdmuller Centre | |
|---|---|
The Werdmuller Centre in March 2026 | |
Interactive map of the Werdmuller Centre area | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Location | 189 Main Road, Claremont, Cape Town |
| Coordinates | 33°58′51″S 18°27′55″E / 33.98083°S 18.46528°E |
| Opening | 1975[1] |
| Closed | 2012[2] |
| Owner | New Property Ventures |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Roelof Uytenbogaardt |
| Developer | South African Life Assurance Society (later Old Mutual) |
| Other information | |
| Number of stores | 49 originally |
| Number of anchors | None |
The Werdmuller Centre was a mixed-use shopping centre located in Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa. Named after former Old Mutual chairman George Werdmuller, the centre was designed by Cape Town-based architect Roelof Uytenbogaardt in 1969. It began construction in 1970 with completion around 1975.
The centre struggled commercially for years and the then-owners of the building, Old Mutual Properties, applied for a demolition permit in 2006, however, the proposed demolition received opposition from the architectural and heritage communities. The centre's final tenant vacated in 2012 and the centre subsequently closed. The building was sold to New Property Ventures by the mid-2010s which has proposed redeveloping it. A redevelopment proposal was approved in 2023.
History
In 1969, Cape Town-based architect Roelof Uytenbogaardt submitted a design proposal to the South African Life Assurance Society, now known as Old Mutual, for a shopping complex next to the Main Road in Claremont, a suburb of Cape Town.[3] The development intended to revitalise the east side of the Main Road, which was at risk of experiencing urban blight.[3] The shopping centre was designed in a modernist style inspired by the work of Swiss architect Le Corbusier.[4] Uytenbogaardt wrote in his proposal that the development would be "a hinterland of a well mixed community ranging from high income through to middle and low."[3] The proposal was reported to have been approved in February 1969[3] with the building being named after the then-chairperson of Old Mutual, George Werdmuller.[5] Construction on the building began in 1970.[3]
The Werdmuller Centre opened in 1975 and was reported on favourably in local media with John Benzon writing in the Cape Times that the building was "best thing that has happened to Claremont both commercially and architecturally."[1][3] The Werdmuller had to compete with Cavendish Square, a conventional shopping mall located across from the building; Cavendish was also developed by Old Mutual. The smaller retail spaces in the Werdmuller, which were designed according to a micro-market retail concept, were then adjusted to resemble conventional, larger shops.[3] Over the years, retail spaces in the centre were continuously altered to attract suitable tenants, however, these attempts were unsuccessful.[3]
The Werdmuller contained 49 shops during its operational years and never had traditional anchor tenants. Furniture chain Beares did have a store in the centre, however, it closed and the retail space it occupied was later rented by a church.[1]
In 2006, the building's owner, Old Mutual Properties, applied for a demolition permit, which was met with opposition from the local architectural community as well as the heritage community.[3] A Heritage Impact Assessment conducted in December 2007 specified that the reason that the owners wanted to demolish it, was because it had become a financial liability.[3] The Werdmuller's final tenant vacated the centre in 2012 and the centre subsequently closed with its entrances boarded up.[2] Old Mutual Properties unsuccessfully sought a demolition permit for a second time in 2012.[6] By January 2014, the Werdmuller had been acquired by New Property Ventures, who sought to demolish the building.[1]
The derelict interior of the shopping centre has been leased as a film set for the The Dark Tower series in 2016 as well as for the Resident Evil series in 2021.[4][7]
In 2023, the part demolition of the building was approved by Heritage Western Cape.[5] The building is to undergo redevelopment to become a mixed-used development named the "The Neo" which will have a gross leasable area of 30,000 square metres. The redeveloped building will also have a height of 64 metres which will make it the tallest building in Claremont. Construction was set to begin in 2024.[5] The Claremont Improvement District Company's "State of Claremont" Report for 2025/2026 lists the development as still "Planned".[8]
References
- ^ a b c d O'Toole, Sean (2014-01-23). "Love, hate and the most eccentric edifice in Cape Town". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b Smith, Bronwen (2023). Unpacking the Puzzle: Investigating adaptive reuse to transform the abandoned Werdmuller Centre in Cape Town (Thesis).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wolff, Ilze (2009). "Werdmuller centre – an artifact of an ephemeral context". South African Journal of Art History. 24 (1): 75–86. ISSN 0258-3542.
- ^ a b "Claremont's ugly duckling flirts once more with the wrecking ball". TimesLIVE. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ a b c "Redevelopment of the Werdmuller Centre finally approved". CIDC. 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "News: Property giant wants to demolish acclaimed Werdmuller Centre". Leads 2 Business. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "Netflix's latest spooky thriller 'Resident Evil' was set in Cape Town – here's where". Cape Town ETC. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "The State of Claremont Report 2025-2026" (PDF). Claremont Improvement District Company. Retrieved 13 March 2026.