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Commercial Union Building - Market House
Central Cape Town, Western Cape
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Click to view map Coordinates: | Cumming-George 1933 THE new building for the Commercial Union Assurance Co., Ltd., is one of the latest of Cape Town's imposing modern buildings. Counting the basement, the building consists of ten storeys having frontages on three streets, a factor which makes it possible to light each floor extremely well. Above the ground floor, a perpendicular treatment has been followed and carried through without a break to the tine decorative modern stonework at the top of the building, this stonework being in precast stone. The main entrance hall is walled with Travertine stone and has a lofty groined dome and the floor is finished in golden tone mosaic. Black marble skirtings and bands, together with the bronze and plate glass screens between this and the banking hall, make this entrance very imposing. The shop fronts on the Greenmarket Square side show the same finish as the entrance hall, with deeply set glazed doors, allowing a wide expanse of window space for display. In the Company's own offices, much use has been made of laminated woods with very beautiful effects, particularly in the Board Room where panelling and furnishings are of a very high standard. ____________________________ The griffin, griffon, or gryphon used to guard the entrances is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. (Wikipedia) (AB&E Sep 1932:3, 4, 6;SAB Feb 1933:21; Pryce-Lewis list 15 612) All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. Books that reference Commercial Union Building - Market House
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