Silo District buildings competing for Gypsum Trophy

The South African Gyproc team is set to compete in plasterboard and non-residential categories in this year’s awards ceremony for the Saint-Gobain Gypsum International Trophy, which takes place in Lisbon later this month.

The global event, now in its 11^th year, takes place annually for industry specialists to exhibit their craftsmanship and skills in drywall construction across six different categories. Two Cape Town buildings that incorporate drywall systems and raise interior construction standards will be showcased by the South African representatives.The first is Zeitz MOCAA, Africa’s first contemporary art museum which spans 9,500m² over nine floors. Constructed by roofing, ceilings and partitioning specialists Scheltema, the museum was completed in September 2017 and incorporates 12 different wall systems designed for bespoke and complex project needs

Gyproc’s regional technical and specifications manager, Janet Thompson, said: “We wanted to convert the interior of the old Grain Silo building into a space that encompasses the comfort and sustainability of a world class museum, while taking key factors such as managing weight, sound, safety and comfort into consideration through stringent and intentional product specification.”

The second building being showcased by Gyproc South Africa is the Silo Hotel, located in the grain elevator portion of the building from where grain was once lifted.Also constructed by Scheltema, the hotel is a 5500m² structure which required careful building renovations to retain its cultural significance and original features. The elevator tower along with its six floors and 28 individually decorated rooms, was magically transformed into a luxury space.

The construction firm used 15 different types of plasterboard, and Gyproc lightweight solutions were selected for their sustainability, acoustic, fire resistance and thermal properties, all of which contributed towards an interior space which is sustainable as well as safe and comfortable.The outcome now lies with the International Jury Committee to judge the categories, assess the technical skills of drywall contractors and the overall performance of the systems and solutions implemented during each of the projects submitted.