Durban is the busiest port in South Africa and the lifting of sanctions and re-admission to world trade prompted the widening of the harbour mouth and the replacement of the control tower on the Bluff headland. Deriving inspiration from sugar cane shoots and nautical imagery, including sails, masts, cranes and funnels, this design competition winner consists of a 75m high tower of reinforced concrete, three discs of accommodation and a structure that communicates weather data, replete with a cowl that revolves in acknowledgement of the wind’s direction. With the Millennium Tower, Durban received a striking new landmark.
