The American Express Cape Wine Barrel Auction
— Friday March 1st 2019 —
For the fifth year running, The Cape Wine Auction will be hosting The American Express Cape Wine Barrel Auction. Grab a wine glass and be treated to an incredible evening of entertainment. This year, it will be hosted at the Norval Foundation in Constantia. This is a rare opportunity to taste, bid and potentially own exclusive yet-to-be-released vintages of some of South Africa’s top winemakers.
— Important Information —
Time: 18h00 arrival to 22h00.
Barrel Auction: Bidding closes at 21h00
Dress code: Cocktail Dresses & Collared shirts (Ladies please note some on the event is held on grass so wedges are suggested)
Dinner: Harvest table casual dining
— Auction lots available —
The American Express Cape Wine Barrel Auction is your chance to own a truly one-of-a-kind wine. Some of the Cape’s top winemakers have made their most exclusive and vintage wines available in never before offered selections guaranteed to excite the wine aficionado in you. Sign up as a bidder, taste the selection, place your bid and watch the drama and excitement unfold as guests try to outbid each other! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a masterpiece of South African winemaking.
— The venue —
About The Norval Foundation
The Norval Foundation is a centre for art and cultural expression. They are dedicated to the research and exhibition of 20th- and 21st-century visual art from South Africa and beyond.
Located in the Steenberg area of Cape Town, adjacent to Table Mountain National Park, the Norval Foundation combines the experience of art with an appreciation for nature.
Their innovative Sculpture Garden, outdoor amphitheatre, purpose-built exhibition spaces and research library are situated in a unique setting that offers visitors a multisensory experience.
This is complemented by the Skotnes Restaurant and Bar, a bespoke shop and a children’s playground.
They aim to create high-quality exhibitions and public programming to broaden the understanding of the visual arts. The Norval Foundation believes that art has the power to enrich our lives and that artists contribute to our communities in a profound way.
The Norval family are the founders and initial funders of the Norval Foundation. Their aim is to make art widely accessible to local and international visitors by creating a self-sustaining centre for art. The proceeds from capital donations will be used to secure the foundation for future generations.
The Architecture
The Norval Foundation was envisioned by DHK Architects as a modern pavilion for art. Set against a mountain and vineyard landscape, it is a pure expression of form.
The building is constrained by its linear site, between a busy road and an existing wetland. The linear shape of the building is a direct response to this, with the galleries and public spaces facing the natural landscape, capturing framed views of the wetland, vineyards and mountains beyond.
The building therefore shields the wetland, creating a private space for the sculpture park, forming a threshold between public and private zones. A triple-volume atrium establishes a deliberate visual connection between these zones, one urban, the other natural, and provides a physical transition between contrasting environments.
The Norval Foundation is experienced in a linear sequence: visitors are greeted by a triple-volume restaurant with a gift shop beyond, flanked by a generous reception area which calmly directs guests to the central atrium that introduces the main galleries.
The gallery spaces comprise a large exhibition venue and a series of six small galleries, culminating in a dramatic triple-volume sculpture gallery. The upper level accommodates offices, library, bar and artist’s residence. Externally there is a large sculpture garden, with an amphitheatre, picnic area and timber deck serving the restaurant.
The Norval Foundation is a celebration of art, architecture and landscape.