Set on a seaside waterway and part of a three building complex, the Quays is a mixed use development comprising restaurants and 120 apartments. Hugging a canal system and set on Durban’s Timeball Square, the building’s curved plan form promotes panoramic views over the Indian Ocean and city harbor. Double volume restaurant spaces spill out onto the pavements along the canal edge creating a lively public environment, while apartments have large covered terraces screened with louvred shutters, providing protection from ocean breezes. A patchwork effect on the elevations is created with a constantly changing façade generated by weather conditions. Contrasting red facebrick, steel and glass were the materials selected to cope with the highly corrosive environment. The Quays is the anchor to a complex of buildings that have become icons of Durban’s Point precinct.