dhk’s The Madison is the latest tall building in Cape Town’s “coolest street”, designed with the city’s people in mind
As Cape Town's CBD continues to densify, dhk Architects’ design for The Madison at 142 Bree Street establishes a new development model that connects the building directly with the activity at street level in one of the city's most active urban precincts.
The Madison is a 23-storey mixed-use development designed for Tricolt, supporting the developer’s vision for creating denser, more diverse and resilient urban communities. It’s located on a full city block bounded by Bree, Buitengracht, Dorp and Leeuwen Streets on the south-western edge of the Cape Town CBD. Given its location adjacent to the historic Bo-Kaap neighbourhood the design required a sensitive architectural response to balance a prominent contemporary tower with the rich heritage context of its surroundings.
Bree Street is one of Cape Town’s most culturally vibrant and historically significant urban corridors. Ranked 11th on Time Out’s 2024 list of the Coolest Streets in the World, the street is evolving into a luxury lifestyle and hospitality destination characterised by a rich mixture of architectural styles and active street life. The development’s location presented an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this dynamic urban environment and strengthen the social experience of the street.
The project officially launched in July 2026 and comprises 383 apartments, including one- and two-bedroom units, executive suites, simplex units and penthouses, all positioned to maximise views of Table Mountain, Lion's Head, the city centre and the V&A Waterfront.
The Madison is the latest in dhk’s ongoing involvement in the regeneration of this part of the city. The project is one of many in the Cape Town CBD that the studio is currently involved in, alongside The Paradigm and City Park which are both on site, and The Matrix which is under design development, and others which are still in planning phases. Together, these schemes represent the continued evolution of Cape Town's downtown area. The Madison adds to the studio’s three-decade contribution to the city centre, which includes projects such as Portside, 35 Lower Long, The Rubik and Longkloof Precinct, among others.
dhk Senior Associate Daniel Hookins notes that the opportunity to work on two city-block-scale projects within the same neighbourhood is rare.
“When we were appointed to work on City Park | MAMA Shelter Cape Town, I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a large project occupying an entire city block in such an incredible location. Now, just three blocks away, we have another opportunity to shape a significant piece of the city. The difference between the two projects is that City Park is an adaptive reuse project with its own challenges while The Madison is a new-build development with its own character and complexities. Both projects, however, are about contributing meaningfully to the future of Cape Town's urban environment.”
City Park is due to be completed by year end.
The Madison site was originally earmarked for a different development before being acquired by Tricolt, whose philosophy centres on endurance, experience and style in relation to the architecture, street edges and amenities. For the developer, the goal was to create a more cohesive precinct for its residentially-led mixed-use scheme, rather than simply a stand-alone residential building. To deliver this vision, and to create a building that belongs deeply to its place while setting a standard for future development in the city, the design needed to offer a response with grace through materials, proportion and texture.
Hookins explains: “Knowing that we were designing a tower above Strand Street, which sits within Heritage Protection Overlay Zone, we had to ask how we respond to the buildings around it. The building’s massing features a sculpturally articulated podium base that enables the building to interact with the surrounding streetscape.
“We saw the podium as a perfect opportunity to craft a civic gesture, to ensure the building related more directly to its surrounds. It is designed to share similar heights with the buildings around it. Above it, the tower is expressed as a simplified organic form, terminating in a striking crown element.”
The development is designed to encourage a connected way of living, both within the building and in the public realm around it. To activate the street edge, the ground floor has been opened wherever possible to create more active engagement along Bree, Dorp, Buitengracht and Leeuwen Streets. Restaurants are concentrated along Bree Street. The primary pedestrian entrance is accessed from the quieter Dorp Street, strengthening connections between the building and the surrounding city fabric. The tower steps back from the podium to create a greater sense of openness for residents while the podium’s full-block footprint helps preserve access to light, space and views as surrounding sites are developed in future.
The project has already demonstrated strong market confidence. According to Launchbase, the development secured more than R1.255 billion in off-plan sales during its launch. Within the first hour, 176 apartments were reserved and by midnight 272 units were sold. With 72% of units sold, surpassing the threshold required to break ground, construction is scheduled to commence in early 2027 and completion anticipated in mid-2029. The Madison is one of several buildings dhk has designed for Tricolt, but is the first dhk-Tricolt project in Cape Town. Other projects include Olympus Sandton, One Rosebank, Tree Tops Houghton and Ellipse Waterfall, all in Johannesburg.
