Location: Salt River, Cape Town
Program: Education
Client: Zip Zap Circus School
Team: Y Tsai, Cathy Skillycorn
Contractor: NMC Construction
Engineer: Sutherland Engineers
Status: completed
Area: 2000sqm

Zip Zap Circus School is a social circus that has been offering free training to children and youth since 1992, using circus arts and performance as tools for social transformation and community upliftment.

The design of the new Zip Zap Academy, located in the semi-industrial Salt River, Cape Town, embodies three distinct architectural typologies to meet the spatial requirements: the circus, the theatre and the school.

How do we capture the magic of circus?

Drawing inspiration from the iconic traditional big-top circus tents, the street facade is designed to inspire the kids to explore and discover their love of performance.

How do we bring the drama of a theatre?

The building is arranged like a theatre, with the Trapeze Hall as the center stage, to highlight the drama and excitement of circus training.

How do we create a unique learning experience for the school?

Zip Zap’s goal is to provide an alternative learning opportunity that will empower children through physical activities and self-discovery. The layout of the building included many spatially distinct training spaces and classrooms for this purpose.