There is a new landmark in Cape Town, and the whole world is talking about it. The of Contemporary Art Africa opened in Cape Town in September and has immediately grabbed the attention of the art world. This magnificent structure offers visitors over 100 exhibition galleries spread over 10 000m² and seven storeys, and includes a luxury boutique hotel.

And Amorim Cork played a profound role in the construction of this splendid building with thousands of metres of Amorim Acousticork underlays and under-screeds used for insulation and sound insulation. Amorim’s Acousticork underlays and under-screeds are sustainable, produced 100% from recycled and natural materials such as cork, and the best solution for high impact sound and thermal insulation, long term resilience and durability.

It is ideally suited to the building where the art exhibition is adjacent to a boutique hotel which forms part of this unique structure.

The same material was also the choice for the VIP area of Cape Town Stadium for World Cup 2010.

According to Joaquim Sá, MD of Amorim South Africa, it is a huge honour for Amorim to be associated with the prolific art building on the Waterfront of an iconic city such as Cape Town. “It is just a wonderful piece of architecture, offering thousands of visitors access to Africa’s greatest contemporary art collection,” he says. “Situated on the Waterfront with Table Mountain to the one side and the Atlantic Ocean and Robben Island to the other, the Zeitz Museum itself forms part of a natural art exhibition.”

Attracting at least as much attention as the art it houses is the museum structure itself: a spectacular edifice carved out of former grain silos dating back to 1920 and now housing the Zeitz Museum and a 28-room boutique luxury hotel designed by celebrated UK architect Thomas Heatherwick.

Sá says that cork was becoming the material of choice in world-class projects such as these. “Besides the quality of the material and its ability to offer insulation, buildings such as these have to conform to green construction, sustainable building principles and the efficient use of natural and energy resources,” he says. “Cork ticks all the boxes and is becoming a sought-after partner to the international construction and design community.”