The Union-Castle Shipping line offices were located inside this recently renovated blue building, and a special art mosaic was commissioned from Mosaic Arts to showcase the shipping routes.
Above you can see the original building from the early 1900s and heritage preservation required that the Waterfront management maintained the exterior of the building.
The Union-Castle shipping line was the result of a merger between two companies, the Union Line and the Castle Packet Company. Prime Minister Molteno created a competition between these two companies, offering duplicate contracts resulting in fast, luxurious journeys for their passengers. Plus the contract for bringing the mail. Eventually they were permitted to merge and brought many British visitors until their demise in 1977, mainly due to the emergence of air travel.
This beautiful mosaic by Mosaic Arts shows the shipping routes and destinations spanning a century of overseas travel between the UK and South Africa.
Today the Union-Castle building offers luxury retail outlets and the top floor, Marble restaurant with renowned chef David Higgs.