Architectural gems: Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town and The Shed in NY

In every edition of ICONIC we go on a quest to find inspiring architecture all over the world. This time we ended up in two virtually opposite corners of our planet. We went to New York and Cape Town for two projects that are innovative, each in their own way. Zeitz MOCAA is a project with an eye for history and a clear vision for the future, while The Shed New York plays with the boundaries between the indoors and the outdoors.  

Innovative arts centre The Shed lifts the most ambitious ideas of artists to a higher level. The project consists of 8 floors of gallery and event spaces, creative rehearsal rooms and versatile theatres. Thanks to a telescopic shell on rails, the centre can double its surface area. Designers Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group drew inspiration from 'The Fun Palace', a groundbreaking experiment from 1970. 

British architect Thomas Heatherwick converted 56 historic grain silos into an architectural masterpiece in just over 4 years. The result is Zeitz MOCAA, the museum of modern African art in Cape Town. Every facet of the museum incorporates its rich history. The exterior, for example, is finished with geometric windows protruding from the concrete frame, a visual interpretation of the pressure on the grain that used to be stored there