Shaped by Place Cape Town Exhibition

Over four decades, SAOTA’s work has been shaped by an ongoing engagement with place; its geography, climate, culture and opportunities. Opening at Brundyn Arts & Culture on 1 October 2026, Shaped by Place: 40 Years of Architectural Practice explores the thinking, collaborations and design processes that have informed the practice since its founding in 1986. 

In Partnership with Poliform, the exhibition brings together architectural models, large-scale imagery and curated narratives drawn from forty years of work across six continents and more than ninety countries. Rather than a retrospective, Shaped by Place examines how architecture emerges through research, dialogue, context and continual learning. 

The Cape Town exhibition follows SAOTA40 presentations in Shenzhen and Chengdu earlier this year, and comes in a year of significant milestones for the practice. In 2026, SAOTA became the first architectural practice to receive the SAIA Gold Medal for Architecture, while also becoming the first South African practice to design a stand at Salone del Mobile in Milan. 

Coinciding with the exhibition is the pre-sale launch of Shaped by Place, SAOTA’s new monograph, from which the exhibition takes its name. Through a selection of projects, essays by leading industry voices and personal reflections from contributors to the practice’s evolution, the publication documents the ideas and philosophies that have shaped SAOTA over four decades and extends the exhibition’s themes beyond the gallery space. 

Throughout October, the exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of talks featuring SAOTA principals and invited guests. Conversations will explore the making of the monograph, architecture’s social impact, and the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary design practice. Details of speakers and dates will be announced through SAOTA’s social media channels in the coming weeks. 

The Cape Town presentation builds on an established relationship between SAOTA and Poliform, bringing together two design-led organisations united by a commitment to quality, craftsmanship and innovation. 

Exhibition Information 

Shaped by Place: 40 Years of Architectural Practice
In Partnership with Poliform 

Venue
Brundyn Arts & Culture
Mandela Rhodes Place
21 Church Street, Cape Town 

Public Opening
Thursday, 1 October 2026
18:30, coinciding with First Thursdays 

Exhibition Dates
1–31 October 2026 

Admission
Free entry