Abstract:
Multi-brew is a beer brewing facility consisting of multiple parts. The major focus will be a micro brewery, alternatively defined as a small craft brewery that seeks unique quality in beer. The brewery will be such that several brewers will be able to use the facilities with multiple production lines. The beer produced at the brewery will not be of any one or pre-decided type and will encourage the freedom of creativity of all the brewers. They will be able to hire one of several production lines and be supplied with the communal facilities to brew their beer. The brewery will further include research and marketing facilities for the users. In addition, in an attempt to expand the facilities nationally, there will be a brewing school at which students can learn the art and science of brewing beer. The school will consist of classrooms and research facilities similar to those of the actual brewery. It will also have facilities to educate the public in a diverse spectrum of beer and beer brewing. A restaurant and brew pub will be included. These will sell the beer produced in the brewery and also in the school. A large variety of beers will be sold. The types will differ depending on the specific times of unique production. The restaurant will open towards a shared public space with a covered activity platform used predominantly as a market. The brewery will form part of a public green strip that runs around the edge of the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD). The brewery investigates the possibility of a light industry in an urban context. It is aimed at informing the public about how it functions and its operational processes through its architecture. Problems such as visual comfort and public acceptance arising from this type of controversial integration must be addressed. The architecture applied to this new industry should be in character with its surrounding urban fabric. This integration also offers the opportunity for public education through architectural language. The operations of an industry can be demonstrated to the public by architecture that physically separates functions while retaining visual connections. The task of integrating the visual connections with those functions required in an urban environment will be explored and appropriately applied.
