Revel Fox
December 15, 2004 Edition 1
Revel Fox, who died on Monday at the age of 80 ,was one of the finest architects of his generation, writes the editor.
His architectural practice, though wide-ranging and successful, was never commercially driven at the expense of standards.
As architect, town planner and socially-concerned citizen, he strove for excellence and earned an enviable reputation for integrity.
In the 1970s Fox was at the centre of a group of architects who became concerned to preserve Cape Town as a humane environment.
Much of the city had fallen prey to short-sighted commercial development which lost sight of the human scale.
It was this movement which led to the establishment by the Institute of Architects and the Cape Times of an annual award for significant achievement in conservation.
Although the houses he designed in Worcester in the 1950s remain as outstanding examples of modernism in domestic architecture, Fox returned to a more traditional style in later years.
Under his leadership, his firm has tackled a wide variety of assignments, ranging from urban planning and housing schemes for lower-income groups, and family homes, office blocks, convention centres and public buildings of all sorts.
The V& A Waterfront marina, now taking shape, is an example of his approach to inner-city residential development. Refurbishing the interior of the city's finest traditional buildings was another of his concerns.
A man of strong convictions, Fox caused a stir among conservative suburbanites in the 1990s when he stood under an ANC banner for the city council.
He had been one of the group of South African academics and business and professional men who met the ANC-in-exile at the historic Dakar meeting.
The demolition of District Six and the destruction of its community stirred him deeply and he played a key role in making sure that the land was not sold to developers who would have scant concern for the rights and interests of the evicted residents.
Revel Fox cared about people and he cared about Cape Town. He has left his mark on the city and his memory will be cherished.
