Café Riche, Pretoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Café Riche is on the corner of Parliament and WF Nkomo (f. Church) Streets, adjoining Church Square, Pretoria, South Africa. The building was designed by the Dutch architect Frans Soff and built in 1905. Soff also designed the National Women's Monument in Bloemfontein with Anton van Wouw.
This article has an unclear citation style. (November 2019) |
The building was originally known as the Rand Investment Building, but due to Café Riche's popularity, the original name was forgotten. Café Riche is one of the oldest restaurants in Pretoria.
The building was designed in the Art Nouveau style popular in Europe from 1894 to 1914. The stone owl on the concrete pedestal was created by Charles Marega as well as a relief artwork of 'Mercurius,' the work of Van Wouw.
The window frames and doors came from the Toringkerk, the second and last church in Church Square with a tower.
Café Riche was declared a Provincial Heritage Site and recognized under Article 34 of the National Heritage Resources Act (Law 25/1999), because it was over 60 years old.[1]