Civic Center Murals in Cape Town

An otherwise boring government building turned into a one of the largest monuments to the city’s best-known residents. 

Installed in the 2010s, the translucent portraits depict Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, rendered not as painted murals but as large-scale graphic window treatments integrated directly into the building’s glazing. From the outside, the images appear as bold, high-contrast faces overlooking the city, while from within they filter daylight into the municipal offices behind them making it more bearable to work in this building.

Unlike traditional murals, the works rely on light and transparency, changing character with the time of day and weather. At certain angles, the faces dissolve almost completely, leaving only abstract patterns across the windows, while at others they reassert themselves with striking clarity.

The murals were installed in 2013 for Mandela and 2017 for Tutu, and were completely remade in 2022. The murals are 32 windows high, and 14 windows wide, covering a total of 448 windows each. 

In the new version both men are wearing bright and colorful clothes. For Mandela the patterns represent different aspects of Cape Town, while for Tutu they represent anti-apartheid topics.