Inside 9th Avenue Marina's Luxe Durban Restaurant Interior

“Through here, I starved you of the view, to build it back up,” says Treven Moodley as he walks through the cocoon-like space he’s created at the entrance to 9th Avenue Marina. What follows is, sure enough, a feast for the eyes, from that view across the Marina to a colour palette of greens and blues that echo the cityscape and water beneath it. 

Treven and Lange Mnguni are the partnership that is TMD Studios. “What I dream, Lange makes a reality,” says Treven. The richly textured interior of 9th Avenue Marina doesn’t suggest DIY, but on a tight timeline and with a bold and exacting vision in mind, Treven and Lange got involved in the implementation of their ideas, plaiting and pleating to create some of the most distinctive elements of the space. Consider the bars of light surrounded by folds of heavy, dyed textiles: Treven had a hand in making those happen.

The first impression is glowingly ethereal, but the shapes are in fact intended as a tribute to the headdresses of Durban’s famed rickshaw drivers. Other elements are similarly down to earth: clay vessels made from KZN soil, metal ants and snails added to tables and curtains just as insects adorn every outdoor event in the province, and chandeliers made from braids woven by hand with the help of – you guessed it – Treven and Lange again.

The design of the space is underpinned by the frequency of 9: the concept of 9 as the universal number of completion, and universal connectedness. What better way to begin thinking about a space that’s intended to embrace all who visit, and create a warmly neutral meeting point for personalities and cultures? “We made it our mission to do something that was meaningful,” Treven says. “Meaningful to us – and true to its context.”

Being hands-on has transferred to Treven Moodley other aspects of the business: Lange and Treven’s design direction extends to the composition of the menu. Along with seafood classics and tapas to enjoy with the unique cityside sea view, they’ve helped to create elements such as nine signature cocktails inspired by the country’s nine provinces: another callback to that favourite number, as well as flavourful experiments that resulted in names like Chakalaka, Eet-Sum-Mor, and The Roasted Republic.

Whether motivated by the esoteric or the sweetly simple, you’ve been given any number of reasons to visit.

Credits

Text by Cayleigh Bright

Images: The Belvedere Studios