Other than family, Renzo Scribante has three passions – property, hospitality and branding – and has perfected the art of creating memorable spaces that leave a legacy, writes Greg Ardé.
In another life, Renzo Scribante could have been an advertising executive or an architect for the rich and famous. The 41-year-old husband and father of three is suave and debonair. He looks as slick as Don Draper from the Emmy Award-winning television series and speaks about buildings with similar conviction to Danish designer Bjarke Ingels.
Scribante is neither ad-man nor architect. He’s a blend of both: a man with uncanny attention to detail and the keenest interest in how people interact with the spaces they are drawn to.
In South Africa, the name Scribante is synonymous with big mining and construction businesses, but Renzo – the youngest son in the third generation – opted for a career in brand building. Or rather, it found him when he returned to South Africa after a five-year stint in London working in finance.
He was helping his eldest brother Franco sell mining equipment when their father built Flanders Mall in Mount Edgecombe. The family wanted to honour their middle brother Remo who had died in a motorbike accident in 1999 – and so the eponymous restaurant was born. It was a labour of love and Renzo was deeply invested, creating an inviting, hospitable space that honoured his brother and the Scribante legacy.
The walls are adorned with family memorabilia. It is a testament to pukka Italian heritage: Formula One racing cars, proper coffee and delicious food. It seems no expense was spared in sourcing the finest Italian deli equipment and food, creating a thoroughly authentic experience.
A pet project turned into a popular and absorbing business, a 24/7 enterprise that prompted Renzo’s dad to challenge him to learn about artisanal bread. Renzo found one of South Africa’s best bakers and apprenticed to him for six months, which enhanced Remo’s reputation.
It was 2012 and Renzo realised the business had to grow – and it did. In the process, he learnt invaluable lessons about three passions: property, hospitality and branding.
Next an old tea room in uMhlanga Village was completely transformed into the next outlet which considerably upped the popularity of what was once a seaside holiday resort.
The Remos brand was the launchpad for other successes like The Dutch, Saltwater, and notably Old Town Italy, in what is uMhlanga Newtown, but was then a lonely strip of road that was home to motor retailers.
But it was on the way to Reddam College and Renzo rightly anticipated moms would flock there on the way to and from school, drawn to the beautifully curated delicatessen and pavement culture.
“True brands have to have a true story. At Remos and Old Town Italy the black and white photos are of my family. Human beings are inherently nostalgic. We treasure memories. Black and white photos are timeless. They demand enquiry. They could have been taken 100 years ago or yesterday, but you’re still drawn to them.”
Renzo’s flair for harnessing energy is born out of his meticulous focus on brand DNA. Design that creates culture. It is reflected in the choice of materials, the colour, the flow and how people respond to it.
“Brands that deliver well pay attention to every detail. Memorable places do everything right, from the music to the movement of people, they build a connection with their customers.”
Renzo’s successes meant he was a natural fit for the developers of the Arch, uMhlanga’s newest and most iconic development. He is a tenant and his bespoke Bard & Minstrel coffee shop and Assouline book store is a Durban first. He was a consultant in the wider retail and hospitality offering at the Arch with key input on the High Street feel and Legacy restaurant node.
When the Coronavirus lockdown hit, Renzo was on the brink of emigrating to the US where he and a colleague are consulting on a property development in Dallas. Renzo, his wife Emma and their three children, Scarlett, Rocco and Raphaella, decided home was the best place to be in the midst of a global pandemic.
This prompted Renzo’s involvement in his latest project, the incredibly impressive Pencil Club which occupies the top two floors of the Arch and has breathtaking 360-degree floor-to-ceiling views of the sea, city, uMhlanga and inland.
The design and decor is splendid. It elegantly combines establishment, art deco and modern in a symphony of style that is tasteful but not stuffy. Designer buffs will no doubt wax lyrical about it in time to come, but here’s a snapshot. A lobby with slick concierge leads to lounges, restaurant, ballroom, library, boardroom and a half-a-dozen beautifully appointed meeting rooms that can double up as private dining areas.
Every inch of the place from the muted lights in the cigar bar to the emerald tiles in the bathrooms to the starched aprons of the waitrons and the spectacular array of artwork adorning the walls, is meticulously curated.
Wood, modern lines, oval curves, marble and velvet come together in a marvellous ensemble that demands you linger. Oh, and there’s a rooftop pool and former rugby star Keegan Daniel is the general manager.
The club grew out of conversations between Renzo and Marc Rosenberg and his fellow Arch investors. What started out as a plan for a swish cocktail bar turned into the addition of another floor on the top of the building.
Renzo believes the Pencil Club is representative of what Durban can become and is more about aspiration and like-mindedness than exclusivity.
The Pencil Club is modelled on clubs like The Arts Club in London, Soho House Globally, and a collection of member clubs in Europe, the US and India, each different, but not based on wealth or family status. It is aimed at entrepreneurs and diversity.
Renzo’s fascination with the old is his embrace of the future. He believes the world is moving away from big and brash towards intimate, boutique spaces. “We want places we can connect with, spaces filled with people and things we trust. We want community.”
The glut of malls and ego-driven architecture is done. It’s oversaturated. “I’m fascinated by the change, by what spaces work and why. I love unpacking the elements, inspecting the finer details. What makes places memorable? That’s my passion. I don’t know where the journey will take me but I know if I don’t create, I stagnate.”