Mobil Oil Refinery Staff Facilities

1981
Durban, KwaZulu Natal

Team: Ivor Daniel, Lone Poulson

Mobil Oil required a dedicated staff amenities facility within its Durban refinery to provide dining, kitchen, change, and ablution facilities for workers in a heavy industrial environment. The brief called for a building that clearly separated staff welfare functions from refinery operations while reinforcing the importance of employee wellbeing.

The site was located within a dense network of pipework, flues, and industrial infrastructure. The challenge was to create a building that responded to these demanding conditions while introducing a more humane, relaxed atmosphere for rest, social interaction, and daily use.

The design separates functions vertically, with change and ablution facilities at ground level in direct relation to the refinery floor, and a dining hall and kitchen for 300 staff above. A concrete base supports a lighter steel-framed upper level beneath a curved roof with wide shading eaves and continuous ridge ventilation. Primary colours soften the industrial context and reinforce the building’s civic presence.

The completed facility provides staff with a calm, dignified environment removed from the intensity of the refinery, supporting comfort, interaction, and wellbeing through clear planning and environmental responsiveness.