TRANSVAAL CHINESE UNITED CLUB MANSIONS Curves, columns and cubes Ð this completely unconventional block of flats was commissioned by the adjoining Club in 1940 and designed by architect Wilhelm Pabst, a recent immigrant from Germany. He wrote, Ò I am of the opinion that where functionalism ends, architecture beginsÓ. The faade projects and recedes, creating and extraordinary dynamic energy. The delicate aquamarine tiles are a symbol of Kuan-Yin, the Chines Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.