Upload
diego-trejo-espana
View
14
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
NO.17
There’s a new place for creative minds.
With our database of thousands of professionals and positions from architecture to web design, you’ll discover just the job to inspire you or the ideal bright spark for your company. Upload your CV or search today and find all your creative resources in one place. How’s that for an idea? Visit pnet.co.za
EURO
RSC
G 48
47/E
CONTENTS
THOUGHTLEADERS
16 > HarryPearce’sschizophrenicroad
26 > Design,aviabletoolforsocialinnovation?AninterviewwithWilliamDrenttel
34 > SumienBrink:Alifetimeofcreativemultitaskingbyamasterofhercraft
42 > Juxtaposingculturalidentitywithprogress:MokenaMakekashareshisideason‘humilitydesign’
54 > Entropy:Mirrorsofthehumancondition
COMMUNICATIONDESIGN
62 > AntonSassenberg:Theoriginaldesignguerrilla
70 > Thinkingthroughdesign:MichaelBierut’scautionarytaleonlessonslearned
5 >
84 > Designcurrency:IcogradaDesignWeek2010,Vancouver
94 > WhoisSeanMetelerkamp?AGuywithtwosmoothballas
BUILTENVIRONMENT
104 > DecorexJoburg2010:Afive-dayextravaganza
112 > Conversationsonarchitecture
119 > GlasswondersfromPreciosa
124 > TalesfromtheAfricanDiasporafeaturingNinaBriggs
130 > ElphickProomeArchitects:21yearsinthemaking
140 > DHKArchitects:Onearchitecturalfirm,threearchitecturaldesigns
156 > MosesMabhidaStadium:Iconographythrougharchitecturaldesign
6 >
172 > CapeTownStadium:TheprideoftheCape
185 > MbombelaStadium:Fortheloveofthe‘Game’
200 > EllisPark:Asliceofhistorygetsafacelift
208 > LoftusspectatorswitnessedanotherBafanaBafanagame
212 > GreenPark:Work,live&play
219 > ThefirststepintheSouthAfricangreenbuildingevolution
241 > LegacyCorner:JoiningthestylehubofJohannesburg
248 > ThejuxtapositionofoldandnewatMontecasino
7 >
255 > CoralInternationalCapeTownHotel:CapeTown,beachesandsandaperfectcombination
DESIGNPROMOTION
262 > Socialconsciousdesignforasustainablefuture
266 > Makingsenseofstrategyandpolicy
INTELLECTUALPROPERTY
270 > Rebranding:Afewlegalconsiderations
ART&CRAFT
274 > Transformingruralvillagesintowealthytownsthroughtheindustrialisationofcraftenterprises
280 > Fashionart:What’sMoreAliveThanYou?
286 > PACE:ThePanAfricanCraftexhibition
290> KudzanaiChuirai:Apictureisworthathousandwords
296 > BOOKREVIEWS
8 >
PASSIONATE & ROMANTIC
MODERN, COOL & PRACTICAL
IN LOVE WITH SPRING
DELICATE & GENTLE
WARM & INVITING
REFLECT YOUR STYLEREFLECT YOUR STYLE
Blind Designs are exclusive distributors to the blind & décor tradeBlind Designs & Interiors
18 Ivanseth Rd Reuven | t: 011 683 0080 | f: 011 683 0085e: [email protected] | w: www.blinddesigns.co.za
Appointed Distributors:Durban | Lendrum Agencies | t: 031 303 2364 | f: 031 303 2496 | e: [email protected]
Cape Town | Total Blind Designs | t: 021 447 9062 | f: 021 447 9067 | e: [email protected] | Total Blind Designs | t: 044 382 5029 | f: 044 382 5039 | e: [email protected]
Providing Premium Quality Blind Solutionswith Premium Quality Service
HIPPY, HAPPY & LOVING
IN TOUCH WITH NATURE
ENDORSERS> MEDIAPARTNERSHIPS>
10 >
PUBLISHER>
CameronBramley
GROUPEDITOR>
JacquesLange
CONTRIBUTORS>
NinaBriggs,EbendeWaal,ReggieDlamini,
JennieFourie,ZeldaHarrison,BevHermanson,
StaceyRowan,LeonardShapiro,SunéStassen,
SashaStrauss,AnriTheron,GeoffVreeken
SALESTEAM>
GeriAdolphe,JasonBramley,FrançoisFassler,
RachelHarper,ChenesaiMadzvamuse,Jeff
Malan
PRODUCTION>
CharlLamprechtandStaceyRowan
ADMINISTRATION&ACCOUNTS>
ClaudiaMadurai&MichelleSwart
CREATIVEDIRECTOR>
JacquesLange
DESIGN&LAYOUT>
BluprintDesign
COVERILLUSTRATION>
SeanMetelerkamp
PUBLISHEDBY>
DESIGN>MAGAZINE
T:+27(0)828828124
F:+27(0)866788448
W:www.designmagazine.co.za
Blog:www.designmagazine.co.za/wordpress/
Twitter:http://twitter.com/DESIGNarrow
©2010DESIGN>MAGAZINE
ISSN1814-7240
Number17,August2010
DISCLAIMER:Nomaterialmaybereproducedinpartorwholewithouttheexpresspermissionofthe
publisher.Noresponsibilitywillbeacceptedforunsolicitedmaterial.Thepublisheracceptsnoliability
ofwhatsoevernaturearisingoutoforinconnectionwiththecontentsofthispublication.Thepub-
lisherdoesnotgiveanywarrantyastothecompletenessoraccuracyofitscontents.Theviewsand
opinionsexpressedinDESIGN>MAGAZINEarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisher,itsendorsers,
sponsorsorcontributors.
CREDITS
11 >
Tel: 011 787 7301 Fax: 011 787 2575
www.rabanaarchitects.co.za
BANA r c h i t e c t s A
ARCHITECTS & PROJECT MANAGERS
q u e s t f o r s o l u t i o n sc r e a t i v eq u e s t f o r s o l u t i o n sc r e a t i v e
a c o m p l e t e r a n g e o f a r c h i t e c t u r a l c o n s u l t a n c y
w o r k f o c u s i n g o n h i g h e s t s t a n d a r d s o f d e s i g n
a n d s o l u t i o n s t h a t s e e k t o a d d r e s s a l l c l i e n t s
n e e d s i n a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s e n s i t i v e a n d
c o s t e f f e c t i v e a p p r o a c h . . . .
a r c h i t e c t u r e
u r b a n d e s i g n
p r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t
d e v e l o p m e n t p l a n n i n g
c o m p u t e r a i d e d d e s i g n
PREFACE
WhenIthinkoftheword‘current’,Ialsothinkof
wordslike‘flow’,‘motion’,‘lines’and‘between’.Iam
overwhelmedwithpridethatDESIGN>MAGAZINE
encapsulatestheverymovementwithwhichlife
grows.HereatDESIGN>it’saboutpioneering,be-
inginnovative,flexible,everlastingandsomuchmore.
‘Current’isthesumofourhistory,ahistorywhich
needsnolibraryandnoinstitution.Itexistsinour
everydaylivesandminds,continuingtopushand
growourperceptionsofabetterlife,abetterdesign.
Ourhistoricalandcurrentdesigninputsdetermine
thefuturecurrenciesandtrends.Asourcurrent–cy[sic]growsintothefuture,ourcarefortheplanet
andourchildren’sliveshavebecomeanemergent–cy[sic].Asmuchaswegrowinourcreativities,we
depleteourownexistence;paradoxicallyweare
forcingourselvestobebetterwithless.
Nowit’saboutgoingbacktozero,goingbackto
thebasicsofpioneering,innovation,flexibility,
ever-not-lastingandsomuchless.Ourfightforef-
ficiencyhasmadeusdeficient,whichwillleadto
newefficiency.
SomeofyoumayremembertheDecencyedition
ofDESIGN>MAGAZINE.Thateditionisascurrent
thenasitisnow.Ilookforwardtothenewchallenge
ofDESIGN>presentinganewcurrency.Ilookforward
todrivingthoughtleadershipwitharticlesthatnever
dieanddesignthatbringsmotiontoourfutures.
Thisprefaceisascurrentasyourattempttoread
it.Yourdesiretobecurrentreliesonwhetheryou
arefascinatedwithchangeornot.Yourcurrent–cy[sic]is,simplyput,drivenbydesignandyourevery
dayinfluencesandchoicesaremanagedbyyour
consumerism.Asconsumers,weneedtomakethe
rightchoicesonwhattoaccept.Ifourfutureisnot
consideredinourconsumption,whetheritbebeau-
tifulaward-winningdesignornot,wearecutting
offourownhandsandthoseofourchildren’s.Iam
certainthatourneedtopreserveourplanetand
futuresbyconsumingless,hasnowsparkedanew
futurecurrency.It’sexcitingstuff.
Enjoyour17thedition.<
CameronBramley,Publisher
PREFACE
13 >
w w w . b o w m a n . c o . z a
15 >
ThiseditionofDESIGN>MAGAZINEfocusesonthe
theme:Current.Thetermobviouslyhasmultiple
meaningsandourcontributorsexploreadiversity
ofitsinterpretations.
‘Current’canmean:belongingtothepresenttime;
beinginprogress;circulating;prevalent;flowing,
steady,smoothonwardmovement;ebbandflow;
ageneraltendency,movement,orcourse;aflow
ofelectriccharge,amongstothers.
Webelievethatourcoverdesignillustratesthese
diverseissuesmosteloquently.Thedesignisbased
onastickmandrawingbySeanMetelerkamp,one
ofthemostinnovativecreativesofthecurrentgen-
erationwhoquestions,pokesandprovokeswhilst
alsobeingamasterstorytellerandprovocateur.
InmostofthearticlesfeaturedinDESIGN>17,con-
tributorsfocusontheinterpretationof‘ebband
flow’ratherthanwhatiscurrently‘stylishandhip’.
Theyaddresstopicsrelatedtoprofessionaldevelop-
mentandthebroadscopeofsocial,environmental
andeconomicsustainability.Keyconceptsinclude
designandhumanism,designcitizenship,designers
ascreatorsofbeauty,humilitydesignandthinking
throughdesign.
HarryPearceremindsusoftheimportanceofcon-
nectingminds,enablingustoshareadifferent,
clearervisionandfacilitatingsocialchange.William
Drettelexpandsonthisanddirectsthefocusto
theimportanceofdevelopingthedesigndiscourse
throughjournalism.MichaelBierutsharesinsights
intovaluablelessonslearntwhileworkingonTheL!braryInitiativewhileSashaStraussexaminesour
relationshipswithbrandsandhowtheydetermine
ourcommercialchoices.SumienBrinktalksabout
herlifeasoneofAfrica’sleadingmagazineeditors
andwealsolookatAntonSassenberg’scolourful
careerasaseminalpublicationsdesigner.Archi-
tectMokenaMakekashareshisideasonhumility
design,whileStrijdomvanderMerweexplores
mirrorsofthehumanconditionanddelvesintothe
complexworldofentropyandlandscapeart.
Wealsofeatureprojectreviewsonthreeofthesports
stadiumsthatwerecustombuiltforthe2010FIFA
WorldCupaswellasreviewsontworefurbished
stadia.OurBuiltEnvironmentsectionalsoinvesti-
gatesSouthAfrica’sfirstbuildingtoreceiveGreen
Staraccreditation–NedbankPhase2.
Thesearejustafewhighlightsfromthe35articles
featuredinDESIGN>MAGAZINE17.
Wewishyouagreatread!<
JacquesLange,Editor
EDITOR’SFOREWORD
HA
RR
Y P
EAR
CE’
S
SC
HIZ
OP
HR
ENIC
RO
AD By Zelda Harrison. Harry Pearce is a
man that prompts, pokes and pro-
vokes. His work touches many disci-
plines, from spatial design and identity
to print and packaging. In 1990 he co-
founded Lippa Pearce Design and in
2006 he joined Pentagram London as
a partner. He has designed for a broad
range of clients including Phaidon
Publishing, Williams F1, Kangol, Shake-
speare’s Globe, Saks Fifth Avenue, the
Science Museum and Boots, to name
just a few. To each he brought his own
brand of intelligence, elegance and
wit.
Throughout his career Pearce has
been concerned with using design to
connect minds, enabling them to share
a different, clearer vision. Most nota-
bly is his work for Witness, the human
rights charity founded by musician
Peter Gabriel for which Pearce has
been the lead designer for many years
and also serves as a member of its
advisory board.
CONUNDRUMS
As diverse as his client base, so too are
his interests and passions. Since his
early childhood, Pearce has been in-
trigued by the play between type and
words. In December 2009, this pas-
sion culminated with the publication
of his first book titled Conundrums.
Pearce explains: “I grew up loving the
crazy world of Spike Milligan and Peter
Cook. I remember wonderful lines
Conu
ndru
ms.
RIG
HT:
Typ
ogra
phic
Xm
as c
ards
. FA
R R
IGH
T: D
ecip
her X
mas
car
d.
16 >
17 >
such as: ‘In less enlightened times,
suicide was punishable by hanging’
– Peter Cook.”
“I always loved playing games with
type, language and image. These be-
gan with doodles years ago – I made
them into a poster on delicate tissue.
They thread the thinnest line between
stupidity and grace.” In 2009, Saks
Fifth Avenue ran Pearce’s conundrums
through their Christmas catalogue
and this led to Harper Collins pub-
lishing the book.
The interaction between words and
type has been a common thread in
much, if not all, of his work. He shares
some of his most successful instances
of resolving the conundrum: “When
my partners at Pentagram gave me
the job of designing their holiday card
I gave the whole thing a twist and
expanded them into typographic
codes to be solved. The booklet itself
has hidden codes. These games have
drifted onto many other items.”
“I took a pack of playing cards and
decided that it was long overdue for
establishing a new attitude. I swapped
the suits for type – four faces for the
four suits. On the back, after contact-
ing a leading card shark, I placed 52
different cheats that your opponent
could read and either use or watch
out for and therefore neutralising
each other.”
Pearce continues: “In a more straight-
forward manner, I use type to capture
18 >
morethanonethoughtatatime.”
Hethenreferstohisposterdesigns
forMacbeth,Doll’sHouse,Eastof
thesunasexamplesthatillustrate
hispoint.
TYPEANDARCHITECTURE
Amongsthismanypassions,Pearce
alsohasaninterestinthewaythat
typographyandarchitectureinteract.
Hesays:“Thequestionofhowgraphic
communicationrelatestoarchitecture
isimportantbecausetheresultofa
seamlessintegrationcanbeawe-
inspiring.Anexampleofwhereitgoes
wrong,takealookattheaveragehigh
street.They’reavisualaffront.And
thisisadirectresultofaclashbe-
tweenthetwodisciplines.Graphic
designcanactuallybecomepartof
thestructureofthebuilding–itsvery
surface.Whenthis isachieved, it
canhavewonderfulimplicationsfor
thespaceinwhichpeoplelive,not
justsomeoftheobjectswithinit.”
Hehighlightstheworkthathehad
donefortheDanaCentreatLondon’s
ScienceMuseumasanexampleof
theeffectiveintegrationoftypeand
architecture:“TheDanaCentrewas
builtasaheadquartersfortheDana
Foundation,whichresearchesthe
humanbrain.Itisalsoabar,restau-
rantanddebatingcentre”heexplains
thathistaskontheprojectwasto
makesciencefunandengaging,whilst
makingitacoolfunkychallenging
arenawhere largelycontroversial
scientificsubjectsaredebated,and
inthisinstanceperformed.
“I’vealwaysbelievedthattypography
andbuildingshaveaverysimilar
nature.Anarchitectrecentlysaidto
me,thatwhatmattersmostandisof-
tenoverlooked,isthespacebetween
buildings…the space where most
peopleinhabit…Youcouldsaythe
samefortype;oftenit’sthespace
betweenformsthatholdthekeytoits
beauty.Sohereisaloveaffairbe-
tweenabuildingandsometypogra-
phy,theyfeedoffeachother.”
“Theactualdebatingcentreisencap-
sulatedwithintheframeofabigger
building,andIbasedthelogotype
onthisrelationship.Asthelogocame
fromthebuilding,Ifeltdutybound
togivesomethingback,soIcutup
thelogoandfeditintotheconcrete
ofthemainsectionsrunningright
throughthebuilding.Andsothemark
becameanactualpartofthestructure.
Thisthenleadtotheidea,thatthe
markcouldactuallybecomearchi-
tectural,soIpushedandpulleditin
differentdirections,itthenbecame
awallwhichyoucanseethroughand
walkaround.Andfinallyinit’scom-
pletedestruction.Imadeapatternby
cuttingthelogotypeintoamyriadof
slicesandthesebecamealiningfor
theinteriorwalls.”
“Sowhatgoesoninthisspaceiscon-
versation,debate.Andinthespiritof
thatImadethewayfindingacon-
versationtoo.Insteadoftheusual
Post
erfo
rMac
beth
,Milt
onT
heat
re.
Post
erfo
rDol
l’sH
ouse
,Milt
onT
heat
re.
Post
erfo
rRoy
Har
perE
asto
fthe
sun
.
19 >
The
Dan
aCe
ntre
.
20 >
AB
OV
E:M
nika
gPf
cere
tSne
sep
oste
r.R
IGH
T:W
indo
wd
ispl
ayfo
rAud
ley
Shoe
s.
21 >
listofplaceswithinthebuilding–
it’sawritteninstructiononhowto
findwhereyouwanttogo.”
“Thisisaplaceofscience.Thereisa
receptionareawhereifyou’vecome
forameetingyoucanwait.Iwanted
thistobefullofquestions,questions
youcouldneveranswer.Inacomplete-
lyirreverentgestureIfilledtheseat-
ingareawithrhetoricalquestions,
hundredsofthem.Yet,thisisaplace
whereyouaresupposedtogetthe
answers.Sonomatterhowanytimes
youvisitthisplaceyouwillneverbe
abletofindtheanswer.”
“Onthetablesintherestaurant/café
areaIplayedanothergame–thistime
slightlymoresurreal.Coveringthe
tablesurfaceswithinventedscientific
thoughtsandphilosophiesofthe
future.Andfinallythegreatglass
wall.”
“Youknowwhenaconversationtakes
place,whenit’sdoneitsdone–you
havethememoriesandyouhavethe
effectofpeople’swordsonyou.”
“Iimaginethattheplace/spacewhere
thistakesplacehasamemoryofit
too.Ifthesewallscouldtalk…”
“AndinthespiritofthatideaImade
thisgreatwalloutofconversations
–thistime,realconversations.These
arehundredsofsnippetsofconver-
sationfromwebchatrooms,running
insideandoutoftheglass.Tobe
abletodecipherthemyouhaveto
moveinsideandout.”
“Againyoucanvisitthisplaceand
neverseeorhearitall.It’sjustaghost
of conversations gone before…if
thesewallscouldtalkandIhope
theydo!”
SYNCHRONICITY
Synchronicity is another golden
threadthatrunsthroughPierce’swork.
SimilartotheprocessesthattheSur-
realistsandDadaistsfollowed,one
oftenfindsthatinPierce’swork,seem-
inglyunrelatedexperiencescasually
coexistandcreateaconversationthat
leadstonewmeaning.Heexplains:
“Onecanturnintuitionintoknowl-
edge,butonecannotproduceintui-
tionoutofknowledge.Oftengreat
designisbornfrompureintuitionand
regardlessofhowmanyfactsyouare
givenandhowdeepyoudelveittakes
thatintuitivesparktomakeithappen.”
“Formethebestexampleofsynchro-
nicityoccurredwhenIhadadream
whichleftmewithabeautifullineof
poetry:‘untilthelastbutterfly’This
happenedatthesametimeasmy
friendSteveHackettwascomposing
apieceofclassicalmusicforguitar,
tryingtoemulatetherhythmofbutter-
fliesflight.Mydreamgavehimthe
titleforthepiece.”
D&
AD
pos
ter.
22 >
DESIGNINSERVICETOHUMANITY
Whenaskediftechnologicalevolu-
tionismakingpeoplescepticalabout
humanityandhumanism,Piercere-
sponds:“Italldependsonhowtech-
nologyisused.Itcanhelptoreveal
humanityaswellasexposingthemore
inhumanelementsofoursociety.
Technologicaladvanceshaveallowed
Witnesstohighlighthumanrights
atrocities–nowthatmobilephone
camerasareeasilyavailableevery-
onecanbecomeachange-maker
givingthesilentavoice.Eventually
thereisapossibilityofeveryonebe-
ingconnected,anextraordinarymo-
mentforthehuman.”
ExpandingonhisworkforWitness,
weaskedPiercehowheachieves
equilibriumbetweencommercialand
probonoworkandhowhemitigates
potentialconflictofconscience.“In
theearlydaysofmyfirstdesignpart-
nership,LippaPearce,wemadeacom-
mitmenttoprovidingpro-bonowork
forcharities.Whilewehadlittlemon-
ey,wehopedwecouldmakeaposi-
tivecontributiontocausesthrough
design.Wesawasituationwhere
bigmoneyoftengotthebestdesign
work,andcauseswithoutthesame
kindoffinancialresourcescouldn’t
justifyinvestinginthekindofdesign
thatwould reallyhelp raise their
profile.Weusedthemoneywemade
fromourcommercialclientstosupport
worthybutimpoverishedprojects.”
Heemphaticallystates:“Designers
shouldhaveaplaceofleadership
andvision–itisnotallaboutprofit
andloss.”
Inthisregard,Piercesharessome
insightsintohispassionateandlong-
standinginvolvementwithWitness:
“IfirstmetPeterGabrielin1981at
anAfricanartexhibitioninBath.After
hefoundedWitness,Iwasinspired
bythepowerfulideabehindtheor-
ganisation–‘Littlebrotherturning
thecameraonBigBrother’–andthe
amateurfootageoftheRodneyKing
beatinginLosAngelesin1992proved
thepoint.IwasdeterminedthatWit-
ness’graphiccommunicationsshould
accuratelycapturethesignificance
oftheorganisation’swork.Iamproud
tohavebeenassociatedwithsucha
remarkableprojectformorethan15
years.”
“Oneofthemostextraordinarymo-
mentsofmycareeroccurredwhenI
waswatchingnewsfootageofthere-
centprotestsinsupportoftheBurma
uprising.AcrosstheworldIsawim-
agesofmyBurmaposterbeingtaken
ontothestreetsasasymbolofthis
humanrightsstruggle.Tohavea
pieceofgraphicdesignspontaneously
usedlikethisisthemostmeaningful
thingthathaseverhappenedtoa
pieceofmywork.”
“Iwouldrecommendanyonetovisit
theHub–amultilingualonlineportal
dedicatedtohumanrightsmediaand
LTR:BurmaposterforWitness,InfantryposterforWitnessandMakingtruthvisibleposter.
23 >
PosterforUNODC.
LTR:BurmaposterforWitness,InfantryposterforWitnessandMakingtruthvisibleposter.
24 >
LEFT:PackagingforScotchwhiskey.RIGHT:HaitiposterforDoctorsWithoutBoarders.FARRIGHT:AnishKapoorexhibitionatTheRoyalAcademyofArts.BELOW:LippaPearceposter.BELOWRIGHT:Russianmugs.
25 >
action.TheHubprovidestheoppor-
tunityforindividuals,organisations,
networks and groups around the
worldtobringtheirhumanrights
storiesandcampaignstoglobalatten-
tion–ratherlikeaYouTubeforhuman
rights.Tomyminditisoneofthemost
importanthumanrightsinitiatives
inrecenthistory.”
SELF-DEFINITIONANDSTYLE
MuchofPierce’sworkispowerfuland
arresting.Weasked:Howyoudo
consistentlyrealisesuchvisceral,
emotive communication? His re-
sponse:“Ihavespentmycareeron
arelentlesshunttofindthetruthand
tocreateasemotionalanexpression
ofthattruthasIcan.Formetheposter
IhaverecentlydesignedfortheHaiti
posterprojectinaidofDoctorsWith-
outBoarderscomesasclosetoreach-
ingthatpointasIhaveeverbeen–it
islikeasilenttear.”
Inconclusion,weasked:Howwould
youdefinetheessenceofyourwork
orevenyourself?“PeterGabrieldid
itforme:‘WorkingwithHarryisamix-
tureofgreatdesignandgoodKarma’,
humanityandemotionaltruth.”
“Art,musicandevenbuildingsfre-
quentlymovetheiraudiencesbutan
emotionalreactionisrareingraphic
design.Myhopeistocreatepieces
ofgraphicdesignthathaveintegrity
andemotionalclout.”
“Ialsoseekbalancebothbetweenmy
outerdailylifeandmyinnerworldof
thesubconsciousandbetweenmy
commercialandhumanitarianwork.
Forme,Witnessismybalance,andmy
careerhasbecomeapersonaljourney
ofself-discoveryasImanagetofuse
myinnerworld,myinterestinJung
anddreamswithmywork.”<
26 >
DESIGN,AVIABLE
TOOLFORSOCIAL
INNOVATION?WilliamDrenttelisacommunicationdesigner,
publisherandindustryleaderwhoworksfromthe
picturesquemountainstothenorthofNewYork
City,USA.Asaco-founderofWinterhouse,aniche
designstudiothatfocusesonsocialinnovation,
onlinepublishingandeducationalandcultural
institutions,Drenttel,withhiswifeandco-found-
er,JessicaHelfand,haveoptedtoremainasmall
operationandtocollaboratewithaselectgroup
ofclientsandpartners.Forthepastdecadethey
haveworkedalmostexclusivelywithuniversi-
ties,NGOsandnon-profits.Eventhoughtheir
operationmightbesmall,theirfootprintislarge
andWinterhousenowencompassesastudio,in-
stitute,virtualpublishingplatformandcitizen
journalisminitiatives,amongstothers.
Apartfrompracticingdesignasaprimarydayjob,
Drenttelalsoactivelyengagesinthefieldsof
professiondevelopmentandeducation.Heis
presidentemeritusofAIGA,aseniorfacultyfellow
attheYaleSchoolofManagement,andtheeditorial
directorofthemuch-acclaimedDesignObserver
andChangeObserver,aleadingInternetplatform
focusingondesigncommentaryandculturalobser-
vation.
“DesignObserverwasstartedin2002andwasa
personalpassionandahobbyforalongtime.With
mypartnersMichaelBierutandJessicaHelfand,
wejustkeptonsloggingawayatpublishingwhat
weconsideredtobegreatwritingaboutdesign.
Afewyearslaterwewokeuptotherealitythat
wehadmanagedtogatherahugeaudience,and
27 >
suddenlywewerebeingnominatedforWebby
AwardsforbestwritingonlinewithTheNewYork
Times,TheGuardian,TheNewYorkerandWired
recognisingourwork.Oursuccessissimplythat
westayedfocusedonthequalityofthewriting,”
saysDrenttel.
Bystayingtruetothetrio’soriginalfocus,Design
Observerhasgrownexponentiallyandhassub-
sequentlymadeamassivecontributiontothedevel-
opmentofthedesigndiscourse.Today,Design
Observeroffersexperiencedandbuddingwriters,
thinkersandtheoristsavastvirtualplatform
wheretheycanpublishcriticalwritingondesign
andculture.Yet,Drenttelbelievesthatitisonly
thebeginning:“Alargeissuefacingboththede-
signprofessionandtheusersandproponentsof
designissimplythatwedonothave[enough]
realdesignjournalismandcriticism.Architecture
hasahistoryoftheoryandcriticism–designdoes
not.Designistalkedaboutasameanstobusiness
success,buttherearefewdesigncasestudies
beingtaughtinbusinessschools.Andnowdesign
anddesignthinkingaresupposedtobetheHoly
Grailforanythingandeverything.Howoftendo
youreadaboutdesignfailing,ordesignasan
integrativepartoflargerprocesses–especially
aswerealisetheimportanceofsustainabilityand
possibilitiesforsocialinnovation?Fundamentally
designisstillinitschildhood.”
Tofurthersimulatethedevelopmentofthedesign
discourse,HelfandandDrenttel initiatedThe
WinterhouseWritingAwardsin2006,underthe
ANINTERVIEWWITHWILLIAMDRENTTEL ByZeldaHarrison
28 >
auspicesoftheWinterhouseInstitute.Aprogram
ofAIGA,theseannualawardswerefoundedto
recogniseexcellenceinwritingaboutdesign,
andtoencouragethedevelopmentofnewand
youngvoicesindesignwriting,commentaryand
criticismintheUSA.Apartfrombeingrecognised
fortheirwritingexcellence,winnersalsoreceivea
monetaryreward,whichisintendedtoencourage
theirfurtherdevelopment.
Drenttelsays:“TheAIGAWinterhouseWriting
AwardsforDesignWritingandCriticismhavea
simplepurpose:Toencourageandrecognise
outstandingwritingaboutdesign. I thinkwe
needtogrowwriterswhocanserveascritics,
observersandjournalists.Itwillhappenonewriter
atatime,justasonereaderultimatelyreads
everybookatatime.”AproofoftheWinterhouse
Writing Awards’ success, Drenttel says that:
“Everywriterwehaverecognisedisstillwriting,
manyforbroaderaudiencesthanbeforereceiving
theiraward.Thisisslow,hardwork.Butwehave
faithandpatience.”
DESIGNINSERVICETOHUMANITY
Inaddition,Winterhouseisspearheadingseveral
citizenjournalisminitiatives,oneofwhichisthe
Your Polling Place Photo Project, initiated in
2006,whichisawonderful–deceptivelysimple
portrayalofcivicaction.Drenttelexplains:“Ilive
inAmerica.Today,wehaveSarahPalininthe
newsandthenewTeaPartyseemsemergent.
ButBarrackObamaisstillpresident.American
citizenselectedsomeonewhoranpreciselyona
platformofcivic-engagement,andhisfiercest
opponentswillengagemillionsbecausethey
disagree.”
BELOW:DesignObserverandTeachforallwebsites.
RIGHT:PosterforAbetterworldbydesignconference,anannualeventpromotinggloballyconsciousintegrativedesignresearchatBrownandRISD,2009.
BELOWRIGHT:KafkaGoesToTheMovies.BookandcoverdesignfortheEnglisheditionofHansZischler’sstudyofKafka’smoviegoinglife.
FARRIGHT:AspenDesignSummit2009website,posteranddetailofSummitactivities.
29 >
30 >
31 >
“Idon’tthinkcivic-engagementisindecline–ratherI
thinkonlyapercentageofourcitizensareengaged.Inmy
ownrural,small-towncommunity,citizensaregrappling
withissuesoflow-incomehousingandhowtosupport
localfarming.Theseissuesgeneratebroadsupportand
strongopposition.Whatwesawwhenwemountedthe
PollingPlacePhotoProjectisthatinall50states,people
wereproudtovoteandwerewillingtostandinlineto
vote–thatjustoveramajority(56.8%inlastpresidential
election)ofUScitizensvoteisofcourseatragedyanda
challenge.ButIknowsomanydesignerswhoaredeeply
engagedincreatingprocessesforgovernmenttranspar-
encyorgetoutthevotecampaigns–orencouragingthe
elderlytogetflushotsatpollingplaces.”
“ThereisamovieinwhichaPresidentsays,‘Democracy
isnoteasy.It’sadvancedcivics.’Isubscribetothisnotion
thatcivicengagementisrewarding,andhardwork,and
notforeveryone.”
InDrenttel’spresentationatthe2010DesignIndabaCon-
ferenceinCapeTown,heimpliedthatmanyeffortsat
socialinnovationarefailing.Heexplains:“IthinkIwas
tryingtosuggestthatmanysocialinnovationinitiatives,
despitetheirsincerityandgoodintentions,willnotbe
successfulorscalableincreatingtrueimpactsonpoverty
orhungerorhomelessness.Weshouldnotstopencour-
agingtheseinitiatives,buttoomanyoftheprojectswritten
aboutandcelebratedarereallywhat Icall ‘weekend
projects’.Deep,systemicchangewillresultfromdeep,
systemicwork.“
“Oneexample:AttheMayoClinicCenterforInnovation,
whereIserveontheadvisoryboard,wehavelargeteams
(50+ people) across multiple platforms working on
healthcareandwellness issues.Tryingtosolverural
healthcaredeliveryinvillageswheretherearelimitedor
nodoctorsissimplynotthesamescopeasdesigningan
identityormarketingprogramforalargecompany.”
FARLEFT:Poetrymagazinecovers.
LEFT:BelowtheFold:ispublishedasanoccasionaljournalbytheWinterhouseInstitute.BelowtheFold:explorestopicsthatflybeneaththeradaryetpersistnonetheless,shiftingperspectivesandsparkingdebate.
BOTTOMLEFT:WolfsonianThoughtsOnDemocracy.InspiredbyNormanRockwell’sFourFreedomsseries,1943.CommissionedbytheWolfsonianMuseumfortheirThoughtsonDemocracyexhibition.
BELOW:TrophyfortheNationalDesignAward,Cooper-HewittNationalDesignMuseum.
32 >
“Thegoal isnotsimplytosellsomeonesome-
thing,butrathertochangewholesystems(finan-
cial,governmental,technological)aspatternsof
behaviour(bydoctors,patients,healthcarepro-
viders,hospitals,insurancecompanies).Weneed
expertise and experience and time to engage
deeply.It’sthatsimple.Butit’sadauntingchal-
lengefordesignerswhowanttothinkofthem-
selvesasproblem-solverswhentheproblemsare
‘wickedlyhard’.”
CONCLUDINGTHOUGHTS
Whenaskedwhatkeepshimupatnight,what
gets him through the day and what would he
needsfromusasindustrypeerstokeephisvision
going,Drenttelresponds:“IworryeverydaythatI
amnotdoingenough,andthatthechallengesare
sodaunting.DuringthepastfewyearsIhavemet
somanyotherpeopledoingsomuchmore–and
whoknowsomuchmore.”
Heconcludes:“It’ssoexcitingthat’sit’seasyto
getdazzled:Whatoneneedsinsteadisasteel-like
fortitude.Mytriparoundtheworldwithmyfamily
thisyearshowedussomuchneed,andsomany
avenuesforexplorationandwork.SouthAfrica
wasespeciallyexcitingbecauseofitsrichheritage
andstunninglycomplicatedproblemsandchal-
lenges.IretunedtotheUnitedStateswiththis
deepsensethatbothglobalandlocalsolutions
willcomewithgreatdifficulty,andwitharenewed
commitmenttolearninganddoingthiswork.It
wassuchahumblingexperience.”<
33 >
WinterhousePollingPlacePhotoProjectposter,websiteandexhibition.
ALIFETIMEOFCREATIVEMULTITASKINGBYA
MASTEROFHERCRAFT
34 >
BySunéStassen
SU
MIE
NB
RIN
K
35 >
SU
MIE
NB
RIN
K
36 >
37 >
Atthetenderageof12SumienBrinkfellin
lovewiththeworldofmagazineswhilevisiting
her thenbest friend,AndreaBosch,who
showedheracopyofBritishVogue.Thiswas
adefiningmomentthatledtoSumienpursuing
acareerinpublishing,whichtookheronmany
sideroadsbeforebecomingoneofthemost
respected,innovativeandmultipleawardwin-
ningeditorsinSouthAfrica.Asthecurrent
editorialdirectoratNewMediaPublishing,
editor-in-chiefofVISI,PlasconCOLOURand
foundingeditorofSouthAfrica’sleadingfood
magazineWoolworthsTASTE,Sumienexem-
plifiestheconceptofinspiringleadershipand
isknownasamasterofmanagingteamwork.
Likemanyothercreatives,herroadtosuccess
wascertainlytheresultofacolourfularray
ofuniquecreativeoutlooksandapproaches,
multi-fuelinjectedandappliedduringalife-
timeofexperiencesandoverwhelmingpas-
sionforthecreativeindustryinwhatever
form,shapeorpalette.
Staringoutinthe1970s,shehadherheartset
onacareerinfashion,butduetothedistance
betweenCapeTown(thentheepicenterof
fashiondesigninSouthAfrica)andherhome-
town,WhiteRiverinthethenEasternTransvaal,
herparentsfeltitwouldbemoreconvenient
forhertostudyattheUniversityofPretoria
whereshecompletedaBADramadegree,
specialisingincostumeandpropdesign.
ItwasduringtheseyearsinPretoriawhen
classmatesSumien,BirrieleRouxandJohan
Engelsstruckupastrongbondandlasting
friendship.Engels,todayisaninternationally
acclaimedtheatredesignerresponsiblefor
theproductiondesignofmanyworldfamous
balletsandoperas,andLeRouxisanaward-
winningfilmandtheatredesignerwhohas
beenresponsiblefortheproductiondesign
offilmslikeFielaseKind,Paljas,Soweto’s
BurningandStoryofanAfricanFarm,among
others.Onecanonlyimaginewhatthistrio
gotuptoduringthosecarefreestudentyears.
Sumiensaysthat:“Wedidacoupleofvery
wildandexperimentalproductionsandImust
sayI’dlovetocollaboratewiththemagainin
thefuture.Todaywearestillverygoodfriends
butdon’tseeeachotheroftenenough.”
AfterherstudiesSumiengainedextensive
experienceasstylistatFairladyandSarie,
fashioneditoratHuisgenoot,fashiondirector
ofCosmopolitanandeditorofthebi-annual
CosmopolitanFashionDirectory.
1965wastheyearwhenJaneRaphaelyfound-
edFairladyandin1984JaneRaphaelyand
Associates,thatpublishedCosmopolitanin
partnershipwithNasionalePers,werefound-
ed.Sumiencontinues,“Although Inever
workedontheeditorialteamofFairlady,I
didsomecollaborativestylingfortheirfashion
shootswithphotographerMikeDonnelly.
WhenJanestartedCosmopolitansheoffered
methepositionoffashioneditor.Tomeshe
wasagreatinspirationandmentor.”
TheCosmopolitanFashionDirectorywasa
brandextensionofCosmo.“Wedidsome
reallybeautifulanddifferentfashionshoots
forit.Atthetimeithadtocompetewiththe
veryfabulousRedmagazine,whichwasn’t
easy.Butitwasalotoffunworkingonit”
saysSumien.
Cosm
opol
itan’
sFa
shio
nD
irect
ory
Mar
ch1
990.
VIS
ISpr
ing
2001
&V
ISIS
prin
g20
02.
VIS
ISpr
ing
2002
.LT
R:V
ISIA
utum
n20
04,T
aste
M
agaz
ine,
VIS
I35.
38 >
Sumienwentontobethefoundingeditorof
House&Leisuremagazinesinceitsinception,
beforetakingthereignsatVISIforNewMedia
Publishingin2001.“MyinitialvisionforVISI
wastoproduceaqualitypublicationthatshow-
cases100%SouthAfricancontentthatcel-
ebratesouruniquelocaltalent.Ithaschanged
overtheyearsandisabouttochangeagain
whenweappointaneweditorinSeptember.
Butinthisrapidlychangingmarketweare
workingin,Ithinkchangeisalwaysagood
thing,especiallynowthatwehavetoconsider
thefutureofmagazinesandthenewdigital
erawewillhavetoembrace”.
ThereisalsothemostrecentlaunchofPlascon
SPACES, which is really the re-launch of
PlasconCOLOURmagazinethatNewMedia
PublishinghasbeendoingforPlasconfor
someyears.Especiallyinatighteconomyithas
beendeterminedthatthereisagreatdemand
formorepracticalandhandsoninformation
aboutpaintandcolourasitisstillcheaperto
paintyourspaceratherthanre-decorate.“All
theprojectsthatwefeaturearerealspaces
andatR14.95verygoodvalueformoney.You
cansayitistherightproductfortheright
time.Anditisbeautiful!”explainsSumien.
“Ihavehadthepleasureofworkingwith
PeetPienaar,oneofmanybrilliantcreative’s
inourcountry,onaspecialeditionforVISI
andIlikewhathedoes.Healwayssaysthat
hisbiggestchallengeinlifeisto‘Maakmooi’
andIcanrelatetothat.Havinghadtheoppor-
tunitytoworkonsuchavarietyofpublica-
tionsitmightbeagiventhateachmagazine
hasit’sownpersonalityandaudiencebut
thereisoneaspectthatisnon-negotiableto
meinalltheworkthatIdo–itmustalways
bebeautiful.”
LEFT
:VIS
I46.
RIG
HT:
VIS
I48.
LEFT
:VIS
I46.
RIG
HT:
VIS
I48.
VIS
I49.
39 >
40 >
TheplayingfieldoftheSouthAfricamaga-
zineindustryisverysmallincomparisonto
itsEuropean,AmericanorevenAustralian
counterparts,yet,Sumienbelievesthat“some
ofourtitlescomparewellifyouconsider
howmuchofourmaterialgetssyndicated
tomagazinesallovertheworldbutsomeare
reallybelowpar.Stillweallfeedoffglobal
trendsandadaptthemtoserveourlocal
needs.That’swhyweareforeverattending
trend shows and seminars all over the
world.Andofcourse…speakingoftrends,if
thereisonepersoninthebusinessthatI
hugelyrespectthenitisLiEdelkoort.Ilove
heraestheticandthefactthatshekeepson
re-inventingherself.”
WhendiscussingwithSumientheimportance
ofacountry’sdesignidentitysheexplains
thatinheropinionitisvitaltodevelopsuch
anidentityandthatSouthAfricastillhas
somewaytogo.“Wemustdevelopwhatis
uniquetousandnotcopy.Wehavebeena
nationofcopiersforfartoolong.Eventslike
DesignIndabahasshownusthatdesign
cantrulymakeadifferencetomanylives.
Weneedmoreofthisinourcountry”.
Itisthenormforfirstworldcountriestofeel
responsibleforthedevelopmentofsecondand
thirdworldcountriesandalmostbecoming
theproviderinmanyfieldsofexpertise,but
latelyweareseeingmoreandmoreexamples
ofthirdworldcountriesdesigningforthe
firstworld.“Itisveryexcitingiffirstworld
countriesstartembracingdesignsfromits
thirdworldcounterparts.Therearesomany
examplesofproductslocallysourcedthatare
marketedoverseas.Myfavouriterightnow
isaprojectinVendawherelocalwomanmake
beautiful clay pots that are now sold in
Woolworthsstores.Ibelievethatifthedesign
ishonestandpureitwillcertainlytakeflight
andbeabletotravel,”saysSumien.
Whenaskedwhatpartsofherworkingday
atNewMediaPublisherscontinuetoputa
smileonherfacesheisquicktorespond:
“Workingwithsuchacreativeteamofcourse!
Itisformeanabsolutepleasureandahuge
bonus.Ohandwhataninspirationalspace!
IjustloveNewMedia’snewbuildingat19
BreeStreet,CapeTown.”
Besidesbeingadmiredbymostasavery
successfulpioneerinthepublishingarena,
Sumienseemstohavealsosucceededin
findingabalancebetweenhercareerand
familylife.“I’vebeenveryluckytoworkon
magnificenttitlesthatIadore.Workforme
isanabsolutepleasurebutIdomakeapoint
ofmakingtimeforfamily.Itisabalancingact
really,butluckilythatisatypicalLibrantrait,”
saysSumien.
Andjustlikesomeactorsidentifymorewith
onerolethananother,wewerecuriouswhich
magazinebestalignswithherattributesas
aperson.“Latelyit’sbeenfoodmagazines,”
explains Sumien. “I enjoy Jamie Oliver’s
magazine–Jamieforitstoneofvoiceand
‘realness’.AndFire&Knives,amagazine
aboutfoodwritingwhereallthecontribu-
torsdoitforfree”.
Andherdreamproject?“I’dlovetodoaseries
ofbooksonbeautifulthings–eitherdesign
orfood,”sheconcludes.<
42 >
JUXTAPOSINGCULTURALIDENTITYWITHPROGRESS:MOKENAMAKEKASHARESHISIDEASONHUMILITYDESIGN
MokenaMakeka.ImagebyAndrewBrauteseth.
MokenaMakekaisoneofthemostcolourfulperson-
alitiestoentertheSouthAfricanarchitecturalscene
inthepastfewyears.Atfirstglance,hisvariousperso-
nasmightseemtobecontradictorybutitallgells
perfectlywhenoneunpacksthevariousdimensions
thatthistalentedyoungenigmabringstothetable.
ApassionatefollowerofHip-Hopmusic,principaland
founderofMakekaDesignLab,Makekaisatwo-time
recipientoftheCIAAwardofMeritandDesignCat-
egorywinnerforthe2010JohnnieWalkerCelebrating
StridesAwards.Apartfrombeinganarchitect,he
alsohasapassionforsocialentrepreneurshipand
education.HecurrentlyservesontheWorldEconomic
Forum’sGlobalAgendaCouncilforDesign,isanex-
ternalexaminerattheColumbiaUniversitySchool
ofarchitectureandlecturesattheUniversityofCape
Town.Makeka’svisionistocreateasoundAfrican
43 >
JUXTAPOSINGCULTURALIDENTITYWITHPROGRESS:MOKENAMAKEKASHARESHISIDEASONHUMILITYDESIGN
aestheticthatservesthepublicandhisclients,bring-
ingdignityandgracetothebuiltenvironment.
Mokenasharedsomeinsightsintohispersonalback-
ground,workphilosophyandviewsonarchitectural
practiceinaninterviewwithDESIGN>MAGAZINE’s
US-basedcontributingeditor,ZeldaHarrison.
INSPIRATIONANDPERSONALPHILOSOPHY
Makeka’slifejourneyhastakenhimtodiverseparts
oftheworld–bornintheEasternCape,spendinghis
earlyyearsinLesotho,movingontoliveintheUSA
wherehisfatherwasanambassadortotheUN,them
movingbacktoLesothobeforefinallysettlinginCape
Town.Alloftheseplacesbroughtuniqueexperiences
whichhavehadaprofoundimpactonshapinghis
personalandprofessionalphilosophies.Heexplains:
“IdidmyelementaryschoolinginNewRochelle,New
York,andreturnedtoLesothoafterstartingjunior
highwhereIcompletedmyhighschooleducation,
acquiringaninternationalbaccalaureatedegreeand
thenwentontostudyatUniversityofCapeTown
(UCT).”Onlymonthsaftergraduating,heestablished
hisownarchitecturalpractice,MakekaDesignLab.
Hesaysthathiscolourfulbackgroundisomnipresent
inhiscurrentprofessionalwork:“Ibringasenseof
cosmopolitancuriositytoallofmydesignprojects.
Myworkisdrivenbyaproposition-basedmethod
whichoftencritiquescontextfromasocio-spatialper-
spectiveasmuchastectonic,functionalconcerns.”
“Thearchitecturalstrategieswhichderivefrom
suchaprocessdonotfitintotheconventionsof
44 >
localpractice.Infact,itchallengescoreassump-
tionsthathavebecomenormative,unquestioning
andpassiveinculturaldebate.Asayoung,black
Africancreative,inthecontextofSouthAfrica’s
complexhistory,Ioccupyaspacethatishighlyun-
derdevelopedinthecountryandregion.”
Makekasaysthathisbiggestinspirationispeople.
“Myworksaremeanttoservesocietyandtoallow
ustodefeatourlesserselves.Architectureisano-
bleartthatcancapturethespiritofanation,its
pain,itstriumphsandpurpose.Buildingsmerely
serveatafunctionallevel,whereasarchitectureis
transcendentalandmakesusrevelinbiggeride-
as.”Hecontinues:“Thearticulationofmyideasis
constantlyevolving,butthecentralhumanistpur-
poseofexcellenceintheserviceofsocietyisa
continuouslymaturingandconsistentposition.
Myethicsdonotchangefromprojecttoproject.
Designwithoutethicsistyranny.”
LATESTPROJECTS
OneofthemostrecenthighlightsofMakeka’sfairly
shortbutillustriouscareerisbeingselectedasone
ofonlytwoAfricanarchitectstoparticipateinthe
Ordos100project.TheprojectisbasedinOrdos,Inner
Mongolia,andentails100architectsselectedby
Hertzog&deMeurontodesign100,1000m2villas,
contributingtoamasterplanformulatedbyAiWeiwei
basedinChina.
Makekaexplainsthathebroughtauniversal,yet
Africanperspectivetotheprojectandintentionally
avoidedtheobvioususeofFengShuiprinciplestothe
projectproposal.“Ifanything,itwasimportantto
reflectonthecontextthroughmyownlens.Mybuild-
ingisacritiqueofthenotionofthetraditionalWestern
villaandtheonslaughtonthepublicprivatecon-
tinuumasexpressedintheancienthutongs.My
buildingtransformstheinnercourtyardintoapublic
spaceandmakesthehomeastageforgreetingand
meeting.Idesignedthehousetosetupcoinciden-
talcollisionsbetweenpublicandprivateinorder
tofosterasenseofunpredictablecommunity.”
Likemanyvisionaryarchitects,Makekahasaunique
personaltakeontheconceptof‘readingtheterrain.’He
says:“Everyplacehasastorythatneedstobetold.
Architectureisabouthowwellyoureadthetextofsite,
client,society,climate,etc.Subtextisoftenwhere
therealdiscoveryoccurs.Iamascholarofexploration
andunderstanding.Thisallowsmetodesignany-
whereandforanyone,becauseIdon’tbringaesthetic
preconceptionsoravisualtemplatetotheexercise.
Designisaboutunderstandingwhatneedstobe,asking
what’spossibleandlastly,strivingtosurpriseoneself
andtheaudience.”
Duetotheinternationalandgeographicnatureofthe
Ordos100project–whichisrolled-outinphasesbyits
developers–Makekaisworkingwithatrulymulticultural
teamandhedrawsuponhisdiverselifeexperiencesto
facilitatetheprocess.Hesays:“Ihavenoproblems
withmulticulturalsettings.Ithinkit’samorenaturaland
enrichinghumanstatewhendiversityisembeddedin
one’slifeandpractices...It’sfuntocreateone’sown
rulesinordertodesign.Withoutconstraintsdesign
ismeaningless,irresponsibleandinconsequential.
Onemustmakeconstraintsiftheyarenotgiven.”
Ordos100project.ImagescourtesyofMakekaDesignLab.
45 >
46 >
URBANDESIGNANDARCHITECTUREINSOUTHAFRICA
AnotherhighlightofMakekaDesignLab’sworkisthe
PublicTransportSharedServicesCentre(ajoint
venturewithJakupa),situatedinAthlone,CapeTown.
Makekaexplains:“TheProvincialTransportShared
ServicesCenterisessentiallythefirstsustainable
officeblockfortheprovincialgovernmentofthe
WesternCape.Itisdesignedtoservethetaxiindustry
byprovidingaplacewherelicensescanbeacquired,
disputesresolved,vehiclesinspectedandactashub
forcertaingovernmentservices.Thearchitectureand
thescaleofthebuildingisquiteurbanandsetsthe
toneon thesurroundingarea,and isavisible
expression of investment in the community.”
Regardingitsdesignsolution,Makekasays:“Its
urbanismandarchitectural responsehasbeen
wellreceived,andthefenestrationpatternandthe
strategyofhavingthetotalensembleofbuildings
readasonehashelpedhumanisethescaleand
bringintimacyanddetailtothedesign.”
PublicTransportSharedServicesCentre.ImagescourtesyofMakeka
DesignLab.
47 >
Makekahasveryclearviewsontheinterfaceofarchi-
tectureandurbandesign,atopicwhichisoftenheav-
ilycontestedandheavilydebate.Hesays:Therearea
numberofschoolsofthoughtrelatingtotheroleof
theurbandesignerandthedesiredextentoftheir
influenceoverthecreativeprocess.Somehavear-
guedthaturbandesignmustleadthedesignprocess,
althoughthisisnotoftenthemostappropriateso-
lution.Otherssuggestthaturbandesignshouldbe
principal-basedandactasanassessmentandguiding
toolforthedesignprocess.Historicalcontestation
byurbandesignersenteringintothebuiltenviron-
mentindustryandhencecontestingtheleadership
roleofthearchitecthasoftenbeenthefocusandsub-
textofcertainprocesses.”
“Oftentheissueshouldhavebeendesign-basedand
resolvedonthebasisoftalentandskill,andtheir
associatedoutputs.Formany,urbandesignisan
attitudewhichcreatesresponsiveandvibranturban
environments,andtheassumptionthatarchitects
aredisinterestedinurbanissuesisoftenfalse.Urban
designhasbeentaughtinanumberofwayswith
differentapproaches,anddoesnothavethehis-
toricalpedagogyandrigorofotherdisciplinesthat
wouldallowittobeuniversallyunderstoodand
accreditedasadistinctprofession.Peopleoften
forgetthathistorically,urbandesignisanoffshoot
andspecialisationofinterestofarchitects.”
ReflectingontheSouthAfricancontext,Makekasays:
“Theadversarialcultureofcommandingtheintel-
lectualspaceofthebuiltenvironmentinthiscountry
iscounterproductivetothebroaderobjectiveof
creatingsustainable,liveableandinspiringcities.”
Hecontinues:“SouthAfrican’shavebeendenied
acultureofpublicspaceforhistoricalreasons.Previ-
ouslyadvantagedpeoplecreatedenclavesforthem
anddevelopeda‘securitised’mentalitywhichmeant
thatpublicspacewasheavilycontrolledandrestrict-
ed.Wearestillreapingthefruitofthisexerciseas
peopleonthewholestruggletoengagewithpublic
space,andseekgatedsuburbsasanexcusefor
urbaneliving.Crime,povertyandapoorsenseof
communityandcommonsacrossraceandincome
48 >
groupsareparticularlypowerfulandprevalent.There
arepocketsofjoy,ofcourse,butsuccessesarefew
inthefaceofthepast.Ninetypercentofmyworkis
publicandIbelieveeveryprojecthashadapositive
impactonplaceandsetting.”
COMMITMENTTOEDUCATIONANDADVOCACY
Makekahasalwayshadapassionforeducation,be
iteducatingclientsabouttheimportanceofcreative
originality,localidentityandsustainability;informing
politiciansandgovernmentalofficialsaboutthe
rolethatarchitectureandurbandesignplaysin
transformingandrespondingtosocietalneeds
andculturaltourism;andarchitectureeducation
atformalinstitutionsoflearning.
Hesays:“Ieducatethroughmywork,anddirectly
attheUniversityofCapeTown.Thereisalwaysan
underestimationofwhatanarchitectcanoffer.”
“Peoplebelievethatanarchitectmerelydrawsandis
onlytheretodowhatyoutellthemtodo.Archi-
tectsareprofessionalsandartistsofthehighest
orderandleadtheprocessofdevelopmentforthe
greatergoodofsocietyandtheinterestsoftheclient.
Consistencyofapproachiskeytoprovidingade-
pendableservice.Designswilldifferaccordingtothe
contextandclient,butcreativityisnon-negotiable.”
Inrecentyears,Makekahasbecomeactivelyin-
volvedinadvocatingtheroleofarchitectureinurban
rejuvinationandsocialdevelopmentintheCityof
CapeTown,andasanadvisortotheCapeTown
Partnershipinitiative,hehascontributedtovarious
initiatives.Whenaskedhowhewoulddefinea‘world-
classcity’,heresponds:“I’vewrittenprettyexten-
sivelyaboutthislately.TheCapeTownof‘sand,sea
andsun’isseenbysomeasasanitisedversionof
Africa,orevenasun-African.TheCapeTownthatis
hometoRobbenIslandispoliticallydifferentfrom
therestofthecountryandistryingtocometoterms
withthat.TheCapeTownthatnestlesupagainstTable
Mountain,aWorldHeritagesite,triestopreserve
biodiversityinthefaceofdevelopmentpressures.”
“Thebrandisdeliberatelysegmentedtoattract
differentmarkets,andconsiderableeffortgoes
intoachievingthis,butbrandingneedstobebasedon
substanceifitistobedurable:theCity’scharacter
needstobeconsistentwiththebrand.Wealso
needtobeclearonwhethertheCityrespondsto
thebrand,orviceversa.”
49 >
“Inthetownships,thequestfortouristdollarsmust
consideranarea’sappeal.Dopeoplevisittownships
asvoyeurswantingtoseethefaceofpoverty,do
theywanttoexperiencemusicvenueswithaunique
character;dotheywanttoseeotherformsofcul-
turalexpression;oraretheyinternationalvolunteers
comingtobuildhouses?Whichofthesetypesof
visitsdowewanttoencourageandwhatdoesthis
meanforhowweplantheseareas?”
“Culturaltourismisatrickybusiness.Andbrand-
ingisnotonlyfortargetingtourists.AsaCitywe
aspiretodevelopaknowledgeeconomyandtoat-
tractandkeepcreativepeople.Competitionisstiff,
andtheimageandrealityofurbanspatialquality
willinfluenceoursuccess,particularlyasbusiness
locationdecisionsconsiderqualityoflifeasmuchas
urbanefficiency.Ifweplayourcardsrightwecan
achievethisalongwithsocialandeconomicprogress.”
“CapeTown’sabilitytomeetthechallengeofbal-
ancingheritagewithdynamismwilldependtoa
largeextentonourwillingnesstoco-operateand
innovate;therichnessofwhatweofferentrepre-
neurs;oursenseofwhatispossible;andourabil-
itytograspwhatisimportanttothemarketswe
seektoattractandtheliveswewanttolive.”
KhayelitshaMulti-purposeCentre.ImagescourtesyofMakekaDesignLab.
50 >
Re-imaginingCapeTownStation.JointventurewithComrieWilkinson,DHKandJakupa.
ImagescourtesyofMakekaDesignLab.
UNDERSTANDINGCONTEXT
Makekahasamatureandbalancedunderstanding
oftherolethatarchitectureanddesigncanplayin
SouthAfricandevelopment.Heconsidersthemul-
tiple layersofchallengesandthecomplexities
thatitentailsseesthegreaterpictureofpriorities
thatneedtoaddressedinthecountry,andbecause
ofthathebelievesthatprogressneedstohappen
withsteadypacesandoccasionalhops,insteadof
leapswhicharenotalwaysachievable.
Hesays:“ChangeisthebuzzwordinCapeTownright
now,andthemostvisibleprojectsaredrivenby
expectationsandrequirementsforasuccessful
WorldCupevent.Toutedasanopportunitytoin-
vestininfrastructureforanimprovedurbancondi-
tion,itisseenasanunprecedentedcatalyst.But
it’sinterestingtoconsiderwhethereachcitywill
ensuremaximumbenefitforitsresidents.Change
isnotalwaysgood.”
“Ifwearesimplyacceleratingwhatwouldhave
happenedanyway,thelegacywillhardlybetrans-
formative.Manyoftheprojectswhichwereexecuted
51 >
forthe2010FIFAWorldCuprespondedtoneeds
thatwereidentifiedlongago.Weshouldbelook-
ingformetamorphosis;theemergenceofsome-
thingnewandexcitingfromthesoulofourcities.This
requiresanewgameplan,notbusinessasusual.And
certainlynotdecisionsbasedonmaximisinginter-
nationalboastingrights.”
“Thenotionofaworld-classcitywereseenbysome
astheepitomeofblandconformity,turningCape
TownintotheStarbucksofurbanAfrica.Indeed,
importing ideasandprojectswithoutadapting
themtoourcontextprovidedanexcusetocompro-
miseourownneedstoserveanexternalaudience.”
Consideringthepre-2010FIFAWorldCupeupho-
ria,Makekasays:“Itcouldbeargued,however,
thatworld-classmeansexcellingattheordinaryas
wellastheextraordinary.Anditisonlybyadopt-
ingthisdefinitionthatwecancreateaWorldCup
experiencethatisuniquelyAfricanwhilegiving
birthtoamorehumancity.”
“Weneedtodoordinarythingswithasmuchskill,
passionandflareasweapplytoshowcaseprojects.
Andwecan,butweneedmorefocus.Ifwecanbuild
stadiums,thenwecanbuildhouses,installtoilets
andplanstreetstoservepeoplefirst.What’sgood
fortouristsshouldbegoodforustoo.”
“Imaginetrainsthatrunontime,busstopsthat
showschedulesandlocations,parksthatarechild
friendly,streetswhereparentscansafelypusha
pramandcarguardsthatarefriendlyandhelpful.
Imagineinformationkiosksdistributedthrough-
outthecityofferingtourismadvice,ahelpdeskfor
emergencies,andafriendlyfaceintimeofneed.
Imagineacitythatisassafeanduniversallyac-
cessiblefortheyouthandtheelderlyasitisfor
citizensintheirprime.”
Concludingwiththequestion:Wouldyoucareto
shareanywordsofencouragementandLessons
LearnedtoaspiringAfricanarchitects?,Makekare-
sponds:“Persevere.Wewerethefirstarchitects.
Weshallbethelast.”<
Insight. Inspiration. Exhilaration. Learn, network and share at WAFVisit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com Contact +44(0) 20 7554 5800 / 0845 056 8339 / [email protected]
Arata IsozakiSuper Jury ChairJapan
Sir Peter CookeUK
Enrique NortenMexico
Peter KudryavtsevRussia
Charles Jencks UK
Jo NoeroSouth Africa
Barry BergdollUSA
Wang LuChina
Mark FenwickSpain
Nabil GholamLebanon
Sanjay PuriIndia
William MenkingUSA
Richard HassellSingapore
Kim Herforth Nielsen, Denmark
Michael HeenanAustralia
Maria Solé Bravo, Spain
Ken Tadashi Oshima, USA/Japan
Chris Bosse, Germany
Kjetil ThorsenNorway
Dogan HasolTurkey
Akihiko HamadaJapan
Expert judging panelNew names announced! Feedback from the winners of WAF 2009
World Architecture FestivalBarcelona3-5 November2010
Special lower
rates this year.
Save €200 if you
book by
8th October 2010
Register online today.
Quote BLUPAF
Network with
over 2000 architects
from over 80 countriesSpecial lower
rates this year.
Save €200 if you
book by Special lower
Find out who’s been shortlisted
for our prestigious awards online
236 shortlist presentations – 512 entries in the Festival Gallery – 3 days of interactive seminar content – 3 keynote addresses – 60+ media partner magazine distribution – Transformations multimedia thematic exhibition – AECOM global student competition – product showcases free networking events – and much more...
“WAF is a unique congress that gathers the most important architects in the world, we’re very
excited to be a part of it.” Alex Kerboobie, Turenscape, China, Winner WAF 2009, The Adaptation Palettes: Regenerative Landscape Design
Attend WAF 2010 to:1. Hear directly from all shortlisted WAF awards entrants,
who represent the most exciting architectural cultures in the world across all continents with record entry numbers from Australasia, Singapore, India and Brazil
2. Exchange ideas with over 2000 architects from more than 80 countries from practices large and small, including GAPP Architects from South Africa, WOHA from Singapore, Turenscape from China, REMISTUDIO from Russia, Sanjay Puri Architects from India, Battle & Roig Architects from Spain and HASSELL from Australia as well as household names including Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Tabanlioglu Architects and Isay Weinfeld
3. Mix with the pace setters in architectural thinking on this year’s Super Jury including Arata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll, Enrique Norten, Hanif Kara and fi nd out their thoughts on the most up-to-the-minute projects today
4. Be inspired by some of the most crucial projects this year with David Chipperfi eld’s seminal Neues Museum and the groundbreaking landscape scheme Gardens by the Bay in Singapore included in the projects uncovered in our multimedia thematic exhibition, Transformations
5. Keep up to date with the most innovative and exciting architecture from across the globe with insightful keynote and seminar presentations from Josep Acebillo on the Transformation of Barcelona and Jo Noero on his restorative Red Location project in South Africa
6. Make real connections with the people you want to meet before, during and after the festival with Festival Connect, WAF’s dedicated social networking site, focussed and comprehensive networking events and online communities on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook
7. Meet the next generation of architectural talent at URBAN SOS, WAF’s live, global student competition sponsored by AECOM
Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/worldarchfest, join our Facebook group search World Architecture Festival or get LinkedIn
Produced by:Offi cial Communications Partner:Partner Sponsor:International media partners:
Architectural excellence – LIVE!
Super-jury confi rmedArata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll, Hanif Kara, Benedetta Tagliabue and Enrique Norten
Arata Isozaki
Barry Bergdoll
Hanif Kara
Benedetta Tagliabue
Enrique Norten
Insight. Inspiration. Exhilaration. Learn, network and share at WAFVisit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com Call +44(0) 20 7554 5800 / 0845 056 8339 E: [email protected]
Seminar programme announced! Visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com for more details
WORLD BUILDING OF THE YEAR
It’s been very successful. It’s
given me a chance to make contacts
from abroad, but it’s not just that, I’ve met incredible people. It’s been a very happy event, very congenial, It’s Barcelona, it’s the weather, it’s been very relaxed, I’ve found it really great.Peter Rich, Peter Rich Architects, South Africa
FUTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
WAF is a great idea, it’s a great
organisation that’s putting together
people from all over the world. I was really impressed to be here, to be in touch with people from the same profession from every part of the world. The projects are fantastic.
Benedetta Tagliabue, Miralles Tagliabue Embt, Spain
INTERIOR / FIT-OUT OF THE YEAR
The sheer number of
countries that are represented is a draw, to compete against the world, to see what other countries and what other fi rms are doing. Highlight of being here is the student work, it’s very interesting, my colleagues and I are very happy that there was a component geared toward students.Bruce Davison, Architect, Amanda Levete Architects, UK
WAF Ad4_Design Education_BLUPAF_DPS.indd 1-2 13/8/10 13:42:40
Insight. Inspiration. Exhilaration. Learn, network and share at WAFVisit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com Contact +44(0) 20 7554 5800 / 0845 056 8339 / [email protected]
Arata IsozakiSuper Jury ChairJapan
Sir Peter CookeUK
Enrique NortenMexico
Peter KudryavtsevRussia
Charles Jencks UK
Jo NoeroSouth Africa
Barry BergdollUSA
Wang LuChina
Mark FenwickSpain
Nabil GholamLebanon
Sanjay PuriIndia
William MenkingUSA
Richard HassellSingapore
Kim Herforth Nielsen, Denmark
Michael HeenanAustralia
Maria Solé Bravo, Spain
Ken Tadashi Oshima, USA/Japan
Chris Bosse, Germany
Kjetil ThorsenNorway
Dogan HasolTurkey
Akihiko HamadaJapan
Expert judging panelNew names announced! Feedback from the winners of WAF 2009
World Architecture FestivalBarcelona3-5 November2010
Special lower
rates this year.
Save €200 if you
book by
8th October 2010
Register online today.
Quote BLUPAF
Network with
over 2000 architects
from over 80 countriesSpecial lower
rates this year.
Save €200 if you
book by Special lower
Find out who’s been shortlisted
for our prestigious awards online
236 shortlist presentations – 512 entries in the Festival Gallery – 3 days of interactive seminar content – 3 keynote addresses – 60+ media partner magazine distribution – Transformations multimedia thematic exhibition – AECOM global student competition – product showcases free networking events – and much more...
“WAF is a unique congress that gathers the most important architects in the world, we’re very
excited to be a part of it.” Alex Kerboobie, Turenscape, China, Winner WAF 2009, The Adaptation Palettes: Regenerative Landscape Design
Attend WAF 2010 to:1. Hear directly from all shortlisted WAF awards entrants,
who represent the most exciting architectural cultures in the world across all continents with record entry numbers from Australasia, Singapore, India and Brazil
2. Exchange ideas with over 2000 architects from more than 80 countries from practices large and small, including GAPP Architects from South Africa, WOHA from Singapore, Turenscape from China, REMISTUDIO from Russia, Sanjay Puri Architects from India, Battle & Roig Architects from Spain and HASSELL from Australia as well as household names including Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Tabanlioglu Architects and Isay Weinfeld
3. Mix with the pace setters in architectural thinking on this year’s Super Jury including Arata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll, Enrique Norten, Hanif Kara and fi nd out their thoughts on the most up-to-the-minute projects today
4. Be inspired by some of the most crucial projects this year with David Chipperfi eld’s seminal Neues Museum and the groundbreaking landscape scheme Gardens by the Bay in Singapore included in the projects uncovered in our multimedia thematic exhibition, Transformations
5. Keep up to date with the most innovative and exciting architecture from across the globe with insightful keynote and seminar presentations from Josep Acebillo on the Transformation of Barcelona and Jo Noero on his restorative Red Location project in South Africa
6. Make real connections with the people you want to meet before, during and after the festival with Festival Connect, WAF’s dedicated social networking site, focussed and comprehensive networking events and online communities on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook
7. Meet the next generation of architectural talent at URBAN SOS, WAF’s live, global student competition sponsored by AECOM
Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/worldarchfest, join our Facebook group search World Architecture Festival or get LinkedIn
Produced by:Offi cial Communications Partner:Partner Sponsor:International media partners:
Architectural excellence – LIVE!
Super-jury confi rmedArata Isozaki, Barry Bergdoll, Hanif Kara, Benedetta Tagliabue and Enrique Norten
Arata Isozaki
Barry Bergdoll
Hanif Kara
Benedetta Tagliabue
Enrique Norten
Insight. Inspiration. Exhilaration. Learn, network and share at WAFVisit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com Call +44(0) 20 7554 5800 / 0845 056 8339 E: [email protected]
Seminar programme announced! Visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com for more details
WORLD BUILDING OF THE YEAR
It’s been very successful. It’s
given me a chance to make contacts
from abroad, but it’s not just that, I’ve met incredible people. It’s been a very happy event, very congenial, It’s Barcelona, it’s the weather, it’s been very relaxed, I’ve found it really great.Peter Rich, Peter Rich Architects, South Africa
FUTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
WAF is a great idea, it’s a great
organisation that’s putting together
people from all over the world. I was really impressed to be here, to be in touch with people from the same profession from every part of the world. The projects are fantastic.
Benedetta Tagliabue, Miralles Tagliabue Embt, Spain
INTERIOR / FIT-OUT OF THE YEAR
The sheer number of
countries that are represented is a draw, to compete against the world, to see what other countries and what other fi rms are doing. Highlight of being here is the student work, it’s very interesting, my colleagues and I are very happy that there was a component geared toward students.Bruce Davison, Architect, Amanda Levete Architects, UK
WAF Ad4_Design Education_BLUPAF_DPS.indd 1-2 13/8/10 13:42:40
54 >
ByEbendeWaal.AccordingtotheSecondLawof
Thermodynamicseverythingintheuniverseisin
motiontowardsdecayandinevitablebreakdown
intoalesserformofdisorder.Change,asaprocess,
isan intrinsicuniversalpropertyofall things,
whichisknownasthenotionofentropy.
LifeisacontradictionoftheSecondLawinrelation
toevolution:progressionfromcomplexitytoalevel
ofgreatercomplexity.Therefore,thepresenceof
lifereducestheentropyinanyorganism.Thehigher
thelevelthattheorganismachievesinanysingular
stateofevolution,theclosertheorganismbe-
comestoentropy:itseventualfalltoruin.Fragility
increasesintandemwithcomplexity;itsrobust
ENTR
OP
Y:
MIR
RO
RS
O
FTH
EH
UM
AN
CO
ND
ITIO
N
IntheBeginning,Tankwa,Karoo,SouthAfrica.
55 >
abilitytosurvivedecreases.Consequently,allthings
relyonastateofequilibriumforcontinuedexistence.
Thisisthefundamentaldualitywithwhichtheuni-
versefunctionsasanisolatedsystem.
Allcreativeentitiesrelyuponconsciousness:thefresh
fruitofevolution.Consciousnesspresumesuponan
entitythatisawareofitsenvironmentaswellas
itselfwithinacosmictranspersonalmode.Theaware-
nessofauniversalmindandone’sunitywithits
primarycharacteristic:thecomprehensionofcon-
sciousnessaswellaslifeorder,namelyentropy.A
consciousmindatahigherlevelhastheabilityto
freeitselffromorderandpredictability,asequence
ofeventsorarrangementsofitemsunlikelytooccur
bychance.Inaworldoftotallyunrelateditems,which
hasthethrowingofdiceasitsparadigm,artandartist
findsitspurposebyexplorationofintangiblepossi-
bilities,withitsrichvarietyofchoicesaswellasop-
portunitiesbyutilisingentropy.Onesuchentity
whichhasmasteredtheframeworkofconscious-
ness:comprisingofthoughtandthemethodof
trail,errorandaccidentalsuccessexitsbythetitle
ofStrijdomvanderMerwe.
Strijdom’sapproachwithinhischosensetting–
nature–reliesontheconceptofentropyasapar-
adoxofcreativethought:theattempttodiscover
somethingthatthoughtcannotperceive;which
doesnotconstitutetoreality.Therecognitionof
TheEersteRiverproject.
56 >
thefactthatwerefertorealityisonlyaconsensus
towhatwepresumedefinesreality,orisitwhat
weashumanityhaveagreedupontocallreality
simplybecauseofconstraintsofculturalconfine-
ment.Acleardeductiontothisrecognition:isthat
weonlyperceivewhatwecanconceive.
“Man’smindmirror’sauniversethatmirrorsman’s
mind.”–JosephPearce.
Whenweconceiveorimaginesomethingunreal,
evenourfurthestimaginationcannottranscend
knownsymbolism.Theharnessingofthiscosmic
giftisthesymbioticreasontoStrijdom’ssuccess
whendefiningoccurrenceswithinentropiclandart
TriangleontheIslandSylt,Germany2009.Lines,Touwsriver,WesternCape,SouthAfrica2009.
thatintruth,defyrationalexplanation.Hehadthe
followingtosayinrelationtothis:“Whatmostofmy
workconsistofandIwouldsaylandartingeneral
istoplaceobjectsinanorderlymannerthatis
pleasingtotheeyeand,therefore,familiartolook
at.Suchasculptureisdoneinadisorderlyland-
scapeandthephotoistakeninsuchawaythatit
incorporatesthewiderlandscapewithinthecom-
position.Thesculpturegivesasenseoforderto
thatspecificplacegivingitidentity.”
Wheneverdesignorartwork,regardlessofitsini-
tialpurpose,attainsthisstatetheartistascends
toahigherlevelwithinthecomplexhierarchyof
humanitiesevolution:formallydescribedandoften
57 >
TOP:Stretchingredcottonbetweentwotrees,Kacerov,Praha,CzechRepublic,1996.BOTTOM:Redsteeltube.
approximatechargeislostexistingmerelyasa
surfacedisengagedwithinphysicalspacealongthe
arrowofentropictimefromtheworldlycontext,which
itwasintentionallymeanttoexistwithin.Neutralised,
ineffective,abstracted,politicallylobotomisedand,
finally,readytobeconsumedbysociety.
Strijdom’smannerofcreationisareminderofthe
capacityasingularentityobtainswhenoverstep-
pingtheboundariesofculturalconfinement.The
productionoftensionwithinequilibriumsinanon-
isolatedsystemsuchasnature,imposingchange
upontheceaselessregressiontohomogeneityin
entropyalsopresentinoppressiveviewpointsof
theestablishmentdefinesouruniversalexistence
condescendedbymodernsocietyasspiritualism.
“…thelandscapecanspeaktomeinaspecificway,
revealingsecretstomebygeneratingworksthat
isclusteredwithmeaningandmythology.Mywork
andIbecomeonewithnature;itisaprocessofdual
creativity.”
Thisdegradationbysocietyoccurswhenconstraints
areimposeduponart:theexpectationinduced
uponcreativeentitiestofitintomouldsoffraudu-
lentcategoriesresultinginanextensivelylimited
output.Whenartworkisconfinedwithintheneu-
tralityofagallerywhereitreflectshumannature
andexistenceatitshighestspontaneousdemand
ofidealisedplenitude,itfragments.Essentiallyits
TheSimonsbergwardpuzzle.
58 >
asarace.Strijdomnotedthat:“Theessenceofmy
workstrivestobringthemessageofourrolein
natureacross.Weareapartofthecyclesofnature,
creation,destruction,lifeanddeath.Theconnec-
tionsthathumanbeingshavewithenduringele-
mentalprocessesthatwillalwayscontinueregard-
lessofourhumaninfluence.Firstwastheland,
therefore,alwaystheland”.
Isn’tthisinfacttheessenceofbeinghuman?The
fragiletemporaryessenceofsuchartworkwere
thecontextualcomplexityisconcealedbyanover-
allsymmetryatfirstglancetrulyspeaksofcon-
trastingspectrumsofentropy.Inaninstanceof
minimalshapesofutmostorderlyprecisionand
TOPTOBOTTOM:Semi-circleinthesand,Untitled,Meyerton&Rockpillars.
thesubsequentdisplayofcorrosion,extremeop-
posites,areinfactsymptomsofsimilarprecarious
abandonment.It isthebalancebetweenabove
andbelow,lightanddarkness,eternityandtran-
sistoriness.ThusStrijdom’sarticulatemeansof
sculpturaldepictionderivesitsstructuralvalue
fromtheday-to-dayhumanconditionwhosepar-
ticularformatofordermakesitselfvisibleoraudi-
ble.Effectively,asaresultofthestructuraltheme
apurposedrivenmessageisborn:asocialcom-
mentuponhumanityandtheworld.Thisisthevital
linkintheemphasisingofanygivenconceptun-
dertakeninStrijdom’smethodology.Althoughone
shouldnotpresumethatstructuralorderisasuf-
ficientprerequisiteofartordesignsimplybecause
TOP:Snowandcages.BOTTOM:PlasconPaintbrushes.
59 >
itisnotameasurableconditionofaestheticexcel-
lence.ContextuallytheeffectofentropyuponLand
artinaformaldisciplinesuchassculptureisof
suchnatureitestablishesareturntoanessential
order.It’saharmoniousequilibriuminhibitingthe
worldfromfallingintoboundlessconfusioninre-
lationtoourself-centred,anti-metaphysicalna-
ture.Eveninthefinalmomentsofartworkcreated
inthismannerthefiniteisasinfinite,theindivid-
ualthewhole,nothinglessthananepitomeof
cosmicconsciousness.
Conclusively,StrijdomvanderMerwe’sdialectical
reflectionwithinhismediumhasproventobea
genuine,trueandprofoundviewoflifeandallit
Field’sofFloweringhands,Giloolysinterchange,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica,June2010.
encompasses:subjective,objective,realisticaswell
astheabstracteffectsofentropy,withoutallowing
elementstobecomeobjectsofformaldelectation.
Strijdom’sevocativedesignsasLandartoranyother
formthereofisnotmeanttocaptureorseizethe
streamoflife.Foritfindsitsfunctioningpurpose
asacommunicativetoolwithinanarrowduration
oftimeandspaceweretheworkconcentratesa
viewuponhumanexistence.Aminimalistsindica-
tion,thatmarksthecomplexstepsofprogression
bymeansofalterationwithintheconstantorderof
disorder.<
ImagescourtesyofStrijdomvanderMerwe.
HEAD OFFICE:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760
JOHANNESBURG:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760
CAPE TOWN:Tel: +27 (0) 21 510 8023Fax: +27 (0) 21 510 8025
DURBAN:Tel: +27 (0) 31 700 4881Fax: +27 (0) 31 700 4811
www.graphica.co.za
Leatherlikes - Leather
Metallics - Meta l
Textiles Textiles
is synonymous with nobility, style and quality. The world of Leather offers a rich variety of surfaces and textures. Our product range offers a wide selection of solutions to meet the needs of those looking for a material both classic and contemporary.
can be rough or sophisticated, matt or shiny, luxurious or worn. Metallic features are attractive and eye-catching, and create unusual and unexpected visual and tactile images. We explore the fascinating world and extraordinary properties of metallic materials, offering a large range of metallic features.
- The luxurious world of is rich in opportunities. Fabrics can either be soft or rough to touch, matt or sheen, plain or richly patterned, or intricately woven. Our range explores the vast and fascinating world of fabric surfaces and features.
NatureNature
Technicals - Industrial materials
Black-White - Black and White
- Each and every colour surface is a gift of . Nature is a regular source of inspiration and creative energy that draws us to authentic materials. Our range combines a selection of natural features in harmonious colours inspired by nature.
can be unconventional and geometrical, highly sophisticated or extremely simple, using both state-of-the-art technology and traditional knowledge. Our range offers an insight into a world of originality and creativity.
represents a chic, classic timeless image. A world of broad, almost infinite possibilities, black and white offers a multitude of designs and tones. Our range explores the world of contrasts.
Inspirational InnovationGraphica is synonymous for creative and exquisite cover materials.An unequalled stance of highest quality, be it for sales enhancing, packaging, demanding folding boxes, luxurious displays, books, diaries, exceptional mailings and advertising, our unique materials delight the eye and touch alike. Our new concept offers you the perfect guide to your current projects. It is always your creativity and imagination that transforms the visual communication into reality. We take great pleasure in introducing an aid that inspires the mind to allow for creative and exceptional solutions. Six main topical themes facilitate the entry to new ideas and elevated imagination.
HEAD OFFICE:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760
JOHANNESBURG:Tel: +27 (0) 11 493 6833Fax: +27 (0) 11 493 7760
CAPE TOWN:Tel: +27 (0) 21 510 8023Fax: +27 (0) 21 510 8025
DURBAN:Tel: +27 (0) 31 700 4881Fax: +27 (0) 31 700 4811
www.graphica.co.za
Leatherlikes - Leather
Metallics - Meta l
Textiles Textiles
is synonymous with nobility, style and quality. The world of Leather offers a rich variety of surfaces and textures. Our product range offers a wide selection of solutions to meet the needs of those looking for a material both classic and contemporary.
can be rough or sophisticated, matt or shiny, luxurious or worn. Metallic features are attractive and eye-catching, and create unusual and unexpected visual and tactile images. We explore the fascinating world and extraordinary properties of metallic materials, offering a large range of metallic features.
- The luxurious world of is rich in opportunities. Fabrics can either be soft or rough to touch, matt or sheen, plain or richly patterned, or intricately woven. Our range explores the vast and fascinating world of fabric surfaces and features.
NatureNature
Technicals - Industrial materials
Black-White - Black and White
- Each and every colour surface is a gift of . Nature is a regular source of inspiration and creative energy that draws us to authentic materials. Our range combines a selection of natural features in harmonious colours inspired by nature.
can be unconventional and geometrical, highly sophisticated or extremely simple, using both state-of-the-art technology and traditional knowledge. Our range offers an insight into a world of originality and creativity.
represents a chic, classic timeless image. A world of broad, almost infinite possibilities, black and white offers a multitude of designs and tones. Our range explores the world of contrasts.
Inspirational InnovationGraphica is synonymous for creative and exquisite cover materials.An unequalled stance of highest quality, be it for sales enhancing, packaging, demanding folding boxes, luxurious displays, books, diaries, exceptional mailings and advertising, our unique materials delight the eye and touch alike. Our new concept offers you the perfect guide to your current projects. It is always your creativity and imagination that transforms the visual communication into reality. We take great pleasure in introducing an aid that inspires the mind to allow for creative and exceptional solutions. Six main topical themes facilitate the entry to new ideas and elevated imagination.
62 >
ANTONSASSENBERG:
“THEORIGINALDESIGNGUERRILLA”
BySunéStassen
63 >
AntonSassenbergisoftenreferredtoas
beingthemostinfluentialandground-
breakingSouthAfricanmagazinedesigner
ofthepasttwodecades.Lookingathis
life’sworkthatrepresentsanimpressive
andcolourfuldiversityofpublications,
wecan’thelpbuttonotehisseminalcon-
tributionstothebrandrepositioningand
designofpublicationssuchasthethen
anti-apartheidweeklynewspaperVryeWeekblad,Afrikaanslifestylemagazines
DeKatandInsig,andmainstreamEnglish
titlessuchasCitylife,StyleandTrueLove.
But,Antonhasalsobeenaprolificde-
signeroutsidethemagazinearena,pro-
ducingmanytheatreposters,CDcovers
(notablyBloudrukandGetransformeerfor the late Johannes Kerkorrel) and
booksthatincludePenguineditionsofAncestralVoicesbyEtiennevanHeerden,
SouloftheWhiteAntbyEugeneMarias,
TheOwlHousebyAnneEmslie,TheStoryofanAfricanFarmbyOliveSchreiner,AlanPatonbyPeterAlexanderandMandela:EchoesofanErabyAlfKhumaloandEs’kia
Mphalele.
AntonstudiedInformationDesignatthe
UniversityofPretoriabeforehedecidedto
beafull-timepainterforacoupleofyears.
“Iwantedtobeanartistbutmyfather
wantedmetohavea‘real’job.Studying
InformationDesignmeantthatIwasat
leastclosetotheArtDepartmentwhere
Ispentmostofmytime,”explainsAnton.
Hisfirstexperienceasapublicationsde-
signercameaboutwhenhemetwithPaddy
Hardeganwho,atthetime,wasproducing
booksfordifferentpublishingcompanies.
“Paddyneededassistancewiththedesign
oftheneweditionofTheStoryofanAfri-canFarmfortheFrankfurtBookFair.And
that’showIbecameapublicationsdesign-
er,”explainsAnton.
“AfterworkingwithPaddyonbooksand
magazinesforawhile,Istartedmyown
company,PressBooks.Ahighlightwas
designingMandela:EchoesofanErafor
Penguinin1990.”
Duringthistimehealsobecameacquaint-
edwithElizeViljoenwhomotivatedfor
AntontoredesigntheVryeWeekblad,
wherehestayeduntilthepublication
closeddownin1994.Anton’sworkon
thisvocalanti-apartheidweeklynewspa-
per,publishedinAfrikaans,wasasliberal
initsdesignasitwaswithitseditorial
content.Itseditor,MaxduPreez,inPalenative:Memoriesofarenegadereporter,wrote:“Inoursecondyear,VryeWeekblad
underwentametamorphosis.Thereason?
AmancalledAntonSassenberg.Heturned
everyruleinthenewspaperdesignhand-
bookonitsheadandmadeeverypage
aworkofmodernart.Andthenextweek
hewoulddoitcompletelydifferently.
HeevenchangedthemastheadwhileI
wasawayforaweek.”DuPreezcontinues:
“After1992/93,onecouldseeAnton’s
revolutionaryideascreepingintomost
magazinedesignsinSouthAfrica.He
wastheoriginaldesignguerrilla.”
“NextIworkedatDeKatandbecamecre-
ativedirectorofPentaPublicationsuntil
2000whenIalsojoinedNewMedia Pub-
lishing,whohappenedtobethepublish-
ersofInsigatthetime,”saysAnton.“It
64 >
wasdefinitelythesefouryearsthatgreatly
influencedmyprofessionaloutlookon
publicationdesign,”andthecontinua-
tionofaverysuccessfulcareerthatwas
tofollow.
Antonconsidershimselfmoreasajour-
nalist,thanadesigner.“Ibasicallycreate
platformsfordifferentmessagestobe
communicated.Thismakesmepartof
theeditorialteamandpartofthestory-
tellingprocess.Thereisnorealdiffer-
encebetweendesigningabookanda
magazine,exceptforwhatAlexander
Brodovich,thelegendaryartdirectorofHarper’sBazaar,called‘perpetualopti-
mism’.Magazinesaren’tpermanent:you
canimprovethem,tweakthingsandlearn
fromyourmistakes,everymonth.And
maybemagazinedesignislesslonely
becauseyou’reworkingwithateam.So
itismyresponsibilitytocontinuously
inspiretheteamtoconsiderandlook
fornewandfreshideasandangles.”
HISCREATIVEPROCESS
“Ialwaysworkoninstinctwhichisgreatly
influencedbyfactorsoutsidemyjoblike
books,music,artanddesign.Itisdifficult
tojustifymyworkethicandtoexplainto
otherswhatIdo.Asanartdirectorand
workinginateam,I’minvolvedintheedi-
torialprocessfromtheverybeginning.It
isimportantformetounderstandthesto-
ryline,whoandwhatareinvolvedandhow
everythingunfolds,aswellastheinten-
tionofthepiecesothatIamabletoin-
stinctivelyproceedfromthere.Itjust
makessensetounderstandthehistory
behindthepiecebeforeyoucanfinalise
thedetails.Thenit istimeformyin-
stinctstotakecontrol.”
HISHIGHLIGHTS
“Citylifemagazinewasthefirstproject
wherewereallypushedthattraditional
envelope.Themagazinewasalreadyin
troublewhenIgotinvolvedandwedid
fiveissuesbeforethepublishersthrewin
thetowel.Themagazinewasthenmoved
toNewMediaPublishersattheJohan-
nesburgofficeandwebasicallyputit
togetherinoursparetime.Mycolleague
AnnelizeVisserbecameactingeditor
andwehadanamazingteam:Lucinda
Hooley,DaisyJones,AmiKapilevichand
KerryShaw.Wewerebasicallygiven
carteblanchetoreinventthemagazine
onaverysmallbudget,whichwaspart
ofourstrategy.Wetookariskandwent
againstthewholecelebritythingand
createdfakecelebrities.Weusedmodels
thatresembledTomCruiseorRobbie
Williams,forexample,andPhotoshop
didtherest.Aparticularchallengewas
theapprenticebutcherfromAlbertonthat
wecastasEminem.Forthelastissue
weinventedanentirelyfictionalceleb-
rity.WebuilthimoutofJohnnyDepp’s
cheekbonesandbitsofBradPitt.We
namedhimFrankandweeven‘inter-
viewed’him.”
“Wewerealsoveryconsciousofthein-
teractivenatureofonlinepublishing
andwetriedtoreplicatethatonpaper
bylayeringourcontent.Wealsoexperi-
mentedwiththeplacementsofprod-
uctsaspartofasort-of‘underground
advertising’strategy.”
“Afewyearslaterwehadtheopportunity
totakethisevenfurtherbycreatingamag-
azineaboutmagazinesforMedia24,calledOFC.Ourintentionwastochallengea
65 >
66 >
67 >
lotofperceptionsandfixedideasabout
magazinesandadvertisingandwereally
tooktheconceptofinteractivitytoits
limits.Forexample,wehadasongcom-
posedaboutHeinekenandranthestory
assheetmusic.Webuiltheadlinesout
oftheTommyHilfigerlogo;wewrotean
entirestoryusingonlyadvertisingslo-
gansandwemadepaperdollsofJanet
JacksonandJustinTimberlakeanddressed
theminbrandedmerchandise.Thecover
wasa join-the-dots imageofBritney
Spears,andwedesignedthewholemaga-
zinebacktofront,whichmadepaginating
itarealpuzzle.Wereallyappreciated
Media24Magazines’CEOPatriciaScholte-
meyer’senthusiasmforsomeofthesewild
ideas,butintheendnoonereallygotit
andtheindustrymoreorlessignoredit.”
“AfewyearslaterwhenMedia24launchedTrue Love Babe I became consulting
creativedirector.Thiswasoneofmymost
satisfyingexperiencesasapublications
designer.WhatmadeBabesospecialis
thatAnnelizeandIworkedwithateam
offirst-timemagazinepractitionerswho
instantlytookcontrolofthebrandthey’d
created.Ourjobwastoencouragethem
tobecomebetterandbetteratwhattheydid.Therewerelotsofculturaldifferences
andsubtlethingswedidn’tunderstand
sowehadtolistenmorethantalk.What
wasremarkablewastheteam’spatience
inshowingushowtotranslateourmag-
azineexperienceintoaproductthatwas
relevanttotheirmarket.Thiswasagreat
learningcurve.”
Overtheyears,Antonhasplayeddifferent
roleswithinthepublishingdesignarena:
from1998–1999asartdirectorofDeKatmagazineandbetween2004and2005
astheartdirectorofInsigmagazine,to
redesigningveryprominentpublications
liketheStylemagazineforCaxtonand
TrueLove,FairladyandSarieforMedia24.
Basedonhisdiverseexperiencesinthe
magazine industry, Anton says that:
”Makingamagazineisateamsport:you
can’tdoitonyourown.Thehistoryof
magazinesshowsthatthebestmaga-
zinesarecreatedwhenartdirectorsand
editorsworktogetherasateam:Anna
WintourandAlexanderLiebermanatVogue,BrodovichandCarmelSnowat
Harper’sBazaarandlateronLizTilberis
andFabienBaron.”Theseareallknown
tobeformidablepersonalitiesintheirown
rightanditisexpectedthatdifferences
ofopinionswillsurfacefromtimetotime.
“Conflictishealthybuttherealsohastobe
respect.Ididmybestworkwithstrong
editorssuchasMaxduPreezatVryeWeek-blad, JoanvanZylatDeKat,Annelize
VisseratCitylifeandOFC.Andin2009,
IreallyenjoyedworkingwithStefania
Johnson,theneditorialdirectoratNew
MediaPublishing,duringabriefspellas
designdirector,”explainsAnton.
HISCURRENTWORK
Antoniscurrentlyconsultingascreative
directorofAvusamagazines.“I’veonly
beenhereafewmonths,”saysAnton.
Hewasbroughtintolookatthestandard
ofdesignonalltheconsumermagazines
inthegroup.“IhavejustredesignedEllemagazineandIamcurrentlybusy
withElleDecoration.Afewothertitles
willfollowshortly.”Heexplainsthathis
roleandresponsibilitiesarenowabit
greaterthanbefore.Acreativedirector
68 >
issupposedtoinvestigatethebrand
identityanddesigntomakesureit’sin
linewithwhatthebrandstandsfor,and
atthesametime,successfullycommu-
nicatethistothereaderssothattheycan
alsoidentifywiththebrand.“BecauseI
amaconsultantonmanyofthedifferent
publicationswithintheAvusaGroup,I
amamemberofseveralteamsandmust
havetheability,attheflickofafinger,
tojumpbetweendifferentpublications
thateachhavetheirownstrategiesand
targetmarkets.OnsomedaysIhaveto
maketheseleapsafewtimesadayand
sometimesevenwithinthespanofan
hour.Beinginthisposition,Iamalso
learningthatIamboundtosteponsome
toesandhowto,fromthere,encourage
growth.Iamalsopositionedtobethe
bridgebetweenartdirectorsandeditors
whichinitselfholdsalotofchallenges.”
AccordingtoAntonthemostimportant
ingredientforsuccessinanycareeris
passion.“Iwasrecentlyveryimpressed
whenImetayoungdesignerwhowanted
tojoinElleDecoration.I’veneverseen
hisworkbutitwasclearthatworking
forElleDecorationhasbeenhislife’s
dream.”Duetothedigitaleraitisunder-
standablydifficultforyoungpeopleto
breakintothisindustry.“Theyoungsters
thatreallyinterestmearetheonesthat
arereallystillexcitedaboutworkingin
thisindustry.It’saveryfickleindustry.
You need commitment and maybe a
secondcareer...Onedayyoumightbea
heroandbythenextissuesalesgodown
andyougodowntozerowithit.Twenty
yearsagoIfellintomagazinedesignby
coincidenceandI’mstillhere.”<
69 >
College of Human Sciences
School of Arts
Artwork: Ronit Judelman, UNISA student Nurture your creativity in the visual arts We offer a wide variety of learning programmes in the disciplines of Art History, Visual Arts and Multimedia Studies.
Our programmes prepare you for a multiplicity of careers in the contemporary art world: professional artist, corporate art advisor, community art specialist, arts and culture journalist, animator, art educator, art historian, art critic, multimedia designer, music video producer and video director. Undergraduate Studies: • BA degree in Art History • Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) • BA (Culture and Arts) with specialisation in Multimedia Studies
Postgraduate studies: • Honours, Masters and DLitt et Phil degrees in Art History • Advanced University Diploma in Visual Arts • Masters degree in Visual Arts (MVA)
For more information: Tel: (+27) 12 429-6459 / (+27) 12 429-6798 Fax: (+27) 12 429-3556 E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.unisa.ac.za/dept/arts
70 >
THINKINGTHROUGHDESIGN:MICHAELBIERUT’SCAUTIONARY
TALEONLESSONSLEARNED
THINKINGTHROUGHDESIGN:MICHAELBIERUT’SCAUTIONARY
TALEONLESSONSLEARNED
MichaelBierutissurelyadesignerthatneedslittleintroduction.PriortojoiningPentagramasapartner,BierutworkedatVignelliAssociates,ultimatelyasgraphicdesignvicepresident.HeisthewinnerofcountlessawardsandamemberoftheAllianceGraphiqueInternationaleandArtDirectorsClubHallofFame.AwardedtheAIGAMedalin2006andnamedwinnerintheDesignMindcategoryoftheCooper-HewittNationalDesignAwardsin2008,he’saseniorcriticingraphicdesignattheYaleSchoolofArtandco-founderofwww.DesignObserver.com
ChristophNiemann’smuralsatP.S.69inClasonPoint,theBronx.
71 >
72 >
InaninterviewwithDESIGN>MAGAZINE
Michaelsharedsomeof lessonsthathe
haslearntoverthepast30yearsandspe-
cificallythosegainedwhileworkingonTheL!braryInitiative.
DESIGNTHINKING
Youaredescribedasanadvocateof‘designthinking’.Howdoyouapplythisapproachandhowdoesitbenefityourclients?It’s
becomeafairlytrendytermandinthatrespect
Iamsomewhatsuspiciousofit.
Basically,whatIlearnedduringTheL!braryInitiativewasthatweshouldneverforget
aboutthelargercontextforourwork,espe-
ciallythepeoplewhowillbeexposedtoit.
It’s very easy to be distracted by other
thingswhenyou’reworkingonaproject.What
amIgoodatdoing?WhatdoIliketodo?How
doIusuallysolvethiskindofproblem?What
usuallyworks?WhatdoIthinktheclientwill
accept?Andsoforth.Theseareallgood
questions,butthey’renotthemostimportant
questions.They’realljustaboutthepre-
requisitestodoingthework,thekindsof
thingsthatanyprofessionalhastoworry
about,nomatterwhattheproject.
Theimportantquestionsareharderbecause
theyrequireyoutopayattention.They’re
thingslike:Whatreallyneedstobedone
here?Who’sgoingtobeaffectedbythis
work?Whatwouldbe thebestpossible
outcomeforthisaudience?And:HowcanI
makeauniquecontribution?
I’vebeenworkingasadesignerfornearly
thirtyyearsandthelongerIwork,oddly
enough,theeasieritistofallintothetrap
representedbythefirstsetofconcerns.
You’rerewardedifyouthinkthatway,at
leastintheshortterm.Youworkfastandeffi-
ciently,andyourclientissatisfied.Butthe
clientisusuallydifferentthantheaudience.
Andtheaudience–theenduser,whoever
itis–requirestimeandattentiontobetruly
engaged.Sothatrequiresattentiontothe
secondsetofquestions.Youcancallthis
‘designthinking’,oryoucancallthisjustplain
thinking.Theworstkindofdesignisthought-
lessdesign.Thebestkindisthoughtful.
THEL!BRARYINITIATIVE
HowdidTheL!braryInitiativecomeabout?
Nearlynineyearsago,Pentagramwasasked
tocontributetoavisionaryeffortbythe
wonderful–anddesign-conscious–Robin
HoodFoundation:aninitiativetobuildnew
school libraries in elementary schools
throughoutthefiveboroughsofNewYork
City.Arangeoftalentedarchitectswould
designthelibraries;privatecompanieswould
donatebooksandfunds;andPentagram
wouldprovidethegraphicdesign,including
signage,wayfindingandamasterbrandthat
wouldtieallthesitestogether.
Alongtheway,wediscoveredsomething
interesting.Thelibrariesareusuallylocated
inolderbuildingswithhighceilings,butthe
shelvesinthelibrariescan’tbebuilthigher
thankidscanreach.Thismeansthereisa
spacebetweenthetopshelfandtheceiling,
anup-to-six-footbandaroundtheroom
justbeggingfor‘something’special.That
‘something’turnedouttobemurals.And
theresultscannowbeseeninschoolsall
overNewYorkCity,includingfivebrandnew
onesintheBronxwhichfeaturemuralsby
RafaelEsquer,MairaKalman,Christoph
Niemann, Stefan Sagmeister and Yuko
Shimizu,andCharlesWilkin.
LTR
:Mic
hael
Bie
rut’s
iden
tity
forT
heL
!bra
ryIn
itiat
ive.
The
libr
ary
atP
.S.
184
inE
astN
ewY
ork,
Bro
okly
n,fe
atur
esp
ortr
aits
by
Dor
othy
Kre
sz.
The
libra
rya
tP.S
.196
inS
ound
view
,the
Bro
nx,d
esig
ned
byR
afae
lEsq
uer.
Hun
dred
sof
wor
dsa
rein
terp
rete
dby
thou
sand
sof
silh
ouet
tes.
73 >
74 >
Lynn
Pau
ley
pain
ted
ase
ries
ofs
tude
ntp
ortr
aits
fo
rthe
mur
als
atP
.S.3
6,C
astl
eH
ill,t
heB
ronx
.
Mai
raK
alm
an’s
mur
als
fort
heli
brar
yat
P.S
.47
in
the
Bro
nxre
pres
entt
hea
lpha
betw
ith
anu
nusu
al
colle
ctio
nof
art
ifact
s.
Pentagram’sinvolvementwithTheL!braryInitiativebeganbynamingitandcreatingits
logo.Atthefaceofit,there’snoreasonwhy
thisprojectneedsalogo.Ontheotherhand,
therethere’snoreasonforeachlibrarytolook
different.Afterall,noneofthekidsarelikely
toseeanylibrarybuttheirown.Butgiving
theeffortanoverallidentitymakesitmore
understandabletopotentialdonorsandto
thepublicandprivateorganisationsthatwork
withtheRobinHoodFoundation.Andmak-
ingeachlibrarydifferentmakeseachplace
memorableandspeciallysuitedtoitssite.
Dozensofarchitectshaveworkedonthe
projectsinceitbeganin2000,includingTod
WilliamsandBillieTsien,MarianWeissand
MichaelManfredi,JaredDellaValleandAn-
drewBernheimer,HenryMyerbergandDe-
borahBerke.Thefirstmural,aseriesofphoto-
graphicportraitsbyDorothyKresz,was
installedinalibraryinBrooklyn’sP.S.184
thatwasdesignedbyRichardLewis.Itwasan
immediatehitwithstudents,librariansand
teachers,andinthenextwaveofinstalla-
tions,muralswerecommissionedfromPeter
ArkleandLynnPauley,whodidfourinthree
weeks.
WhatlessonsdidyoulearnfromworkingonTheL!braryInitiative?ThelessonsIlearned
were,first,don’ttrytobesocleverallthe
time.Ithinkthatdesigners,myselfincluded,
startbytryingtoimpresseachotherwithour
ingenuity.InthisregardIrecallastatement
byChileanarchitect,AlejandroAravena,at
the2010DesignIndabainCapeTown.He
said that creativity was only necessary
whenyoudidn’thaveenoughinformation
tosolveaproblemusingothermeans.The
implicationwasthatweshould‘becreative’as
alastresort,onlywhenweweresurethat
Pete
rArk
lein
terv
iew
eda
gro
upo
fstu
dent
sab
outt
heir
favo
rite
boo
ksfo
rthe
mur
als
atP
.S.
287,
For
tGre
ene,
Bro
okly
n.
75 >
therewasnothingmoretobelearnedfrom
thesituationathand.Ilovethatidea.
InthecaseofTheL!braryInitiativeproject,
IlearntthatIdidn’tspendenoughtimeat
theoutsetunderstandingtheaudience.I
justtriedtosolveeverythingwithaclever
logo.
Thesecondlessonisthatyougetpowerby
givingawaypower.ThemorepeopleIin-
volvedintheproject,andthemorefreedom
wegavethemtodotheirwork,themore
effectivetheresultwas.
Thethirdlessonisthattherealopportunity
todosomethingamazingmaynotbeinthe
officialscopeofwork.AsIwassayingbe-
fore,theefficientandprofessionalapproach
istoexecutewhat’srequiredandnotdoa
singlethingmore.Butwhatyou’vebeen
askedtodoandwhatactuallyneedtobe
donemaybetworadicallydifferentthings,
andthatdifference iswhatchangesthe
worldsometimes.
The fourth lesson is thatsamenessand
consistencyaretwodifferentthings.Thisis
hardfordesignerstoremember,andeven
harderforsomeclientstoremember.Ifyou’re
acontrolfreak,it’stemptingtooverestimate
theneedtocontroleverything:that’swhat
control freaks do, obviously, and that’s
whatalotofdesignersare.Butlettingdif-
ferencescomethroughisanacknowledge-
mentofwhatmakesushuman.Designatits
bestletsthosedifferencesbeexpressedat
ahighlevel.
Regardingyournotionof“Overestimatingtheneedforcontrol”,howwereyouabletostrikeabalanceindealingwithapublic
agencywithnumerousdecision-makersandseveralcollaborators?Whatworkedwell
wastogiveeveryoneveryspecificparam-
etersandthenallowthemagreatdealof
freedomwithinthoseparameters.Ifindit
frustratingasadesignerwhenitworksthe
otherway.Youoftenhaveclientswhosay
“thesky’sthelimit,”butthat’sonlybecause
theyhaven’tproperlythoughtthroughthe
limitsfirst.TheorganisersofTheL!braryInitiativewerereallysmartaboutdefining
theprojectclearlyforalltheparticipants.
Aswestartedbringingincollaborators,we
triedtogivethemthesamecombinationof
rulesandlicense.
Doesthiscomparativesummaryresonatewithyouorwouldyoucaretoelaboratewithyourowndefinitions:
Traditionaldesigner Evolveddesign
thinking
Concernedwith
branding
Movesfromidentityto
theexperience
Clever Thoughtful
Exclusivedecision-
making,values/
prefersuniqueideas
Seeksideasthrough
collaboration,more
inclusive
Workswithinthe
scopeofwork
Identifiesopportuni-
tiesbeyondthescope
ofwork
Valuesconsistency
tothepointof
‘sameness’
Valuesconsistencyof
message,buthas
flexibilitytoadjustto
anenvironmentand
audienceneeds
Preferstoworkalone
togeneratethesingle
BigIdea
Encouragesacontinu-
ousloopofaudience
feedbacktocorrect/
adaptinitialideas
Ithinkthechartisexactlyright.
76 >
77 >
Howsuccessfulhaveyoubeenintemperingtheaudience’sneedsforthevisceralandemotionalwithyourownneedtobringyourextensiveexperienceandskill toplay?
SometimesIthinkthattheaudience’semo-
tionalneedsaresotitanicandmyownskills
aresolimitedthatit’snotreallyafairfight.
AllIcanhopeistochoosetherighttoolsto
eventheplayingfieldalittlebit.
THE‘POST-DESIGN’FACTOR
Haveyoufelttheneedtodevelopafeedbackloopwiththeaudienceafteryourproject?Isaudienceresponsenecessarytoconsideraprojectsuccessful?Ofcourse it’snice
whentheaudienceloveswhatyoudo,but
Iwouldsaythisissecondarytothesense
thatthey’vecometotakeontheworkas
theirown,andthatit’sacquiredsomekind
oflifebeyondwhatwegavethem.Some-
timesthishappensbecausetheyreallylike
it; sometimes it happens when they’re
challengedbyit.Justtheotherday,Ivisited
aclient’swebsiteandtheyhaddonethis
terrificanimationoftheidentitywedesigned.
ItwasdoneinawayIneverwouldhaveim-
agined,anditwasjustgreat.Iwasjustso
happytoseetheseedwehadplantedturn
intothissurprisingblossom.
HOWTOMAKEYOUROWNL!BRARYPROJECT
MichaelreferredDESIGN>toAnnoradha
IyerSiddiqi,anarchitect,writerandformer
L!brary Initiative director, whose latest
bookL!braryattempts todocument the
projectasacasestudyandexplorethepo-
tentialforscalabilityoutsidetheNewYork
PublicLibrarysystem.Afterreviewingthe
resultsofthe50librariescoveredunder
thisinitiative,Siddiqiconcludesthatgood
librarydesigncanactuallyinspirelearning,
andtheuseof(artistic)talent,cultureand
apleasingenvironmentaddsvaluetothe
building’sandcommunity’ssenseofworth.
“Artdoesmatter”,shesaid,assheattempts
todemonstratehowwidelyvariedfieldsand
communities–corporateunderwriters,chil-
dren’sbookpublishers,architects,graphic
designers,productmanufacturers,library
associations,teachersandstudents–can
joinforcestomakeadifferenceinthelives
ofchildren.
Whiledesignandsafetystandardsarenat-
urallysubjecttotheirenvironmental,cultural
andlegalcontext,Siddiqiconcludesthat
replicatingandscalinguptheL!braryproject
isfeasible.“(Aesthetic)Standardisationkills
thespiritthough,”shecautionsattributing
thesuccessoftheprojecttotheunique,
customisedspaceofeachtargetedlibrary,
andthefactthattheaudienceandlibrary
usershadsomeinputindesigningthespace
allowedthemto‘ownit’.
Tothiseffect,Siddiqidedicatesthelastsec-
tionofherbookto“HowtoMakeaL!brary”,
hopingtoinspireothercommunityorganisers
andarchitectstopursuesimilarinitiatives
intheirowncommunities.<
TOP:
The
mur
als
atP
.S.1
86in
Mor
risa
nia,
the
Bro
nx,d
esig
ned
Char
les
Wilk
ino
fAut
omat
icA
rta
ndD
esig
n.B
OTT
OM
:The
mur
als
atP
.S.9
6,B
edfo
rdP
ark,
the
Bro
nx,d
esig
ned
byS
tefa
nSa
gmei
ster
and
Yuk
oSh
imiz
u.S
him
izu’
sill
ustr
atio
nin
corp
orat
esS
agm
eist
er’s
quo
te‘E
very
body
who
ish
ones
tis
inte
rest
ing.
’
78 >
WHATISA
BRAND’SWORTH?
InnovationProtocol’sSasha
Straussdiscussessevenofthe
manycriticalaspectsthathe
considerswhenreviewingtherole
ofbrandinginthemarketplace.
SashaStraussinaction.
Asaneducator,Iamoftenasked
whybrandingmatters.Asastrate-
gicbranddevelopmentprofession-
al,whosejobitistolookclinically
atbrands,Ioftenhavetodeter-
minehowandwhybrandsmove
ustopurchaseproductsthatare
non-essentialornotevenwell
designed.
Brandingmattersbecauseweneedtorationaliseourdecision-making
Theinterestingthingaboutbeing
humanisthatwearealwayslook-
ingforreasonsforthethingswe
do.Ratherthanjustbeinginlove,
weareinlovebecausewethinkwe
aresupposedtobe.It’saspiritual
connection–thereareallofthese
additionalrationalesthatweapply
todecisionsandactions,including
ourpurchasingbehavior,evenfor
themostfunctionalobjectsinour
liveslikepens,computers,cars,
clothesorshoes.Ratherthanjust
usingthemfortheirbasicfunction,
weliketousethemandfeelgood
aboutouruseofthem.
Brandingisareflectionofourdesires,valuesandaspirations
Thisisthecasewhentheproducts
reflectsomethingaboutusor
somethingthatweaspiretobe.For
instance,Iaspiretobeself-expres-
siveandcreative–well,ifmycom-puterisself-expressiveandcre-
ative,itimpliesthatIamaswell.
Asabrandposter-child,Apple
hasdonesuchanexceptionaljob
ofcreatingan‘infinity’ofsortsthat
can’tbecompromised.Thisiswhy
Iamoneofthepeoplewaitingin
line,intheworsteconomyinhis-
tory,topayforapremiumdevice.I
amexcitedtoreplacemycurrent
laptop,whichcanbasicallydothe
samethingasfarasthefunctional-
ity,butnotasbeautifullyorele-
gantly.
Itshouldn’tbesurprisingthatpeo-
plearepreparedtobuysomething
theydon’tactuallyneedbecause
thedesiretrumpstheneed.We
buythingsthatwedon’tneedall
thetime,howeverwebuythembe-
causetheymakeusfeelwonder-
ful.Andfeelingwonderfulisanin-
nateneed.Notunderstandingthis
basichumanneediswherepeople
whodon’tlikebrandingrunamuck.
Theyputbrandingdowntoamere
reflectionofconsumerismand
marketerstryingtosellpeople
thingstheydon’trequire.
Successfulbrandingreachesbeyondourphysicalneedstoouremotionalones
ThinkingaboutwhatIactually
need…IdoneedfoodbutIalso
needtofeelgoodaboutwhatIeat,
whichmeansmychoiceofapar-
ticularbrandoffoodmakesmenot
onlysatiatedbutalsomakesme
feelgoodabouttheactionofeat-
ing,whichisequallyimportant.
Everythingfromtheshoppingex-
periencetothepackagingofthe
productaddstothepleasureofthe
purchasingexperience.Afterall,
it’sacombinationofpleasures.
Evenwhenitcomestoeveryday
tasks,Ithinkmostpeopledoen-
joygoingtoagrocerystoreand
makingchoices.Brandsenableus
tohavemultiplechoices.Whole
Foods,whichisaUSandUK-based
grocerystorechainthatoffersthe
highestqualityandleastproc-
essednaturalfoods,isagreat
exampleofthis.
Reallysuccessfulbrandingmovesbeyondthephysicalproducttocraftinganexperience
Ratherthanjustabarrelofflour,
WholeFoodsfeaturesanarrayof
79 >
flouritems.Youcoulddecideif
youwantflourthatisorganically
orlocally-grown,whicheverone
makesyoufeelbetter.Itmight
costalittlebitmoretomakeyou
feelbetter,butonlyyoucanput
avaluetothatsensation.
WholeFoodsarenottheonlyones
whosellqualitynaturalproducts
–therearemanyalternatives–but
thedifferenceisthatWholeFoods
isanintegratedbrandexperience.
EverysinglethingthatWholeFoods
does,fromthemomentyouwalk
intotheirstorestothetimeyou
payforyourpurchasesatcheck-
out,isdesignedtoreinforcethe
emotionalconnectionyouhave
withbuyinggroceries.Theinter-
estingfactisthatwhileorganic
foodsaresupposedtobehealthier,
nogovernmentintheworld–at
leastnottheUSFoodandDrug
Agency–iswillingtoconfirmthis.
Thismeansthatwearewillingto
spendour‘wholepaycheck’at
WholeFoodsbecause,intheend,
webringproductshomethatmake
usfeellikeabetterparent,abetter
spouse,orabetterhumanbeing.
Successfulbrandingisdesigned
tomakeusfeellikeourchoices
arebetterthanaverage.
Doesbrandingrobusofourindividualityordoesitmakeusmoreefficient?
Ofcourse,thereisacommunityof
peoplethatisscepticalaboutthe
dominanceoflogosandbranding,
maintainingthattheworldwould
beahealthierplaceifwedidn’t
havethesehighlyseductivebrands.
Thisisonlynatural.Sinceourfirst
inclination,especiallyassort-of
liberalthinkingindividualsina
freesociety,wehavealwaysliked
tomakeallofourownchoicesand
don’tliketobe‘sold’onthose
decisions.Weliketomakedeci-
sionsbase–wehavetoomany
thingstoworryabout.Forinstance,
wehandoverourtrustwhenwe
askafriend,“Hey,whatdentistdo
youuse?”Weliketoturntoamag-
azineeditorforarecommendation
onanewcomputerweshouldbuy.
So,aswebuildthoserelationships
withextendedtrust,wehopethat
abrand,likeanindividual,can
makeapromise that theycan
keep.Forexample,Listerinekills
bacteriainyourmouthandhas
donesoconsistentlyforyears,so
youcanbuytheListerinebrand
withouthavingtovetit.Whena
brandkeepsapromise that it
makes,youbasicallybuythebrand
becausethetrustisinnate.Since
wedon’twanttomakeathousand
decisionseveryday,wealways
go back to Subway Sandwich
stores,StarbucksCoffee,etc.,
brandsthathelpusmakethose
decisions.Ultimately,inthisre-
spect, brands bring simplicity
andefficiencytoourlives.They
donotgetustobuythingswe
don’tneed.
Sowhatmakesforsuccessfulbranding?
Anorganisationhastofigureout
exactlywhatitisthattheiraudi-
encedesires,whetheritbesocially,
economicallyoremotionally,etc.
Ratherthanhopingthattheaudi-
encewillfigureitout,thecorpo-
ratepersonalityhandsittothem
–ineverycommercialandsocial
interaction,andeverytimethey
walkintothestore.
Thisiswhatyouarehandedwhen
youwalkintoanApplestore.It’san
all-encompassingenvironment,
withtheemployeesintheirt-shirts
withfunlittlenametags.Allthe
products are easily touchable,
visuallyappealingandconnected
totheInternet.Thechildren’ssec-
tion,featuringbeanbagsanda
fun atmosphere basically as-
suresyou:“Fearnot,yourchild
canpokearoundonthisdevice
andthereisnothingtobecon-
cernedabout.”Thisall-encom-
passing brand experience is
what creates that permanent
connectionwhichmakespeople
waitinlineforaday,topay$800
80 >
foradevicetheydon’tnecessar-
ilyneed.
Thesebrandsareexemplaryof
really good integrated brand
creation. It doesn’t matter
whetherit isaglobalcorpora-
tionthatsellssoftwaretoother
global corporations or a non-
profit organisation with three
environmentalistsatthehelm.It
isimperativethatwealldorec-
ognisethatabrandhastoes-
tablishsometypeofintangible
connectionwithitsaudience.I
mentionconsumerbrandslike
Nike,AppleandWholeFoods,
becauseweareallconsumers.It
doesn’t make a difference
whetheryouarethepresidentof
theUnitedStatesorahomeless
person,youchoosetoconsume
thingsregularlyandyouwantto
feelbetteraboutwhatyouare
consuming.
Somebrandshavebeenextraor-
dinarilysuccessfulatcapturing
thistypeofsensation.Anexam-
pleofastrongbrandthathas
totally‘gotit’isLandRover.Land
Roveressentially inventedthe
SportUtilityVehicle,orSUV,as
weknowit.AllSUVownerscom-
paretheirSUVtoaRangeRover.
IhaveownedfourLandRovers
inmylifeandeveryoneofthem
have been recognised by the
brand,appreciatedforitsfunc-
tionality,andrecognisedthatit
wasareflectionofme,someone
whoworkshardandisaccom-
plished,butalsohassomewhat
ofaruggedoutdoorlifestyle.
It’saverystorytellingproduct.
Someofthefirstvehiclesseen
bynative tribes inAfricawere
Land Rovers. The first-aid re-
sourcesbroughttoremotecoun-
trieswereinitiallydeliveredin
LandRovers,makingitahistorical
iconoftransport.Eventhough
peopleliketosaythesevehicles
areoverpricedorthattheymight
havehadelectricalissuesinthe
past,Ihavenotmetanyonewho
doesn’tknowwhataLandRover
is–whichisastonishing.Itjust
showsyouhowpowerfulacon-
sistentstorycanbe.
Tociteasimpleexample:Oneof
thebestbillboardsLandRover
haseverproducedwassimplya
photoofadesertwithtire-tracks
andthemessagesaid,‘Before
youcanhelppeople,youhave
togettothem…’–withtheLand
Rover logo in theupper right-
handcorner.Thispresentsjust
anepicdescriptionofthefunc-
tionalityof thesedevices.The
brandiseasytorecognise,with
agreenovalthatishighlydistin-
guished from its competition.
It’scalledexactlywhatitisfunc-
tionally, i.e. a land-roving de-
vice;hence,LandRover.Inthat
respect,IbelieveLandRoveris
ashigh-qualityasabrandlike
Apple.
Brandsare‘people’too…
Sometimes, brands lose their
way–thereisn’tanorganisation
inhistorythathaslivedaflaw-
lesslife.Beitchurches,coun-
tries, governments or brands;
everyoneisgoingtobetroubled
atonepointoranother.Ifabrand
isgoing tomakeamistake, it
needstobuildenoughpositive
brand equity so that when it
doeshappen,somanypeople
love and trust the brand that
theywon’tabandonship.Even
Applehashaditsfairshareof
mistakes–theirbatterieshave
blown up on airplanes. Every
brand isgoingtomakeamis-
takebutthemorethebrandis
loved,themorelikelythecom-
munity will forgive those mis-
takes.”It’sokayApple,because
we know and trust that you
wouldn’tdosomethingtoper-
manentlydamageouraffinity.”
Organisationslovetofocuson
theirfeaturesandfunctions,but
sometimes even the most ad-
vancedmulti-featuredproducts
fail.Whenmostengineersand
product developers create a
brand,theirfocalpointsarefea-
tureandfunction–thespeedof
theprocessororthesizeofthe
screen.DoesaniPhoneowner
haveanyideahowfasttheproc-
essorisintheiriPhone?Orhow
81 >
largethescreenisbyanydimen-
sion?Theyprobablydon’t.The
Motorola Droid product was
launchedwithfeaturesandfunc-
tionsasitsprimarybrand-voice,
and that’s the reason why no
oneispayingattention.Weare
waytoooverwhelmed.Thinkabout
everysingleiteminyourlifelike
yourcar,yourclothes,yourphone
andyourcomputer–thepoorly
executedbrandsarejustberat-
ingyouwithtechnicalfeatures.
Technicalfeaturesyoumaynot
evenunderstand.
WhatAppledoessocleverlyis
anthropomorphisetheproduct.
Despiteitscomplexfunctionsand
features,oneisnotjustinteracting
withamachine.
Ilikenthistoanextensionofyou
asanindividual.Thatiswhatthe
iPhonefeelslike.That’sthewayit
hasbeenpositioned.That’swhy
thecommercialshavealwayshad
simplewhitebackgroundsand
reallygentlesfolkychildren’smusic.
Justthinkaboutwhenyouare
sittinginfrontofthetelevision
andyouarewatchinganApple
commercial–thoughthiscom-
mercial they are showing you
oneofthemosttechnicallyca-
pabledevicesinhistorywhilst
making it look so simple and
suchareflectionofyou,theuser,
thatyoucan’tdoanythingbut
wantit.
Everybrandhasitsowncorporate
personality.Apple,forone,plays
itquiteclosetotheedge.Custom-
ershavecomplainedabouttheir
lowdegreeofcustomercare,high
prices,andcostofuse,andsome
viewthisasacomplacencethey
canafford.
Butdoyou,asaconsumer,care?
No.Whenyougotoaworkorso-
cialmeeting,especiallyincreative
forums,everyoneexpectsyouto
haveaniPhone,andtherefore
youfeelcompletebecauseyou
haveitinyourlife.
Onedoesn’tneed to interpret
thismockingly;Ithinkthatitis
beautiful.Iwishthateverybody
couldfindabrandthatmakes
himorherfeelhappy,creative,
self-expressive and complete.
That’sthebeautyofgreatbrand
development.
AboutSasha
SashaStraussismanagingdirec-
toratInnovationProtocolandad-
junctprofessorattheUniversityof
SouthernCalifornia.Corporates,
advertisingandbrandagencies,
mediaandacademicinstitutions
fromaroundtheworldhavecalled
uponStrausstosharehisknowl-
edgeandintimateinsightsintothe
worldofbranding.NPR,ABCRadio
andTheWallStreetJournalcon-
tinuetoseekhisexpertiseon
brandingeverythingfrompresi-
dentialcandidatestoinnovative
start-upsandFortune500s.Inno-
vationProtocolisabrandstrategy-
consultingfirmthatexclusively
servesinnovators,andtheirclients
includeglobalmarketleaderssuch
asJohnson&Johnson,Korn/Ferry
InternationalandPayPal.<
82 >
Vega The Brand Communications School, is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private further and higher education and
training institution under the Further Education and Training Colleges Act, 2006 (reg. no. 2009/FE07/003, prov. to 31/12/2014) and the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002).
Turbo-charge your careerJozi: Durbs: iKapa:
The A to Z of Branding 25 - 26 Aug17 & 18 Nov
5 - 6 Aug15 & 16 Sept
25 - 26 Oct
Creativity and Innovation 1 - 2 Nov 7 - 8 Oct 6 - 7 Sept
Strategic Marketing for Thinkers
15 - 16 Sept 15 - 16 Sept 16 - 17 Aug
Principles of Strategic Thinking
Jozi: 12 Aug – 9 Dec
Contact our Vega Navigators to learn more about our career-enhancing progammes.
jhb 011 521 4600 • dbn 031 266 2595 ct 021 425 7591 • pta 012 342 4770
or visit www.vegaschool.com
SH
OR
T L
EA
RN
ING
PR
OG
RA
MM
ES
2 D
AY
BR
AN
D W
OR
KS
HO
PS
Jozi, Durbs & iKapa
Introduction to Conceptual Writing for Brands
7 Sept – 11 Nov
Digital Branding in the Innovation Economy
7 Sept – 11 Nov
Adobe Photoshop 25 Oct – 17 Nov
Adobe Illustrator 16 Aug – 8 Sept
Adobe Indesign 20 Sept – 13 Oct
Adobe Dreamweaver 17 Aug – 9 Sept
Adobe Flash 21 Sept – 14 Oct
Action Script for Flash 26 Oct – 18 Nov
84 >
DES
IGN
C
UR
REN
CY:
IC
OG
RA
DA
DES
IGN
WEE
K2
010,
VA
NCO
UV
ER
Iamaspy.Notsomuchawolfin
thehenhouse,butmoreofaduck.
Quack.Yousee,hereatIcograda
DesignWeek2010,Vancouver,I’m
likelytobetheonlycopywriterin
aroomofdesignheavyweights.
Everyoneelseherehaslittledoodles
andiconographyfillingtheirmole-
skins.Mine,ontheotherhand,is
fullofharriednotesandarrows…
obviouslynotthemarkofonethat
wieldspixelsandink.Yet,Iknow
I’mintherightspot.Thisiseventis
moreholistic—macroeven.Early
onintheday,weareallaskedto
groupupandconceptualiseone
ofthethemesoftheconference:
Whatisthevalueofdesign?An-
swerscomebothlongandshort:
someinanoh-sotrendyandtweet-
able140characters,othersfullof
jargon.Onegroupdefinedthevalue
ofdesignas“six.”Butthethingis,
(andthislinksbacktomyduck/
henanalogy)isthateverysingle
answer(barringthecheeky“six”)
wasaboutinnovation.It’swhatall
creativesdo.Regardlessifyoumill
furniture,designorwriteadcam-
paigns,brewbeer,workforNASA
orcreategarments,gooddesignis
allaboutinnovation.
Sotherewehaveit,myexcusefor
being.Oratleastforbeinghereat
IcogradaDesignWeek2010while
myartdirectorpartnersitsslaving
awayatourcoffin-sizedstudio.
Uscreatives,we’reallinnovators,
andthewellthatwedrawfromin
By
Geo
ffV
reek
en
85 >
order to innovate needs to be
filledconstantly.Whatbetterway
thanlockingourselvesinanice-
coldconferencehallfortwodays
whilejackedupongenericcoffee
andstalepastries?Okay,anopen
bareveningmightbebetter,but
I’llgettothatlater.
ThefirstspeakerwasBrainfood
CreativefounderMarkE.Sackett,
discussing,“Whysittingstillisnot
anoption.”Ironically,thiswasim-
mediatelyillustratedwhenhisco-
speaker,MarkBusse(GDCpast
president and Industrial Brand
founder)triedtostandupandjoin
him,andpromptlyfellrightoffhis
chair—papersandcoffeeflailing
roughly10feetinasoutherlytra-
jectory.Oncethecheershadsub-
sided,thetwobegananinspiring
back-and-forthdialoguethatset
thetonefortheweekendahead.
Theyspokeabouttakingrisksand
failing,andhowthatsimplyequaled
iteration—acrucialpartofdesign.
Theyalsotouchedonprocessand
technology,andhowtheirrepeti-
tivenaturescanalsocreatebland
andhomogenousthinking.Watch-
ingaseverycreativeintheroomcon-
stantlyfiddledwiththeiriPhones,
Icouldclearlyseehowinvasive
technologywasseparatingusfrom
thesurroundingworld,makingus
blindtoinspiration.
Thetwowrappedupwithabrief
commenton‘specwork’.Thiswould
turnouttobeaprefaceforaheated
topic that would come up time
andagainduringtheconference.
TheopinionbetweenthetwoMarks
wasthatspecinanyformdevalued
design.Nomatterwhatexcusea
designerhad,itwastheirstance
thatfreeworkhurtsallofus.
Switchinggearsratherabruptly,
thenextpanelwasatrioofarchi-
tectsspeakingonsustainablecities.
CameronSinclairspokepassion-
atelyabouthisorganisation,Archi-
tectureforHumanity,andhowcrea-
tivitycouldovercomesmalloreven
no budgets when approaching
housing,business,orenergychal-
lenges.Inoneexample,heillustrat-
edhowmedicalclinicsinthedevel-
opingworldsentmedicalsupplies
fromonelocationtothenextvia
camel.Bystrappingsolarpanels
onsaiddromedary,theywereable
tosendpoweralongwithmedicine.
Localarchitectandchampionof
Vancouver,PeterBusby,wasup
secondandspokeaboutthere-
zoningof thiscity to theeffect
thateachmicro-communityhad
alltheamenitiesitneededwithin
10minuteswalkingdistance.Bruce
Hadenspoke lastonthepanel,
showinganothersideofVancou-
ver.Hearguedthatourmoderncity
was“pretty…butplastic.”Hepro-
posedthatthechaosandadap-
tivenatureoforganiccommunities
suchastheonethatspringsup
yearlyattheBurningManFestival
allowedformorejoyandvisual
Designerdoodles.©GDC/BC.
86 >
satisfaction.Toillustratehispoint,
hebroughtattentiontothefactthat
Vancouver’snewFalseCreekWater-
frontdidn’thaveasinglebaronit.Not
one.Thegreedthatdrovedevelop-
erstobuildwaterfronthomeshad
eliminatedthepossibilityforcom-
munitywateringholes.Sad,really.
Busbythenspokeagain,goingthrough
anumberoffascinatinggreenbuild-
ingtechniquesincludingstructures
thatfedoffthewastedenergyoftheir
neighbouringbuildings.Continuing
ontheinnovativedesignforthegood
ofmankind,OscarPenaofPhillips
LightingDesigndiscussedanumberof
productsthey’drecentlydeveloped,
including a solar-charged soccer
fieldinNairobi–thefirstofitskind
toallowsportstobeplayedafter
sundown.
DuetoourfriendlyIcelandicvolcano,
thenextspeakerhadbeengrounded
inAfrica,unabletophysicallyattend.
Thatdidn’tstopMartinMirukafrom
deliveringathought-provokingtalk
liveviasatellitefromNairobi.Histopic
wasBrandAfricaandhowcomplex
itwas.Comprisedofamind-boggling
54countries,Africasufferedfromigno-
ranceonthepartofNorthAmerican
media–manyofwhomhadtrouble
tellingthedifferencebetweenSouth
AfricaandAngola.Becauseofthe
manycelebrity-endorsedcharityef-
forts,Africa’sbrand(theentirecon-
tinent)hasbecomeinherentlyabout
desperationandpoverty.Obviously,
thisisnowherenearreality,butitis
theoverallperception–whichcan
oftenovershadowreality.Mirukahy-
pothesisedthat theoverallbrand
couldonlybesavedbysmalldesign
andstrategyvictories.Everybrandthat
becamepositivelyworld-renowned
as ‘madeinAfrica’hadtobewell
thought-out,andhadtobeofquality.
Onlythen,couldtheoverarchingbrand
moveforward.
CurrentAIGApresidentDebbieMill-
manpresenteda150-yearretrospec-
tiveonbrandingandadvertising,
coveringeverythingfromcave-painters
leavingtheirmarkonwalls,tomodern
brandingandcommunications.One
ofhermorepoignantmomentscame
whenshepointedoutthathumans
loveapuzzle;solvingariddlecreatesa
deeperoverallconnectiontothemes-
sage,hencethepopularityofabstract
adcampaigns.
Towrapupdayone,BrianCollinsof
NewYork’sCollinsDesign&Innovation
presentedanintriguinglookatthe
creativeprocess.Heofferedtheopin-
ionthattoday’subiquitouscreative
TOP:©AdrianJ.K.Shum.CENTRELTR:CameronSinclair,co-founderofArchitectureforHumanityandMarianBantjes,designerandtypographic
illustrator.©GDC/BC.BOTTOMLTR:DebbieMillman,branddesigner,radiohostandpresidentofAIGA(©OliverOike)andHeatherFraserisDirectorofDesignWorks™andRotman’sDesignInitiative©GDC/BC.
87 >
process that focused on target
marketsanduniquesellingprop-
ositionshadbeendemocratised,
andcouldbeusedasapredicable
toolforanyone–thusleavingthe
creativesomewhatuseless.Ifcli-
entsandcrowdsourcingcouldpro-
ducework formuch less thana
traditionalagency,thenwhat is
theagency’svalue?Hissolution
hasbeentodevelopanewproc-
ess,onewhereintenseproduct/
serviceresearchsetsthetablefor
choosingahumanarchetypewith
whichtopairsaidproduct/serv-
ice.Perhapsthechosenarchetype
isthehero,therebel,thelover,sha-
man, etc. Once that persona is
selected,thenastoryiswritten
aroundit.Thatstoryisthenaligned
withthebrand,andacampaignis
born.
Ondaytwooneofthemostpolar-
isingspeakerscameearlyinthe
morning–MarianBantjes,oneof
theworld’smostsought-aftertypog-
rapherstookthestagewiththe
opinionthatartandcommunication
designhavebecometwoverydif-
ferentthings.Communicationde-
sign, she says, has become so
paint-by-numbers,thatitislargely
strategicallydriven,robbingitof
itsartisticsoul.Art,ontheother
hand,springsfromanunknown
partofone’sself.Itcannotbebro-
kendownintoaprocess,andit’s
notpilotedbystrategy.Sure,she
said,sheofcourselistenstoall
thedataaclienthastooffer,but
88 >
followingthat…sheletshermind
driftintotheunknown.Whatcomes
outisafinishedproductthatcanbe
beautiful,unexpected,andsome-
timesdangerous.InBantjes’case
though,eachiterationhasproved
effectiveforclients.Somuchso,that
she’sbecomearelativecelebrityin
ourindustryworldwide.
Afteranotherheadydoseofcoffee
thatwasbeginningtotastesuspi-
ciouslylikeasphalt,localboywon-
derandcreativedirectoratRethink,
IanGrais,tookthestagetochatabout
what’spropelledhisagencytosuch
success.Onecampaignhediscussed
wastheTankersareLoonieproject,
anenvironment initiativetodrum
uppublicoutcryagainsttheuseof
westernCanada’sNorthernGateway
asanoiltankerroute.Thiswould
causeahugeriskforthedestruction
ofcountlessnativespeciesofwild-
lifeshouldevenaminorspilloccur.
Usingaminisculebudget,Rethink
createdtinydecalsthatwereaffixed
toCanada’snational$1coin.Thecoin
alreadyfeaturedaLoon,(anational
bird)andthedecalsimplymadeit
appearsoakedinoilwiththeURL
“notankers.ca”underneath.Thepage
ledtoapetition.Sincethesubmis-
sionofsaidpetition,thetankerroute
hasbeenscuttled.Lateroninthe
dayIposedthisquestiontoGrais:
“Beingthatthiswas,forallintents
andpurposes,aspecproject,does
itmakeitokaythatitwasforagood
cause?” “Yes, absolutely,” he re-
plied“wedon’tseeitasspecatall.
Thisisus(Rethink)givingbacktoa
causewebelievein.”Iagreedwith
Graiswholeheartedly,butcouldn’t
helpthinkinginthebackofmind,“Yep,
italsolikelywonyouafewawards
andatonofPR.”But,it’sadouble-
edgedswordthatdidwellforevery-
oneinvolved,so,kudostoRethink.
Oneofmyfavouritespeakerswas
upnext:FrankChimero–adesigner,
writer,andgingham-cladmetahipster
hailingfromthecreativeincubator
thatisPortland,Oregon,USA.Chimero
spokeabout‘delight’.Heexplained
thatitoccurredattheintersection
ofsurpriseandclarity—simplethings
thatareserendipitous.Asanexam-
ple,hepointedtothechainofAce
HotelsacrosstheUS.Theyhadwall-
paperedthedoorofoneroomwith
pagesfromabook.Legally,theyhad
toplaceaneonexitsignabovethe
door.Itruinedthelook.But,thede-
signertooktheobstacle,andcreated
somethingdelightful.Usinglargetype,
theyused‘EXIT’aspartofalarger
TOPLTR:FrankChimero,designerandwriterandwallpaperforAceHotelsbyChimero©GDC/BC.AliGardinerandBenHuisepresentingthe
brandingprogrammefortheVancouver2010OlympicandParalympicWinterGames.©OliverOike.THIRDROW:IanGrais,creativedirector
atRethinkCommunicationsandTankersareLoonieprojectbyRethink.BOTTOMLTR:DavidBerman,designerandauthorofDoGoodDesign
(©AdrianJ.K.Shum)andDaveMason.©GDC/BC.
89 >
sentenceonthewall:“Everyexit
inanentrancesomewhereelse.”
Delightful.Inexpensive.Memorable.
Next,BenHulseandAliGardiner
arrivedtodiscussthecreationofthe
brand,graphicsandadvertising
forVancouver’s2010Olympics.This
massiveundertakingincluded20
full-sizestylemanualsforthetwo
logosalone.Oneofthemorein-
terestingsectionsofthebranding
they covered was the modular
andscalablegraphicssystemthat
coveredtheentirecityfromcoffee
cupsandtinypins,tothesidesof
entirearenasandmassiveout-
doorareas.Themacroimagewas
madeupofhundredsofelements,
allofwhichcouldbemovedand
scaledtocreatesemi-customex-
ecutions,whilestillconveyinga
consistentgraphicbrand.
Later,apassionatepanelagaintook
uptheconversationofspecwork,
specificallyinthenewbusiness
pitch scenario. AIGA president
DebbieMillmanwasagainonstage,
alongwithauthorBlaireEnns,and
P&GadbuyerJohnGleason.The
latterwasofcoursetheassumed
bad guy to begin with. A client
championingspecworkinacon-
ferencehallfullofdesignersand
artdirectors?Goodluck.But,the
tonequicklychangedas itwas
broughttolightthatitwasagencies
themselvesthatwereconstantly
offeringthefreework.Forthe100
shops withholding spec, there
90 >
wasalwaysonewillingtoshill
themselvesalittleharder–and
deliverfreecreative.Andonewas
enoughtomaketwodoit,and
soon,andsoon.
Intheend,Millmanofferedthe
mostrealisticcalltoarmsforde-
signers.Ifyou’reyoungandstrug-
gling,maybespecistheshort
initialsprintyouneedtogetin
thegame.Butoverthelongrun
–themarathon–integrityand
valuingyourworkwasthekeyto
true success and fulfillment.
Thesearewordsthathaveme
noddingmyheadagainasIwrite
this.
ThelastspeakerI’llcoverfrom
theconferenceisDavidBerman,
acommunicationdesignerof25
years,andferventchampionof
sustainabledesignpractices.He
talkedaboutsustainabilityinde-
signandhowitneededtobeomni-
present.Notaseparatebolt-onto
everyproject,butbakedintoits
veryDNA.Inhisbook,DoGood
Design,Bermantalksabouthow
we’reallthedesignersofthefuture
ofcivilisation–an interesting
conceptindeed.
Following the conference, the
themeWhatisthevalueofdesign
hadbeenansweredeverywhich
way.Design’svalueisincalculable;
itisman’sdesiretoinnovateand
evolve.Designshapeseachand
everyexperiencehumanshave.
Itissomethingtobecherished,
respected,andfurtheredtogeth-
er.Assomeonewhocan’tdraw
tosavehislife,orevenreallydeci-
pherredfromorange,Ifeltmore
likeadesignerthanever.
Tocapofftheevent,weallheaded
overfortheGraphex2010awards.
Ofcourse,theonlythingdesign-
ersliketodobetterthanlearn…
istogiveeachotherawards.The
partywasloud,sexy,boisterous
and well put together. Shiny
baubles were handed around
andablurofbackslappingand
laughterensued.Forallthetalk
ofchangeandmovingforward
thathadgoneonthelastcouple
ofdays,Ihadtoadmit,therewas
onethingabouttheadvertising
anddesignindustryIhopedwould
neverchange:Thesweetparties.
ABOUTGEOFF
GeoffVreekenisacopywriterwith
dualDutch/Canadiancitizenship.
Thatmeanshewritesstuffthat
sellsstuffinVancouver,butwould
beopentowritingstuffthatsells
stuffinEurope.Beginninghisca-
reeratBrandspankandCossette
workingforclientsincludingFat-
burger,Ricky’sRestaurantsand
McDonald’s,Geoffknowsmore
aboutmass-producedcheese-
burgersthananyonemanshould.
Geoff has parachuted in as a
freelancerforallsortsofagencies
includingIndustrialBrand,Smak,
MercerandWaxPartnership,work-
ingonbrandsincludingNike,Shaw
Cable,Amacon,Visa,KiwiCollec-
tionandVancouverOlympicLeg-
acies. In 2009, Geoff founded
www.homelesscopywriter.com
aone-mancampaignfightingto
bringawarenesstoVancouver’s
homelessstreetyouth,andben-
efitingtheCovenantHouse.<
EXTENDED ENTRY DEADLINE 14 JUNE.
We’ve built the airports. We’ve cleaned the roads. We’ve trained the police. And fi nally the time has come, to welcome the world to the biggest event of the year: The 2010 Loerie Awards.
Be a part of history and enter your work at www.theloerieawards.co.za
ACTUALLY, JUST AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLANDS OFF THE AFRICAN COAST.
CAPE TOWN IS READY
TO WELCOME THE WORLD!
BUT ONLY OPEN TO AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLAND STATES OFF THE AFRICAN COAST.
31061 Loeries Design ad A3.indd 1 5/28/10 4:15:49 PM
EXTENDED ENTRY DEADLINE 14 JUNE.
We’ve built the airports. We’ve cleaned the roads. We’ve trained the police. And fi nally the time has come, to welcome the world to the biggest event of the year: The 2010 Loerie Awards.
Be a part of history and enter your work at www.theloerieawards.co.za
ACTUALLY, JUST AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLANDS OFF THE AFRICAN COAST.
CAPE TOWN IS READY
TO WELCOME THE WORLD!
BUT ONLY OPEN TO AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLAND STATES OFF THE AFRICAN COAST.
31061 Loeries Design ad A3.indd 1 5/28/10 4:15:49 PM
94 > 94 >
CueMariusConstant’siconic
TwilightZonethemesong,now
mixitupwiththeRideoftheValkyrieshelicopterscenefrom
ApocalypseNow,Debussy’sClairdeluneandMuse’sStockholmSyndrome–allatonceit’sdis-
jointed,terrifying,uncomfort-
ableandyet...magical...inaodd,
inconsistent,unfamiliarand
sinisterway.Youcan’tseemto
getyourselftoturnitoff.You
needtoknowhowitends.You
keeplisteningandeventually
youcan’thelpbutfallinlove
withitall.Capturethisexperi-
enceinanimageandyou’dbe
looking at the work of that
boy,SeanMetelerkamp.
‘It’stheguythatdidtheZefSidemusicvideoforDieAnt-
woord’youmaysayandyou’d
beright–itisthatguy.After
thecyberexplosionofDieAnt-
woord,theoffersfrominter-
nationalproducershavebeen
pouring in, magazines are
scramblingtoprofilehimand
theofficialuploadofZefSide
hit2.8millionviewsonYouT
ubeyesterday–possiblymaking
himthemostwatchedSouth
Africanmusicvideodirector
ever.WhenweaskedSeanto
describehisexperienceworking
withDieAntwoordhebluntly
answers,“Idon’twanttotalk
aboutthisanymore.Sorry.”
Likeatrueartisthedoesn’t
seemtolingertoolonginthe
spotlightbeforeescapingout
thenearestexit insearchof
thatforeverelusiveimagethat
willsatisfyhisimagination:“I
am happy, but I have never
andwillneverbesatisfiedwith
anythingIcreate.Itisthistor-
turous cycle that keeps me
searchingforsomethingthatI
seesoclearlyinmymind,only
itwillneverletmehavewhatI
wantoracceptthatIhavesuc-
ceeded.”
Well,wethinkhe’sbeenpretty
successfulthusfar.Attheage
of26,Seanhasphotographed
someofthebiggestnamesin
theSAmusicindustryinclud-
ingVanCokeKartel,EtcCrew,
ZebraandGiraffe,DieHeuwels
Fantasties, Fokofpolisiekar,
WHOISSEANMETELERKAMP?
AGUYWITHTWOSMOOTHBALLAS*
ByAnriTheron
95 > 95 >
TOPLEFT:NewHollandTeejayTOPRIGHT:NewNationLEFT:PriestBoyABOVE:DieAntwoord
96 > 96 >
JackParow,aKingandPlaydoe,
tonamebutafew.Addtothishis
venturesinvideowhichinclude
Fokofpolisiekar’sAntibiotika
andVanCokeKartel’sVerdoofVergifitgVerskoonMymusic
videosandyoucan’thelpbut
beimpressed.
Sowhat’snext?DESIGN>heard
thatSean’sbackfromamonth-
longprojectinNoupoort,pho-
tographingandinterviewing
peoplesufferingfromdifferent
forms of addiction. Curious
aboutthisdeparturefromhis
staplesubjectmatterweasked
Seantotellusabitmoreabout
where he’s been and where
he’sgoing.
Whatisthebestmomentinthedayforyou?WhentheBaker’s
Manwhistlesinmyear,thenI
know it is ‘teaandbiscuits’
time.
What’ssittingonyourbedsidetable?Dust.
Haveyoualwayswantedtobeaphotographer?No.Myfirst
extremedesirewastobecome
amusicproducerlikeDr.Dre.
IusedtolistentorapwhenI
wasateenager.Ithinkitwas
throughsheerfrustrationthatI
startedtakingphotos.Ithought
Icouldmakebetterimagery
ofmusiciansthanthosethat
wereoutthere.SoIsoldmycar
andboughtastillscamera.I
donotconsidermyselfapho-
tographer though, rather a
constructor.
Whatwasyour‘bigbreak’?I
would rather be known as
helpingotherpeopleachieve
theirbigbreakthroughwhatI
do.That,asamatteroffact,
givesmesatisfaction.
Isthereaspecificapproachwhenfacedwithanewproject?
WhenIamfaced,Iapproachit
bytakingcatnapsandslam-
ming tea and biscotti down
mygullet.
Whattypeofequipmentdoyouuseforyourprojects?Depends
whetherit’safilmshoot,photo
shootorperhapswhenIdraw
stickmen.Stickmenentaila
whitepage,blackpen,nolonger
than15secondsandyouhave
alittlepersoninfrontofyou.
Otherwise,IhaveaCanon5D
mark1forstills.Film=rent.
We’veheardyourworkbeingdescribed as surreal, raw,whimsical and quirky. Howwouldyoudescribeyourstyleandhowhasitevolved?Show
the images to your young
onesforthequirkywhimsical
nature,butbecarefulastohow
therawsurrealenergywillaf-
fecttheminthelongterm.One
ofthesephotosorvideoscould
changetheirlivesforever.There
isafinelinebetweenpositive
97 > 97 >
LEFT:HaezerBELOWCLOCKWISE:VanCokeKartel,Suitcasevolgeld,VanCokeKartelandWynandMyburgh&VanCokeKartel,Skelms.
98 > 98 >
RIGHT:FokofpolisiekarBELOWLTR:Priest
GrandmaandPriestProfessor.
99 > 99 >
andnegative.Ithappenedto
mewhenIwas12yearsold.
Mystyleisevolvinglikealiens
haveevolvedintotheformof
dolphins.Stealthvibes.
Whatweresomeofthechal-lengesyoufacedwhendirect-ingthemusicvideosforDieAntwoord, Van Coke Karteland Fokofpolisikar? On all
threevideosmyfacewenta
dark purple and swelled up
intotheshapeofamanatees
nose.Itwasahugechallenge
gettingitbacktonormal.
InoticedtheRoycoadvertinyourportfolio– isdirectingfor theadvertising industrysomethingyouwanttopur-sue?Itisafunnyworldthat.I
havemadetwoadvertssofar.
They are nice, but nothing
mindblowingandmindblow-
ingiswhatIamonaconstant
search for. I do find it fun
thoughbecauseIgettoprac-
tice my craft, but it is not
somethingIwillaggressively
pursueinthecomingyears.
Doyouconsideryourselftobeastoryteller?I’mnottoosure.
Ihopethatpeoplecreatetheir
ownstorythroughwhatIpresent.
ActuallyIdon’tfeelasthough
Ireallycare,becauseIcertain-
lycan’tunderstanditsowhy
shouldIexpectthemto.Andif
peopleaskmeIjustmakeup
a new story every time. It’s
bad I know. I just get over
whatIdosofastthatIdon’t
wanttoseeitagainorhaveto
talkaboutit.
Tellusaboutyourlatestproject,Noupoort?Igotboredofthis
‘style’Iwasorhavedeveloped.
Iwantedtodosomethingreal
(lessthoughtabout/concep-
tualisedabout)thatcouldaf-
fectthevieweronmorethanan
aestheticlevel.SoIdecided
togotoNoupoortforamonth.
‘Thisisprettyreal’Ithoughtto
myself.Ihadaccessbecause
mybrotherhadbeentherefor
sevenmonthsandsoitwould
begreattospendtimewithhim
whilsthewasclean.WhilstI
wasthere,Iwasinterviewing
andphotographingotherpeo-
pleintherehabtotryandun-
derstandwhydrugsoralcohol
cancausepeopletodowhat
they do to themselves and
thosearoundthem.
Theonlyhighlightwascon-
nectingwithmybrother.Ishared
acoldroomwithhim.
Challenges:WellIwastheonly
onetherewhohasnotbeen
addictedtodrugsoralcohol.I
amwaytooscaredastowhat
will happen to my mind. So
everybodythereislivingwith
100 > 100 >
ABOVELEFT:DieHeuwelsFantasties,Handsout.
ABOVERIGHT:Vanfokkingtasties.RIGHT:EtcCrew,BonsaiBush.
101 > 101 >
addiction. Even the owners/
leadershavetheirstory.Forme
toempathisewithindividuals
wasimpossibleandIdidnot
wanttoseemlikesomepsy-
chologist.Coztheydon’tdig
them.Ihadtohavethisangle
asbeingasmellykidhanging
with my brother. I think be-
causeIwasthereforagood
stretchoftimeandtheycould
seeIwasnotfrom3rdDegreeor
SpecialAssignmentIwascool
tochat to.Hadtogaintheir
trustfirstthough.Thefirstthree
days were interesting, I can
tellyouthatmuch.
Addictionisacomplexissue.Didyouapproachthisprojectwithaspecificgoalinmind?
Humansarecomplex.Addad-
diction to that. I did have a
specific goal. Everything’s
changed.
Diditchangeyouoryourviewsaboutaddiction?Iknewitwas
evil,butnotthisevil.
WhatdidyouordoyouintendtoachievewithNoupoort?My
intentionsaregood.Asforthe
opinionsofothersonwhatI
present–shouldbeinteresting.
Whenwecanexpecttheexhi-bitionandbook?2011.
Thingsyouhave learnedsofar?Doit.
Completethefollowing…Life is… that old magazine
with good photos inside. I
thinktheystoppedmakingit
though.Mydadusedtosub-
scribe.
Deathis…justaroundthecor-
ner.
Loveis…somewhereoutthere.
Hurt is… truh [sic] spelled
backwards.
Waris…lame.
Religionis…control.
Musicis…AphexTwinatthe
moment
Iam…notaroundforlong.
Mywork…isirrelevant.
Words ofWisdom? JFK said
somethingaboutnotasking
your country for something
andthengettingintoaspace-
ship.Idon’tknowhowitgoes
butthatsoundscool. <
*TheAfrikaanswordforballs.
Itcanbeusedtorefertoaper-
sonsballs,ortouseitasanick-
nameforaperson–eitherfriend
orfoe–dependsmostlyonthe
toneyouuseittoindicatewhich
oneyoumean.(TheUrbanDic-tionary)
Allimages©SeanMetelerkamp.
SeanisrepresentedbyHarry&
Co.
www.seanmetelerkamp.com
www.harryandco.tv
DECOREXJOBURG2010:AFIVE-DAYEXTRAVAGANZAHavingbroughtfreshperspectivesandanewera
ofenlightenmenttodesignfundi’sandhomedécor
enthusiasts,DecorexJoburg,SouthernAfrica’slarg-
estdecorandinteriordesignevent,wastheultimate
roundupofwhat’snewandnow.Withfivehallsboast-
ingseminars,free‘how-to’theatres,trendyfood
demonstrations,exclusivelydesignedrestaurants,
newreveals,freshinitiatives,themedpavilions,DIY
dreamstuff,greatbargainsand650exhibitors,
Decorexwastheextravaganzaoftheyear.
Theshow,hostedfrom5to9AugustinMidrand,
celebrated its 17th anniversary. Pondering why
Decorexhasremainedsuccessfulovertheyears,
CaireySlater,generalmanager,Exhibitions&Events,
suggestedthatitisimportanttostayontopoflocal
andinternationalindustrytrendsandinterpretthese
newdirectionsinanovel,yetaccessiblemanner
fortradeandconsumervisitorsalike.“Innovation
andnewproductlinesarevitalinkeepingcon-
sumersinterestedandsatisfytheirsearchforthe
novelandthefresh,”saysSlater.Buildingstrong
businesspartnershipswithsponsorsandexhibi-
torshavealsoprovedvitaltoensuringitssuccess.
AccordingtoMelanieRobinson,DecorexSAportfolio
director,thefresher-than-evershownotonlycon-
tinuestoremainsuccessful,butitalsocontinues
tosettheexamplewithgreenexhibitionpractices,
104 >
105 >
usingtheeventasarolemodeltowardsgreener
living.“Bybringingnew,sometimesradicalideas
totheshowwecansparkoffpositiveenergytotake
exhibitors,staffandsuppliersaswellasvisitorson
theexciting,lifesavingjourneyofgoinggreen.New
attractionssuchasthePlasconLivingGreenHouse
withwww.Greenstuff.co.zasetanewbenchmarkin
green-mindedproductdisplays.Itfocusesonsus-
tainability,mindfulgreenlivingandeco-solutions,
illustratingthatgreenlivingcanbebothbeautiful
andaffordable.”
Notonlydidvisitorsexplorethecountlessarraysof
stallsandexhibitorslocatedwithinDecorex,butthey
alsohadtheopportunitytoenjoythetwodesign-
mindedconferencesthatwereavailable.Conversa-
tionsonArchitecture,afulldayconferencehosted
on5August,featuredadiverseline-upofinternation-
alandlocalindustryplayerswhopresentedtheir
challenginginsightsonlightingandfutureforward
digitaldesign.TheInteriorDesignDialogue:theIFI
TrendConference,hostedon6August,presenteda
seriesoftrendtalks,connectingtheglobaldesign
community.Apanelofdesignglitterati–interior
designersandinteriorarchitectsfromaroundthe
world–gaveaninternationalperspectiveonkey
designdirections.
Apartfromtheconferences,guestsalsoexperienced
thebrandnewtradeattractionexclusivetoDecorex
Joburg–TheLightinginDesignPavilion.Thisshining
showcaseofthelatestinlightingdesignandtech-
nologyfeaturedawealthoflightingsolutionsfor
architects,lightingspecialists,interiordesigners,
interiorarchitectsandothertradebuyers.TheLighting
inDesignPavilionwasalaunchingpadfornewprod-
ucts,includingthelatestinenergy-efficientprod-
ucts.WithLED-lightingleadingtheradiantrevolution,
novelapplicationsofthiscuttingedgetechnology
wasaboundatthepavilion.
106 >
Fromthelightingsectionoftheshow,guestsmoved
ontotheSouthAfricanHandmadeCollection,adti-
initiative,co-locatedalongsideDecorex.Thiscollec-
tionmasteredtheshapingofhandmadecraftsinto
contemporary forms, representing thehighest
quality,designled,environmentallyfriendlySouth
Africancraftproducts.
Ifvisitorsweremoreinterestedinmakingproducts
themselves,ratherthanpurchasingthem,aselection
ofDIYstallsandexhibitorsweretheretooffera
helpinghand…inDIYstyle.AtDecorex,DIYwasno
longerthepoorcousinofthedecorworld,having
elevateditsstatuswithinDecorex’sdesigncircles.
ExpertsattheMakeTheatre,accompaniedbyDIY
celebAidanBennettswhoenticedvisitorstotackle
homemakeoversanddo-it-yourself-decor,tackled
DIYtopicsthatrangedfrommodernmosaicworkto
contemporarypainttechniques,reflectingtheup-
surgeinedgyDIY.AlsoenhancingtheDIYmovement
wasAlexRoyston,from‘InGoodCompany’,whogave
talksanddemonstrationsonstylishtabledécor
andtheartofhomeentertaining.LouiseBotha,from
FoilArt,whodemonstratedfoilingtechniques,also
motivatedthemovetowardsDIY.OtherDIYdivas,
includingCharlieVettoriofTheFauxFactory,and
MarianneHansen,sharedtheirDIYtipsandtech-
niques.
Withtheoverflowofdesignprojectsandhomedécor
productsavailableatDecorex,visitorsweresure
tofeeloverwhelmed.Whilstwindow-shoppingand
ideasourcinggavesomedirection,guestswerealso
providedwithguidanceandsolutionsbyAidan
BennettsDesignandFurnspace.One-on-oneslots
wereavailabletoassistdesignandDIYenthusiasts
insolvingtheirdilemmas.
Withkitchensbeingthefavouriteentertaininghaven
andhomerejuvenationasizzlingtopic,Decorex
wasameltingpotofleadingdesign,tastetrends
107 >
LEFT
:Eco
Sus
tena
nce,
Pla
scon
Col
ourP
alet
tes
2011
.R
IGH
T:F
utur
eFu
sion
,Pla
scon
Col
ourf
orec
ast2
011.
108 >
andfashionableflavours.DistrictDelicious,afood
paviliondevotedtotheeating-intrend,sporteda
blendofgourmetfood,wine,kitchengadgetsand
homeentertaininghave-to-haves.Thehubofthis
newfoodiehaven,wastheSAChefAssociation’s
‘Delicious’Theatrewhichfeaturedtopchefs.Show-
casingthelatestfoodtrends,thedemonstrations
rangedfromhighend-cookingtosimpleelegant
dishesandplatingideasfordinnerparties.Visitors
alsoenjoyeddrinksandsnacks,whilstchatting
aboutdécoranddesign,atthemanycafé’sandea-
terieslocatedwithinthedifferentareasoftheven-
ue.DStvCafé,TheLovebirdandLatteLounge,Vil-
lieraWinesCapClassiqueBar,PlasconColourCafé
providedvisitorswithtrendyspotstotalkdesign.
OneofthetopicssuretobeonvisitorslipswasPlas-
con’scolourforecast2011.Plascon’s17-yearrelation-
shipwithDecorexSA,assponsor,resultedinthe
mostcolourfulcollaborationeverwiththelaunchand
revealingofthePlascon2011ColourForecast.Inspira-
tionfortheforecastcamefromtheconceptoflove.
AtPlascon,itislovethatwillmaketheworldgoround
in2011.UsingthePlascon2011ColourForecastas
theirdesigninspiration,fourtalentedJohannesburg-
basedinteriordesignersinterpretedPlascon’sfour
newcolourpaletteswithhighlycreativespaces,
wooingvisitorstofallinlovewithcolouralloveragain.
Expressingthe32newcoloursinfourdiversepalettes
throughdifferenttextures,moodsandhues,the
standalsoreflectedPlascon’seco-consciousness
–encouragingrecyclingandre-using.Asanaddi-
tionalfeature,thelatestissueofPlasconSPACES
magazinewasalsolaunchedattheshow.
AtDecorex,thereweremanynotablehighlights.
ThedebutofDetail,anessentialnewannualsource-
bookforinteriors,designandstylishliving,was
oneofthem.Filledtothebrimwithcrediblefinds,
extensivelistings,decorinspiration,tradesecrets,
New
Cre
atio
nIn
teri
ors,
win
nero
fthe
‘Bes
tUse
ofC
olou
r’st
and.
trendsandpracticaltips,Detail isa200-pager
sporting1200listings–makingitthefirstportofcall
foranyonesourcingproductsandservicesinthe
productsandservices inthedécoranddesign
field.Thisreliablego-toguide,fordiscerningtrade
professionals and design-minded individuals,
givesquickaccesstoacomprehensivepickofthe
finestinteriordecoratorsanddesigners,specialist
suppliers,retailers,manufacturersandtruecrafts-
menwhohavemadetheirmarkontheindustry.
AnotherhighlightthattookcentrestageatDecorex
wasthedesignerbirdhomes.Imaginealovenest
inspiredbyRomeoandJulietorafairytalebird
home.Decorenthusiastswitnessedthisimagination
becomereality,astheyweretreatedtoHomeTweet
Home,ashow-stoppingcollectionofthirtydesigner
birdhousescreatedforcharitybyaflockofinno-
vativethinkers.Thesebirdcribs,someplayfuland
othersavant-garde,weredisplayedtoraiseaware-
nessfortheJungleTotsMotherTouchAcademy.All
proceedsfromthesaleofthesedesignerbird-
houses benefited this fundraising campaign.
“ThroughthiscampaignDecorexSAillustrates
thatgooddesigncanalsobe‘do-gooddesign’,using
thetalentsofthedesigncommunityforacharitable
cause,”saysMelanieRobinson.
WithDecorexJoburg2010provingtobeagreat
successanda‘breathoffreshair’,asitwassoap-
propriatelythemed,welookforwardtoaneven
biggerandbetterDecorexin2011.<
109 >
112 >
CONVERSATIONSONARCHITECTURE:SPOTLIGHTONTHENEWREVOLUTIONOFLIGHTINGANDDIGITALDESIGNByStaceyRowan.Fromdesigningtheperfectlighting
foraspecificspacetousingdigitaltechnologyto
designcomplexarchitecturalforms–speakersat
ConversationsonArchitecture(COA)onceagain
broughtrivetinginsightstotheseminar,hostedon
5AugustattheGallagherConventionCentre,Gauteng.
Theseminar–themedLightingandDigitalDesign:thenewrevolution–featuredadiverseline-upof
internationalandlocalindustryplayerswhopre-
sentedtheirdesignapproachesonthecutting
edgeofarchitectureandthebuiltenvironment.
TakingpartinthesessionParadigmshift:digitaldesignandfabricationinarchitecture,wasthekey
internationalspeakersKristofCrolla,Jeroenvan
AmeijdeandSeanMahoney.
InthesessionLight+Architecture:TheRadiantRevolution,KeithBradshaw,PaulPamboukianand
hisassociateAnthonyTischhauser,andPeterRich,
sharedtheirvastexperiencesinlightingdesign–
highlightingtheimmensetechnologicaladvances,
innovationandchallengeswithinthisfield.
LIGHT+ARCHITECTURE:THERADIANTREVOLUTION
Bradshaw’spresentationrevolvedaroundthecon-
cept:‘Withoutlightonecannotseematerialsorcom-
prehendspaceproperly:anarchitecturalspacere-
mainsahumanexperience,notjustavisualsnapshot.’
Hiswishwas,andstillis,thatmoredesignerswho
workwithlightwillrememberthecoreprincipalthat
lightingshouldbe“builtintothescene”,following
theexampleoftheatricallighting.
AccordingtoBradshaw,thismeansthatlightshould
beusedcorrectlyinaparticularspacetoenhancethe
113 >
CONVERSATIONSONARCHITECTURE:SPOTLIGHTONTHENEWREVOLUTIONOFLIGHTINGANDDIGITALDESIGN
waythespaceisexperienced.“Designingwithlight
inarchitecturalspaceisoftenmisconceivedand
misrepresentedbyflashyandattentiongrabbing
setups.Thisiscompletelyincorrect.”
Hecontinuedtospeakabouthowlightcanenhance
orevendefineanarchitecturalspace.Healsofo-
cusedontopicslike:lightasanarrative,lightasa
brand,lightasanart,LEDaslightandlight,not
lighting.HeshowedexamplessuchastheArmani
officesinTokyo,theBBCbuildinginScotland,a
publicsquareinDublin,abridgeinNorthEngland
andtheCopenhagenOperaHousewhichillustrated
howlightingcanbeusedtoilluminatestructures,
bringingthemtolifebytheirthree-dimensionality.
“Lightingdesignisusuallyseenasaluxuryorspe-
cialistitem.Thisisridiculouswhenoneconsiders
thatwithoutlightyoucannotseematerialsorcom-
prehendaspaceproperly,”saysBradshaw.
Bradshawalsoaddressedtheissueofdesigners
whoforgetallabouttheneedfordesignlongevityin
therushtogetnewtechnologytothemarketand
usedcitedtheuseofwhiteLEDlightasanexample.
Thistechnologyisseenasmoreenvironmentally
friendlythanmoretraditionaltechnology.But,in
tryingtokeepupwiththerapidadvancementsin
thetechnology,theaestheticappealandlongevity
ofthedesignisoftenoverlooked.
PaulPamboukianandAnthonyTischhauseralso
spokeabouttheimpactsofever-changingtechnol-
ogyonlightingdesign.Withtheemphasisoncutting
downonenergyconsumption,designersareincreas-
inglylookingatsmallersourceswhicharemore
potentwhileatthesametimeusinglessenergy.
114 >
Intheirpresentation,LightingDesign:Effectorneces-
sity?theyaskedthequestion:Islightingdesignmere-
lyayearningforeffectspurnedonbytheinfluence
ofapurelysuperficialvisualtitillationoftheglossy
printedandelectronicmedia–isitalleffectwith
nofunction?
PamboukianandTischhauseralsolookedathow
lightingdesigncontributestothevisionanddesign
ofthebuiltenvironment.Theyalsoexploredthe
differentusesoflight,forexampletasklightas
opposedtoambience-creatingilluminationand
artificiallightasanextensionofourexperienceof
daylightwhichleadstonewwaysofexperiencingthe
nighthours.Othertypesoflightingthattheyfocused
onwerefocalglowand‘playofbrilliance’lighting.
Lightingdesignisoftencharacterisedbydesigns
whichhavealimitedlife-spanduetoitsbeingoverly
trendy.“Trendsarepartandparcelofanydesign
discipline.Itisallaboutfashion.However,thereis
adifferencebetweentrendsandzeitgeist.Zeitgeist
suggestssomethingthatmarksanera,adecade,
the50s,60s,etc.Trendsareheretodayandgone
nextseason.Lastingdesignneedstoseefurtherthan
thetrend,”saysPamboukianandTischhauser.
PeterRich’spresentationcentredontheconceptof
‘Architecturetobeexperiencedorphotographed
needslight.Thechanginglightofdayandthesea-
sons,shouldthroughthearchitecture,giWveaheight-
enedsenseofawarenessofthespace,theplace,
theclimate.Atnight,wehavetouseartificialmeans
toembracethesensibilityofspace.’Thistakesthe
viewthatmuchofcontemporaryarchitecturehas
toomuchlight.Richhoweverbelievesthat:“Youcan-
nothavearchitecturewithoutlight.Withoutlight
youhavenospace.Thereareillusionaryqualities
oflightthatcreatesshadows.”
AccordingtoRich,lessismorewhenitcomesto
lighting.“It’saboutsimplelighting,naturallighting.
Itisgoodtoworkwithminimalmeansintermsof
lighting–weneedtomakedowithwhatwehave.
Learnandlistenfromnature,workwiththelawsof
natureanddaylightandnightlight.Playwiththe
shadowsoflightandletithappennormally.”
KeithBradshaw,directoratSpeirsandMajorAssociates,Edinburgh.
AnthonyTischhauserofPaulPamboukian&AssociatesLightingDesign,Johannesburg.
115 >
PARADIGMSHIFT:DIGITALDESIGNANDFABRICATIONINARCHITECTURE
KristofCrolla,leadarchitectatZahaHadidArchitects
isrightatthefrontofthetechnicalrevolution,leading
thewaywithadvanceddigitalandalgorithm-based
designtechniques.Hispresentation,Digitaldesign
andfabricationinarchitecture,addressedcurrent
developmentsandchallengesindigitaldesignand
fabricationinarchitectureandtheparadigmshift
thatitistriggeringtoday.
Crollasharedhisviewsonthewaythesetechniques
allowthedesignofinnovativecomplexforms,pro-
vidingcompletecontroloverallbuildingaspectsand
enablingarchitectstodealwiththevastamounts
ofinformationtheyfacetoday.
Asadvanceddigitalandinformation-baseddesign
methodsandproductiontechniquesareexploredand
appliedincreasinglyincontemporaryarchitectural
designprocedures,anunderstandingofcomputer-
controlleddesignandfabricationprocessesisessen-
tialforcontemporaryarchitects.
“Oneofthebiggestchallengesdesignpracticesface
todayistore-inventbothdesignandbuildingmeth-
odologiesdeeplyembeddedintheprofessionin
ordertoincorporatethisdigitalrevolutionandbenefit
fromitspotentialwhendealingwithourrapidlychang-
ingenvironment,”saysCrolla.
But,ascautionedbyCrolla,theindustryisfacedwith
thechallengetobevigilantagainsttherapidspread
ofanimage-baseddesignculturethatfocuseson
theproductionofphoto-realisticrenderingsthat
arevoidofconsequentbuildingsystemstomate-
rialisethem.
“Peopleareconstantlysurroundedbydesigned
architecturalspaces.Asanarchitectyouhavethe
uniqueopportunitytodirectlyactuponandinterfere
withthisspacewelivein.Byexploringdesignalterna-
tivesandresearchingcontemporarydesigntech-
niques,newarchitectureswillbefoundthatfitbetter
PaulPamboukian,founderofPaulPamboukian&AssociatesLightingDesign,Johannesburg.
PeterRich,ofPeterRichArchitects.
toourrapidlychangingsocietythanmostother
widelyspreadandoftenoutdatedparadigmsapplied
today.”
JeroenvanAmeijde,headoftheDigitalFabrication
LaboftheArchitecturalAssociation,alsospokeabout
thejoysandchallengesofworkinginarapidlychang-
ingspherewheretheemphasisisincreasinglyon
digitaldesign.
InhispresentationtitledMachineworlds–Research
anddesignusingdigitalfabricationinarchitecture,
vanAmeijdegaveanoverviewofsomethelatest
researchanddesignprojectsthathavebeende-
velopedattheArchitecturalAssociationinLondon.
Healsolookedathowarchitectsandacademics
trytoadaptconceptualdesignprocessessothat
theycan incorporatenewtechnologies for the
processingofinformationandforfabricationand
constructioninameaningfulway.
“Themainopportunitiesemergingfromthecurrent
‘invisible’revolution,causedbynewinformationand
communicationtechnologies,isnottobeabletobuild
excitingnewshapesandforms,butthepossibilityto
reinventthenatureofdesignprocessesitself.There
isachallengetochangetraditionaltop-downlinear
processesofdevelopmentintocollaborativeand
dynamic,openprocessesofdesignconceptionand
generation,”saysvanAmeijde.
SeanMohaney,inhispresentationCommonSense
andPoetry,focusedonhowweusetechnologyas
atool.Forhim,itopensupopportunities,butatthe
sametimeitisdangerous.Onemustnotfallintothe
trapofusingtechnologyasacrutchfordesign,it
mustbeusedtoexploreandcreate.Heusedexam-
plesfromarchitectssuchasHerzogandDeMeu-
ron,aswellsashisowntoillustratethisprinciple.
Whenitcomestoarchitecture,andconsistently
changingglobalarchitecturaltrends,thereismuch
totalkabout.Withthisyear’sConversationson
Architecture(COA)conference,givingtheload-down
onallthingslightingandallthingsdesign,one
wonder’swhatnextyear’sCOAwillhaveinstore.<
LTR:KristofCrolla,leadarchitectatZahaHadidArchitects.JeroenvanAmeijde,headofDigitalPrototypingandDRLatArchitecturalAssociationSchoolofArchitecture,London.SeanMahoney,directoratStudioMASArchitectureandUrbanDesign,CapeTown.
116 >
PRECIOSA GULF, FZCOJebel Ali Free Zone P. O. Box 18185 Dubai United Arab Emirates
P + 971 – 4 – 883 8473F + 971 – 4 – 883 7913e [email protected]
PRECIOSA CUstOmer CentreOpletalova 3197 466 67 Jablonec nad Nisou Czech Republic
P + 420 488 115 555F + 420 488 115 665e [email protected]
www.preciosa.com
… w h E R E t h E s t y l i s h , i N N O vAt i v E D E s i g N
i s B O R N O U t O F t h E C R A F t s m A N s h i P
O F w h O l E g E N E R At i O N s O F g l A s s m A k E R s
GlasswondersfromPreciosa
Lightingfixturewithfibreoptics,TheYasHotel,AbuDhabi,UAE.
119 >
Lightingfixtureofcontemporarydesignmadeofmouth-blownglass
components,TheYasHotel,YasIsland,AbuDhabi,UAE.
120 >
121 >
TheCzechRepublic,asmallnationlocated
intheveryheartofEurope,hasalwaysbeen
particularlyfamousforauniquehandcraft
–handworkedglass.Theoriginsofthiscraft,
whichranksamongtheoldestinhumanhis-
tory,datebackto3000B.C.HereinBohemia,
glassmakinghasbeenamajorindustry
sincethe13thCentury,andin1724thefirst
chandelierworkshopwasestablishedinthe
regionofKamenický Šenov.Kamenický
Šenovhasacquireditsworld-widefame
asaglassproducer,thankstothedelicacy
ofitsformsandthepurityofitshandcut
crystal.Magnificentchandeliershavebe-
comeaninseparablefixtureofroyalpalaces,
noblemanorhousesandothersplendid
buildings.
Thetraditionofthisrenownedcraftofglass-
makingcontinues in theproductionof
PRECIOSA–LUSTRY,a.s.(joint-stockcom-
pany),whichisafixedstarinthefieldofglass
lightfixtures.Thecompany,basedinnorth-
ernBohemia,intheregionofKamenický
Šenov,hasbeenoperatinginthemarketfor
decadesand,therefore,itcanboastofa
greatdealofexperience,acquiredthanksto
thelong-termhistoryofitsactivity.Today,
itisspreadacrosstheworldwithofficesin
Dubai,HongKong,Singapore,Moscow,
MadridandNewYork.
Nowadays,PRECIOSA’scoreactivitylies
inthedesignandproductionofdecorative
lightingsonawidescale,consistinglargely
ofdecorativelightingfixturesofvarious
stylesandsizes,walllamps,tableandfloor
lamps,deliveredascompletelightingpro-
jectsorasacatalogueassortment.Besides
lightingfixtures,lightingsculpturesand
decorativeartisticobjectsformanotherpart
oftheirproduction.
ThemainactivityofPRECIOSAisthecreation
oftheso-calledlightingprojects.Theseare
individualsolutions,composedonthebasis
ofspecificrequirementsoftheclient.Itcom-
prisesacomprehensiveservice,ranging
fromdesign,productionandinstallation
tothesubsequentmaintenanceandrepair.
Extensiveprojectsusuallyrepresentluxu-
riousinteriordecorationsforvariousspaces
ofaprestigiousnature,suchasluxurious
hotels,palaces,religiousandgovernmental
buildings,restaurantsandtheatres.
TheseuniqueconceptsoriginateinPRE-
CIOSA’sownstudioonthebasisofaclose
collaborationwithtoparchitectsanddesign-
ersfromallovertheworld.Inthedesign
phase,traditionalmethodsofhandsketch-
ingareusedsidebysidewithup-to-date
software,whichpresentsafaithfulsimula-
tionofthelightfixtureinitsfutureenviron-
ment.Thedesignersdrawtheirinspiration
fortheshapingofglassobjectsfromvarious
sources:natureprovidesapermanent
andalmostendlesssourceofinspiration;
122 >
folkloreandlegendprovidesanother.New
viewscanalsobeappliedtowellknownclas-
sicalworksofart.
As mentioned above, PRECIOSA’s product
portfolioisquiteextensive.Thefirstproduct
groupconsistsofluxuriousclassicallighting
fixtures,characterisedbytheclassicalshapes
oftheirarmsandtrimmings,oftendecorated
withrichetching.Theotherself-containedgroup
consistsoffashionablelightingobjectsmade
upofhand-blownglasscomponents.Overthe
lastfewyears,theso-calledfreesets,created
byhangingdifferentlyshapedobjectsinclusters
inanopenspace,havebeenpopular.Theyrange
fromminimalisticpureshapestocomplexorgan-
icmotifs.Glasssinteringandfusingtechnology
addsafurtherdimension,whereaglasspowder
ofvariouscoloursisfusedintoonepiece,which
canthenbebentandshapedinvariousways.
Theseobjectsareoftenfloodlitbymodern
lightsourcessuchasLEDsoropticalfibres.
Theuseoffibres,especially,canleadtothecrea-
tionofmagnificentpieces.Theirlightsources
canbepr0gram-medtobeabletochangetheir
intensityorcolour.Asidefromanimpressive
decorativeeffect, theplacementofthe light
sourcegivesthemamajoradvantageinsimple
maintenance.<
Lightingfixturemadeofglasscomponentsinspiredbynature,One&OnlyCapeTown,SouthAfrica.
123 >
124 >
NinaBriggsisaPasadena-based,Californian
interiorarchitectwithaspecialpassionforthe
sensoryeffectsofspaceonitsinhabitants.She
sharessomeinsightsintoherbackground,work
processesanddesignphilosophy.
TALESFROMTHEAFRICAN
DIASPORAFEATURING
NINABRIGGS
125 >
Althoughmygoalsincechildhoodwas
tobeanarchitect,afterearningaBach-
elorofArchitecture,Iwasgivenun-
expectedopportunitiestoworkfor
interiordesignersandartists.Iwas
challengedtodesignnotonlythear-
chitecturalenvelope,butalso,thefur-
nishings,caseworkandlandscaping.
Iwasgiventhefreedomtoinventarchi-
tecturalsystemsandinnovatesurfaces
withatypicalmaterialsfinishes.For
me,thereisnoenvelopeseparating
interiorfromexterior,onlyaseriesof
spacesspilling,morphing,intersecting
intooneanother,astheirsurfacesei-
therbleedthroughorstopandchange
whenconfronted.
Ifoundthatanin-depthstudyofmy
clients,theirlifestyles,culturalinflu-
ences,privatewishes,travels,and
theirchildhooddreamsservedasrich
inspirationtodesigntheirhomes
andworkplaces.Idiscoveredthatthe
variousaffectsofcertaincompositions
oflight,colour,textureandpattern,
juxtaposedagainstpreciousconstruc-
tionsofmemoryandtreasure,could
bestowspacesofcomfort,sanctuary,
glamour,celebration,healing…what-
everrequiredorsecretlydesired.
Materialsquilt.
126 >
Mygoalsshiftedfromglidingalongatypical
architecturalcareer,tocraftingamoreholistic
designmethodology.Ichosenottolimitmyself
onlytotheroleofarchitect,butrathertofunction
inanundefinedroleofplace-making.Assuch,
I’vebeenabletoexpandmyskillsbydesigning
everythingfromstructuretoshelf,rooftorug,
doortodrapery,allwithinacohesiveconcept
embracingindividualityandpersonalnarrative.
Withthisapproach,Itravelled,observedand
collaboratedindifferentbusinesses,withartists,
builders,craftsmenandeducators.Itravelled
toandlivedinFrance,Italy,Greece,Nigeria,Burki-
naFasoandMontrealandfocusedmyobserva-
tionalstudiesonhowpeoplelive.Domesticity,
inallitsvariedinterpretations,fascinatesme
–forinthehomewefindasurplusofculture
andpersona, intersectingwithshelterand
storage.
Irealisedthatmostofuswanttobringhome,
andsurroundourselveswithmorethanthe
souvenirsofourtravels,butalso,wewantto
embedtheexoticandfamiliarfeelingswe’ve
experiencedonourventures.Weallwantto
somehowsave,displayandhidemostofthe
memoriesandaspirationsofourlivesintoour
personalspaces,sowecanrememberwhowe
are,getinspiredwhenweforgetandaccept
ourcurrentconditionwithoutangst.
Mypersonalsourcesofinspirationalwaysrefer
backtomyheritage,myinherentmélangeof
ethnicitiesandthedomesticritualsofprepar-
ingfood.Cookingandeatingareafunctionof
thespiritandsoulofculturalmemory.This
127 >
Heritagefood.
Queensresidence.
128 >
palatablenarrativeiscomposedofthebasic
ingredientsassociatedwithmigratedidentity
whereindigenousbecomesbothdomesticand
exotic.Forme,theresourcesfordesignlieinthe
re-collectionofculturalingredients,yielding
anabundanceofcomplexityandrichness.
Mydesignprocessbeginswithavisualquiltof
myclient’snarrativeonwhata,ortheir,place
meanstothem.Whilethisquiltisnotliterally
interpreted,itservesmeasaninspirational
tooltocollagepastandpresentwiththereal
andimagined.Thisprocesshelpstoinform
colour,texture,pattern,light,temperature,pro-
portion,scaleandenvelope.<
ABOVE:Brentwoodresidence.
RIGHT:AvalonHotel.
130 >
ELPHICKPROOME
ARCHITECTS:21YEARSIN
THEMAKING
131 >
ByStaceyRowan.Fromasmalloffice
spacethatcomprisedofabedroom
inahouseinMorningside,toasmall
officeinBerea,andthenaself-built
largeofficebuilding,ElphickProome
Architects(EPA)hasseenitselfgrow
withinthemarketplaceovertheyears.
Establishedin1989,thepracticeisin
its21styearnowwiththetwofound-
ingdirectors,NickProomeandGeorge
Elphick,stillinpartnership.Afterex-
pandingtoa60-personspracticein
thelastfiveyears,thepracticehas
developedanotherawardwinning
studioinWestville,whereitiscur-
rentlylocated.
“GeorgeandIstudiedtogetherat
theUniversityofNatalinthelate70s
andearly80sandsomeyearsafter
qualifying we decided to go into
ELPHICKPROOME
ARCHITECTS:21YEARSIN
THEMAKING
EPAStudio,Westville,KZN,2008.
practice.Thepracticewasestablished
tocreateappropriatearchitecturethat
respondstofunction,context,region
andclimateandendeavourstocreate
designsolutionswhichrisetothechal-
lengesofoursocialandeconomic
contextandthatmakeasignificant
contributiontotheSouthAfricanre-
ality,”saysProome.
Definingmoments
Withinthe21yearsinpractice,EPA
hasseendefiningmomentsthathave
madetheyearsthatmuchmoreworth-
while.“IrememberthemomentNick
andIagreedtostartapracticeto-
getherandthedaywemovedintoour
firstofficebuildinginTollgate.The
daywewonanAwardofExcellence,
nationalities.“Wealsohaveprojectsin
tencountriesacrossthreecontinents.
Ourworkisdistinctiveandwellrecog-
nisedbothprovinciallyandnationally,”
addsProome.
Inaddition,EPAhasalsoreceived
severalawardsincludinganAward
forExcellenceforEPAStudio,sixNa-
tionalAwardsofMeritforfourdiffer-
entbuildingtypesandfourSAISC
Awards,oneNationalOverallWinner
AwardandoneSpecialCommenda-
tion.
wasalsoanotherdefiningmoment
forthepractice.Ican’talsoforgetcel-
ebrating our 20th birthday bash,”
saysProome.
Achievements&recognitions
ApartfromthefactthatEPAisthe
largestarchitecturalfirmwithinthe
KwaZulu-Natalregion,whichisan
achievementinitself,thepracticealso
enjoysarainbownationintheirstudio,
withapersonnelofninedifferent
BELOW,LTR:ABSARegionalHeadOffice,Durban,KZN.OneTheBoulevard,Westville,KZN.DeneysReitz,LaLucia,KZN.BOTTOM:VillageBharoochi,Westville,KZN.
132 >
We are proud to be associated with the development of the Investec Regional Offices – Durban
The first real Green HVAC installation in Durban. The Investec HVAC installation was designed originally to comply with the requirements of a 4 Star GBCSA (Green Building Council of South Africa) rating. This was the original design intent and most of the options and alternatives were incorporated in the final installation. Below are the major design concepts implemented to achieve GBCSA Credits. The air distribution to all offices is via a Displacement System which is based on low velocity higher temperature air being supplied at floor level via the floor void. This provides the ultimate indoor air quality as air is not mixed but flows up via convection to the ceiling return air path, thereby satisfying the IEQ Green Star Credit. In addition, all areas are provided with individual control with variable speed drive motors where required. A central computerized Building Managements System monitors and controls, HVAC, Electrical and other building essential services. This is an essential energy management system required to satisfy the Management Green Star Credit. Heat Reclaim Energy Wheels are used to provide free cooling of Outside Air. This is achieved using free heat transfer between outside air and building exhaust air through the Energy Wheels contributing to the Energy Green Star Credit. High efficiency Screw Chillers using Non Ozone Depleting refrigerants and Variable Primary Pumping further contribute to the Energy and Emissions Green Star Credits. Side Stream Water filtration has been installed to reduce the amount of waste water through bleed off from the Cooling Towers, contributing to the Water Usage Green Star Credit. by Noel Smith – Director and Senior Design Engineer of RPP Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd
Compliance = Green ProcessesSeveral Environmental Management Systems have been implemented in all
of Plascon’s South African Manufacturing Plants and in 2005, we attained ISO 14001 certification at all of our plants.
Plascon South Africa strives to inspire more ecological considerate decisions throughout our business. We have responded to the challenge by innovating unparalleled sustainable solutions based on the 3 fundamental pillars of compliance, sustainability and products.
Sustainability = Green PracticesPioneering ground-breaking processes have been implemented to ensure
that we are starting on ground level. Our processes focus strictly on achieving complete sustainable progression.
For more information contact the Plascon Advisory Service: 0860 2040 60 or visit our website www.plascon.co.zaor www.plascontrade.co.za
Products = Green Products Plascon is dedicated to provide industry-first solutions, through quality, environmentally-aware products, which do not compromise the finished product performance or our world.
• Plascon Premium Brands – Double Velvet (white and pastel tint base), Cashmere (white and pastel tint base) and several of our Plascon Professional products all have VOC levels lower than 16g/ℓ when tinted with Plascon Inspired Colour colourants
• Plascon Cashmere was voted No.1 in the Product of the Year 2010 Paint Category for its Triple Action Bead™ technology. Cashmere diffuses light and hides imperfections, it’s washable and stain resistant and retains its stylish, plush matt finish over time.
co
pp
erc
oa
st 2
6278
6
2010
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
EPAisalsorecognisedforitsservice.
Inmaintainingapositiveandclose
clientrelationshipfrominceptionto
completionofallprojects,EPAiscom-
mittedtoprovidingacomprehensive
and effective professional service
whichfacilitatesqualityontimeand
withinbudgetconstraints.
AnormaldayatEPA
“DependingonwhoyouareatEPA,
orwhatpositionyouhold,theday
mightseemlongorshort!Ourstudio
isabusyplacewitharealbuzzattimes
aswesimultaneouslytackleupto
30projects.Daysarefullofmeetings,
designsessionsandpresentationsfor
ourarchitectsandourinteriordesign-
ers,”saysElphick.
TheworkprocessatEPA,onadaily
basis,placesastrongemphasison
collaboration.Thedesignofeach
projectconceptisinitiatedbyadi-
rectoranddevelopedwithinateam
structureledbyaprojectarchitect.
Designreviewsessionsareunder-
takeninalldesignphases,ensuring
bothaninnovativeandresponsible
approachtothedesigndevelopment
process.
VaalStudio,VallRiver,FreeState.
135 >
136 >
“AnormaldayasanarchitectIexpect
wouldvaryconsiderablyacrossthe
worlddependingoncircumstance,
locationandclientbase.Typically
though,architectsworkhard,spend
longeveninghoursdesigning,day-
timehourschasingwork,interfacing
withclientsandconsultantsandman-
agingstaff.Itisarichandvariedcareer
experience,”saysElphick.
ThefutureofEPA
Withcorporateofficesandprivate
residences,amongstothers,being
EPA’sspecialityandwhattheyare
bestknownfor,thereisnoendto
their projects and new develop-
ments.“Wehaverecentlycomplet-
edthenewInvestecRegionalHead
OfficeinUmhlanga,a6500m2land-
markcorporateofficebuildingcon-
sideredtobethefinestofficebuild-
ing Investec owns worldwide. In
designphaseisanewglobalshow-
piece facility for an international
corporateinRiverhorseValleyanda
numberofnewofficebuildingsin
Durbanand Johannesburg.Under
constructionareagroupofcutting-
edgeprivatehousesinCapeTown,
the Southern Cape and KwaZulu-
Natal,”saysElphick.
Alsoonthepractice’sarchitectural
plateis“…generatingourownde-
velopmentprojectswhichhavecar-
riedusthroughtoughtimes.Weare
alsobuildingaveryunusualvillaon
theislandofZanzibarandacorpo-
rateofficeinLusaka,Zambia,”adds
Proome.
IdwalaLodge,Elandslaaget,KZN.
137 >
Proudly associated withElphick Proome
Ridge63Goba,Umhlanga,KZN.
ABOVELEFT:StandadBank,Kingsmead,KZN.ABOVERIGHT:InvestecRegionalOffices,Umhlanga,KZN.BELOW:GottliebGroupofCompanies,KZN.
WithprivatehousesinCapeTown,
the Southern Cape and KwaZulu-
Natalandmanyofficebuildingsin
theworksforthenearfuture,what
isthedistantfuturelookinglikefor
EPA?“Wenowhavefivedirectorsin
EPAandthefutureaugerswellas
wetacklemorechallengingprojects
bothsmallandlarge.Weintendde-
veloping our design approach to
embracesustainabilityasakeyas-
pectofallprojects.Thisisamoral
decisionanddemandsclearvision
and a practical approach to built
outcomesinthisSouthAfricancon-
text,”concludesElphick.<
BELOWLTR:QuaysidePointWaterfront,KZN.SpinnakerPointWaterfront,KZN.ProteaHotelUmhlangaRidge,KZN.BOTTOM:StudioElphick,Westville,KZN.
138 >
Palace was registered in 1992
Contact details: 031 464 6595
We have completed works such as Reserve Bank, Sugar Mill Casino, Sibaya ,Suncoast Casino and currently involved in
Umfolozi Tusk Casino.
Investec new offices at Umhlanga, Durban and have worked on all Netcare hospital in Natal.
We specialise in Suspended ceilings, partitioning and shopfitting
We do work ranging from small contracts to the larger ones.
We are BEE compliant with a level 2 contribution
PALACESHOPFITTERS
140 >
ONEARCHITECTURAL
FIRM
THREEARCHITECTURAL
DESIGNS
140 >
141 >
142 >
IdeallysituatedinCapeTown,the15onOrangeHotelhassplendidviewsofTableMountaininthebackground.
Withhotelsanduniversitiesbeingonoppositeends
ofthearchitecturalspectrum,itrequireddhkArchi-
tectstoapproachtheTajPalace,15onOrangeand
theLifeSciencesBuildingwithverydifferentarchi-
tecturaldesigns.Beingactiveacrossthefullrangeof
architecture,thispracticehasexperienceinthe
creationofnewbuildingsaswellastherefurbish-
mentandrestorationofexistingstructures.Ithas
undertakenprojectssuchashotels,publicandinsti-
tutionalbuildings,eco-sensitiveandsustainable
buildingsandeducationaldevelopments,among
others,makingthispracticetheperfectchoicefor
thesedifferentprojects.
“Thethreeprojectsaresovastlydifferentfromeach
another.Theyposeddifferentchallenges.TheTaj
Palaceisaseamlessmarriageofanewcontemporary
highrisecitybuildingwithtwogorgeousheritage
buildingsthathadtoberestoredandrefurbished
andconvertedintoaluxurygrandhotel.Theowners
of15onOrangeHotelwantedtomakean‘offthe
wall’hotelstatement,differentiatingtheestablish-
mentfromallotherhotelsinCapeTownandeven
throughoutSouthAfrica.Thishotelisahugedesign
statement.Finally,theLifeSciencesBuildingatthe
UniversityofWesternCapeisaneducationalbuilding
andhasitsownchallenges.Ithasbeendesigned
andbuilttoinspireindividuals,studentcommuni-
tiesandresearchers.Wearetoldthatithasbeen
enthusiastically receivedbyall.Theuniversity
wantedthisbuildingtoplacethemonthemapand
heraldanewinternationalacceptance,symbolising
excellenceineducationandresearch,”saysDerick
Henstra,founder,dhkArchitects.
144 >
145 >
Atnight,the15onOrangeHotelbecomesastrikingandcontemporaryarchitecturalstructurethroughtheinnovativeuseoflightingdesign.
146 >
Profileandphilosophy
Thisdynamiccompany,whichcompetessuccess-
fullyatthetopleveloftheprofession,providesthe
higheststandardsofdesignandprofessionalism
throughoutallphasesofitsservice,fromunder-
standingtheclient’sbriefthroughtodeliveringa
completedbuilding.ForthepartnersatdhkArchi-
tects,itinvolvesaddingvaluetotheirclients’de-
velopments.It’saboutcorrectlyinterpretingthe
clients’requirementsanddesigningsolutionsthat
integratetheserequirementswiththeappropriate
architecturalresponses.Inaddition,itentailsin-
corporatinginternationaldesigninfluences,techni-
caldevelopments,sustainability,economicrealities
andtheinterdependencebetweenarchitectureand
theurbandesignframeworkinwhichthebuildings
exist.
dhkArchitects’reputationforinnovative,yetcost
efficientdesign,hasgrownintoawardwinningand
internationalrecognition.“Architectureisamost
challengingprofession.Itissocomplexandsoincred-
iblyinteresting.Thereisneveradullmoment.Itismy
passionandIwouldn’tknowwhatotherprofes-
sionIcoulddo.Asmostoftheworld’sgreatarchi-
tectsareover70,itisaprofessionthatyougoon
practicingforever.IstartedinthisbusinessasI
washeadstronganddeterminedtodomyownthing,”
saysHenstra.
Theoldandthenew–15onOrangeHotel
Thevisionoftheclient,NewCityDevelopment(pty)
Ltd,forthe15onOrange5starhotelwastocreatea
striking, iconicandcontemporaryarchitectural
building.Thebuildinghadtobecomeanurbanmark-
er,respondingsympatheticallytoitssurroundingen-
vironmentwhilstmaintainingdignityinasensitive
historiccontext.
This108keyAfricanPrideflagshiphotel,valuedat
R250-million,isideallysituatedatOrangeStreet,
akeyandveryvisiblespotintheCapeTownCity.
WithallthemagnificentviewsthatCapeTownhas
tooffer,thishotelhasviewsacrosstheMichaelis
gardens,TableMountain,LionsHead,SignalHill,
GraysPassandtheUpperCity.
BuiltontheformerNederduitsGereformeerdeKerk
SynardHallsite,thehotelmaintainskeyelements
ofthefaçadeofthepreviousapartheiderastruc-
ture,whilstgivingconsiderationtothemeritsofthe
existingbuilding.Thebuildingisanexpressionofits
eraandforsomepeopleitembodiescertainaspects
Aviewoftheinteriorstructurewhichistransformedbyalight-filledandcontemporarymulti-volumeatrium.
Guestscanenjoydrinksordinneratthetrendyandstylishbarsandrestaurantsavailableatthehotel.
147 >
Western Province Tileworks cc covers a large section of the tiling industry and has been involved in some of the major fast track, Residential, Offices Blocks, Shopping Malls and Hotels in the Western Cape.
.
Western Province Tileworks cc (Formaly known as Model Tilers ) has been in the wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling in the building industry for the last 36 years and is known for their commitment and expertise on the tiling side of the contract and with the Architect & professional teams. We have over the years been committed to deliver a quality product to the satisfaction of the main contractor and their clients.
ENS HOUSE – CAPE TOWN CENTRAL
Members of Western Province Tileworks CC will ensure that goods and services are supplied to meet their intended purposes and in accordance with the requirements of the various codes, standards and practices to meet the requirements our of clients. We are committed to service excellence and guarantee quality workmanship on time all the time.
SOME OF OUR PROJECTS TO DATE : Sun International Hotel – The Table Bay Protea Hotel The President - Seapoint Canalwalk Shopping Centre – Century City Breakwater Parking - V&A Waterfront Newlands Rugby Railway Stand - Newlands BOE Offices /Clocktower Mall – V&A Waterfront Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel – Cape Town Old Mutual Offices / Business School - Pinelands Sable Square Shopping Centre – Century City UWC Lab Block / Learning Centre - Bellville Standard Bank Head Office - Cape Town Cape Quarters Shopping Centre - Greenpoint Claremont Central Offices - Claremont CTICC – Cape Town ENS Offices – Cape Town Pick n’ Pay – Kenilworth Pick n’ Pay – Gardens Villa Italia – Century City Mutual Heights Apartments – Cape Town
V&A WATERFRONT
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Western Province Tileworks cc, formally known as Model Tilers, has been in the building industry for 36 years, providing clients with wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling solutions. Known for their commitment and expertise, Western Province Tileworks cc is committed to delivering a quality product that holds up to main contractor’s and client’s standards.
Western Province Tileworks cc covers a large section of the tiling industry and has been involved in developments in the Western Cape such as residential projects, offices blocks, shopping Malls and hotels, among others.
Members of Western Province Tileworks CC ensure that goods and services are supplied to meet their intended purposes. In addition, members ensure that all services and goods are in accordance with various codes, standards, requirements and practices, in order to meet client’s requirements. Members work on the tiling side of each contract, together with working with the architect and professional team that are present. Western Province Tileworks CC is committed to service excellence and guarantees quality workmanship on time, all the time.
Western Province Tileworks cc covers a large section of the tiling industry and has been involved in some of the major fast track, Residential, Offices Blocks, Shopping Malls and Hotels in the Western Cape.
.
Western Province Tileworks cc (Formaly known as Model Tilers ) has been in the wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling in the building industry for the last 36 years and is known for their commitment and expertise on the tiling side of the contract and with the Architect & professional teams. We have over the years been committed to deliver a quality product to the satisfaction of the main contractor and their clients.
ENS HOUSE – CAPE TOWN CENTRAL
Members of Western Province Tileworks CC will ensure that goods and services are supplied to meet their intended purposes and in accordance with the requirements of the various codes, standards and practices to meet the requirements our of clients. We are committed to service excellence and guarantee quality workmanship on time all the time.
SOME OF OUR PROJECTS TO DATE : Sun International Hotel – The Table Bay Protea Hotel The President - Seapoint Canalwalk Shopping Centre – Century City Breakwater Parking - V&A Waterfront Newlands Rugby Railway Stand - Newlands BOE Offices /Clocktower Mall – V&A Waterfront Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel – Cape Town Old Mutual Offices / Business School - Pinelands Sable Square Shopping Centre – Century City UWC Lab Block / Learning Centre - Bellville Standard Bank Head Office - Cape Town Cape Quarters Shopping Centre - Greenpoint Claremont Central Offices - Claremont CTICC – Cape Town ENS Offices – Cape Town Pick n’ Pay – Kenilworth Pick n’ Pay – Gardens Villa Italia – Century City Mutual Heights Apartments – Cape Town
V&A WATERFRONT
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Western Province Tileworks cc covers a large section of the tiling industry and has been involved in some of the major fast track, Residential, Offices Blocks, Shopping Malls and Hotels in the Western Cape.
.
Western Province Tileworks cc (Formaly known as Model Tilers ) has been in the wall & floor, granite, marble and porcelain tiling in the building industry for the last 36 years and is known for their commitment and expertise on the tiling side of the contract and with the Architect & professional teams. We have over the years been committed to deliver a quality product to the satisfaction of the main contractor and their clients.
ENS HOUSE – CAPE TOWN CENTRAL
Members of Western Province Tileworks CC will ensure that goods and services are supplied to meet their intended purposes and in accordance with the requirements of the various codes, standards and practices to meet the requirements our of clients. We are committed to service excellence and guarantee quality workmanship on time all the time.
SOME OF OUR PROJECTS TO DATE : Sun International Hotel – The Table Bay Protea Hotel The President - Seapoint Canalwalk Shopping Centre – Century City Breakwater Parking - V&A Waterfront Newlands Rugby Railway Stand - Newlands BOE Offices /Clocktower Mall – V&A Waterfront Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel – Cape Town Old Mutual Offices / Business School - Pinelands Sable Square Shopping Centre – Century City UWC Lab Block / Learning Centre - Bellville Standard Bank Head Office - Cape Town Cape Quarters Shopping Centre - Greenpoint Claremont Central Offices - Claremont CTICC – Cape Town ENS Offices – Cape Town Pick n’ Pay – Kenilworth Pick n’ Pay – Gardens Villa Italia – Century City Mutual Heights Apartments – Cape Town
V&A WATERFRONT
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
ofthecountry’sculturalheritage.Majoreffortswere
dedicatedtothearchitecturalretentionofthemost
dominantfaçadeonGraysPass.Fromanhistoricand
urbanimpactpointofview,greateffortwentintolim-
itingtherevisedprofileoftheextendedbuildingen-
velopeanditsimpactontheviewofTableMountain
fromthetopofLongStreet,whilststillmaintaining
thememoryoftheoldbuilding.
Theoriginalentranceporticowithitsstainedglass
windows,beinganiconicelementandsecretive
barriertoasolemnhallatthecentreoftheold
building,wasdemolished.Thisopenedthewayto
exposingthebuildingtothestreetandthememo-
ryoftheinternalisedhallbeingre-interpretedin
theformofalight-filledatrium.
TheclosedstreetedgesalongOrangeStreetand
GraysPasshavebeenreactivatedwiththeadditionof
retailshoppingandrestaurantopportunities.These
newactiveedgesaresoftenedandanimatedwiththe
insertionoflandscapingintheformofplantsandtrees.
Thediscreetoriginalentranceatlowergroundlevelon
GraysPass ismaintainedforthePorteCochere
drop-offandhotelsecurityarea.Fromthispoint,
tworefurbishedliftstakegueststothereceptionareaonthefirstfloor.
Atthereceptionarea,guestsenterintothespirit
ofthehotel’sstructure,whichistransformedby
theimpositionofavast,lightfilledandcontemporary
multi-volumeatrium,surroundedat its footby
tieredrestaurantsbarsandlounges.Theimmense
atrium’sglazedheightopensouttowardstheout-
sideterracefromwhereguestscanenjoyviewsof
theCapeTowncity,LionsHeadandSignalHill.
Whilstrespondingtotheoriginalaxisofthehotel
building,italsoaffordspassersbydramaticviews
intotheinteriorarea.
Thestrongsenseofopulenceandverticalitycan
beexperiencedinthethreepanoramiclifts,which
takehotelgueststothesurroundingaccesswalk-
waysandroomsattheupperlevelsoftheatrium.
Thehotelrooms,outfittedtothehighestquality
andstandardsandofvaryingtypesandsuitesizes,
arearrangedinsingleanddoublebankedconfigu-
rationaroundtheatrium.
Thehoteloffersaspa,gym,wellnesscentreandpool
deck.Alsoavailablearesectionaltitleapartments.
Theapartmentsrangeinsize,insimplexandduplex
configuration,andareallfinishedtoexactingstand-
ardsofluxury.Theseapartmentsinhabitthelight-
weightuppertwofloorswhicharesetbacktoprovide
amplesunterraceswithspectacularviews,whilst
reducingthemassoftheupperlevels,inaccordance
withheritageindicatorsthatgovernthehotelde-
velopment.
Theglassandaluminumhoteladditionsrespond
inacontemporarymannertotheretainedhistori-
calelements,specificorientation,views,roompri-
vacyandtherequirementsofgreatertransparency
forallpublicareaswithinthehotel.
Whilstkeepingimportantelementsoftheexisting
historicbuilding,thewholehotelistransformedby
theimpositionofthevast,light-filledatriumand
theadditionofcontemporaryarchitecturalelements.
ThehotelmakesforanewandtransparentCapeTown
focalpoint,breathinglifeintothiskeyjunction.
Thefirstofmany–TajPalace
TheTajPalaceHotel,locatedinthehistoriccoreof
CapeTownattheentrancetotheStGeorge’sMall,is
thefirstofmanyluxuryhotelstobeopenedbythe
TajGroupinSouthAfrica.Theclient,GoodHope
PalaceHotels(Pty)Ltd,wanteda175keyluxury
hotelfortheTajGroup,valuedatR450-million.
Therecentlycompleteddevelopmententailedapar-
tialdemolition,arefurbishment,theconstruction
148 >
149 >
Aviewshowcasingthecelebrationofthesynthesisbetweenthehistoricfabricofthesiteandthecontemporaryinterventionsofthehotel.
150 >
151 >
ofinfillelements,theconstructionofacontempo-
rarytowertoaccommodate175roomsandthe
preservationoftwoimportanthistoricbuildings,
namelytheOldReserveBankbuildingandtheTemple
Chambersbuilding.
Itwasimperativetoretainandcarefullyrestoreas
muchaspossibleofthetwohistoricbuildingsthat
hostthegrandpublicspacesofthenewhotel.The
contemporaryinterventionsonthesite,intheformof
aninfillbuildingonStGeorge’sMallandthenew
towerthatrisesoutofthecentreofthecityblock,
house thebackofhouse spaces and the hotel
rooms.
Theequalintegrationoftheoldandthenewcreated
achallengefordhkArchitects.Itwasimperativeto
celebratethesynthesisbetweenthehistoricfabric
andthecontemporaryinterventionsonthehotel
site.Thiswasdonebycreatingabuildingthatmain-
tainsandechoesthearchitectureofeleganceand
thebeautifulcraftsmanshipembodiedinthehistoric
buildings,whilstengagingwiththepurposeofthe
buildingsasa‘place’forthepeople.
TheTajCapeTown,showcasingacombinationofrich
historyandstylishcontemporaryarchitecture,offers
adiversevarietyofcuisineandculinaryexperiences
includinganIndianspecialtyrestaurant,arelaxed
andcasualall-daydiningrestaurantandachampagne
andoysterbar.Themagnificentbanquetingand
meetingroomscombinetheeleganceofahistorical
erawithstate-of-the-art technology.A full Jiva
GrandeSpaandafitnesscentrearealsoavailable
toguests.Inaddition,theTajPalaceisalsohome
toHeritageRoomsandSuites,TowerRoomsand
Suites,ThePresidentialSuiteandtheTajClub.
Theseexquisiteroomsofferguestsoldworldqual-
itycomplementedbylavishamenitiesandcontem-
poraryfeatures.
AviewofthenewTajPalaceHotelsituatedinthehistoriccoreofCapeTown.
152 >
Architectureisa‘science’–UniversityofWesternCapeLifeSciencesbuilding
Theterm‘science’refersto,initsbroadestsense,any
systematicknowledgebaseorprescriptiveprac-
ticethatiscapableofresultinginapredictionorpre-
dictabletypeofoutcome.Sciencealsoreferstoa
highlyskilledtechniqueorpractice.Architecture,a
highly-skilledpractice,isascienceinitself.Itisthe
artandscienceofdesigningbuildingsandother
physicalstructures,predicting theoutcome, in
termsoffunctionandappearance,ofaparticular
structure.Manybelievethat,basically,architectureis
asciencefirstandthenanart.
ThenewLifeSciencesBuildinglocatedontheUni-
versityofWesternCape’sWestCampusadjacent
toRingRoadandflankedbyModderdamRoad,isin-
tendedtoplacetheuniversityontheglobalmapasa
centreforteachingexcellenceandaresearchentity.
Byintegratingsixdepartmentsintoasingledevel-
opment,thisinturnallowsforthefacilitationofcol-
laboration, promoting inter-departmental and
trans-disciplinaryresearch.Thebuildingispositioned
asapivotalandiconicelementoftheurbanplanning
oftheuniversity,asanembodimentofsocialanden-
vironmentalscientificresearchinAfrica.Thiscutting-
edgeinstitutionalresearchlaboratoryisasymbol
oftheuniversity’scommitmenttoscience,technology,
innovation,developmentandresearch,withtheaim
ofreducingpovertyandpromotingsocialandenviron-
mentalresponsibility.
Themainobjectiveofthepositioningandthedesign
oftheLifeSciencesbuildingwastocreatealandmark
thatannouncestheUniversityoftheWesternCape’s
presence,formingthemostsignificantelementof
thenewscienceprecinct.
TheLifeSciencesBuildinghasbeensecurelyinte-
gratedintotheexistingcampusframeworkfrom
allaspects.Sixdifferentdepartmentsarehoused
withinthemacrozoningofthebuilding.Twomajor
componentsofthebuildingareplacedoneither
sideofasocialnucleus,comprisingtheentrylob-
byandgatheringspace,oversailedbyavastcan-
opywhichissupportedbytree-likecolumns.This
153 >
gatheringspaceformsthemainfocusandthelink
betweenthemajorcomponentsoftheuniversity,
namelythelaboratorybuilding,theinteractivelearn-
ingcentre,cafeteriaandauditorium.
Thegenerallayoutoftherectilinearandorthogo-
nallaboratorybuildingisdesignedaroundazone
thatstretchesalongthelengthofthesitethatfronts
directlyontoModderdamRoad.Theintentionwas
tocreatedirectrelationshipsbetweenthesupport
spacesonthesouthside,researchandlaboratory
spacesinthecentreandwrite-upspacesandcel-
lularofficessituatedonthenorthside.Twoserv-
icecores formthe fulcrumforbreakoutareas.
Theseareinteractionspacesthatactasvertical
transportationforbothpeopleandserviceswhile
formingeasilyinterchangeablelaboratoriesand
servicespaces,permittingadaptabilityandflexi-
bilitythroughoutthegeneralplan.Thecoresinter-
actwithteakitchensandextendouttobalconies
thatareintendedtofacilitateinformalmeetings.The
coresaretheverticalelementsthatbreakthelongitu-
dinalfaçade,withverticalaccentsculminating in
glassboxesthathousethehotwaterplantwhich
islinkedtothesolarwatersystem.
Inadditiontobeingthecentreforacademicteaching,
thelearningcentreisavailableforconferencesaswell
asbeingavenueforvariousgatherings,presentations
andfunctions.Thecentrehousesastate-of-the-art
auditorium,acollaborativecomputerlabandresource
centre,seminarandtutorialroomsandacafeteria
openingontothegatheringspace.Thedevelopment
incorporatesbothinstructionandresearchfacilities
withsharedclassrooms,laboratories,facultyfacilities
andamenitiestoaccommodateanestimated800
studentsandresearchers.
Thissixstoreylaboratoryblockissplitvertically
intoinstructionfacilitiesonthelowertwolevels,
withresearchanddevelopment(R&D)labshoused
ontheupperlevels.Theblockisdividedintothree
moduleswhicharelinkedbyservicecores,provid-
ingpublicandserviceaccessandsecurityfiltersfor
thevariousR&Dlabs.Thelaboratoriesthemselves
aredesignedtoassimilatetheusers’requirements
ThislandmarkhasgreatpresencewithinCapeTownandispositionedwellasapivotalandiconiceducationalentity.
154 >
intopredominantlygenericflexibleandadaptable
solutionsthatensureshort,medium&longtermsus-
tainabilityfortheclientwheredifferentdepartments
canwaxandwaneastheneedsarise.Thelaboratories
areplannedalongahorizontalstratificationwhich
facilitatesadirectrelationshipandinterfacebetween
thecellularseniorresearcher’sofficeswithopen-
planwrite-upareastothenorth,withresearchtaking
placeinlaboratoriesandtheirsupportspacesto
thesouth.Thishorizontalstratificationiscreated
throughvirtualcorridorstraversingthelengthof
thebuilding,providingorientationandexternalex-
pressionthroughthebaywindowsattheends.
EntrytotheLifeSciencesbuildingisfromtheeast-
ernforecourtviatheentrancelobby.Thisgasket-
likeglazedentrancelobbyjoinsthelaboratoryand
learningcentre,providingorientationandaccessto
thevariousfacilitiesandleadsintothegathering
space.
Thedesignphilosophyofthisbuildingfocusesonen-
ergyefficiency,environmentalresponsibility,resource
efficientdesignandacommitmenttosustainability.
Theorientationofthebuildingreducessolargain
withinthebuildingandencouragesnaturalventila-
tionthroughoutthebuilding.
Theuseofgreywaterforthelandscapinghasbeen
fullyimplementedandcoordinatedinthedesign.
Thegreenareasandgardensarelandscapedwith
indigenousvegetationandtreesandthelandscap-
inghasbeentakenontotheroofoftheLearning
Centreasascalingstrategyandasanenvironmental
thermalconsideration.
Thegardensareintegratedintoalandscapingplan
thatrespondsdirectlytothelocalenvironmentalcon-
ditionsbyencouragingbio-diversity,protectingbio-
massnutrients,usingpermeablesurfacestominimise
run-off,increasingretentionofgroundwaterlevelsand
adoptingindigenouswater-wiseplants.Through
lifecyclecosting,resourceandenvironmentalman-
agementandtheadoptionofcosteffectivestrate-
gies,namelyoptimisationofthethermalenvelope,
wasteheatreclamation,harvestingofrainwater
andgreywaterrecycling,thisbuildingstrivesto
limititscarbonfootprint.<
Viewoftheexteriorfaçade.
155 >
156 >
By
Sta
cey
Row
an Namedafteraherooftheworkingclass,Durban’s
MosesMabhidaStadiumisaniconicsymbolof
wherethecityhascomefromandthefuturethat
itisstrivingtowards.JustasMosesMbhekiMncane
Mabhidahelpedto forgetheunited front that
eventuallysawthecreationofademocraticandnon-
racialSouthAfrica,sothestadiumbroughttogether
countriesatthe2010FIFASoccerWorldCup.
ICO
NO
GR
AP
HY
THR
OU
GH
A
RC
HIT
ECTU
RA
LD
ES
IGN
157 >
Anexteriorviewofthelitupstadium,whichactsasabrightbeaconforthecityofDurban.
158 >
Wetraditionallyrevereiconicbuildingsfortheirabil-
itytoinspireandimbuesymbolicassociationsand
meaningtoabroadaudiencebecausetheyreflect
uniquecultural,socialandenvironmentalcontexts
–beitthepast,currentorfuture.TheMosesMabhida
StadiuminDurbanrespectsthesequalitiesandit
referencesthepastwithdignityyet,itsucceeds
bestinthewayitreflectstheaspirationsofthecur-
renttimeandthefuture.Itwasstrategicallyposi-
tionedtobecomeaniconicbeaconfortheCityof
Durbanaswellasbeingacentrepieceofthehuge
integrateddevelopmentplanwhichweavesitself
intothecity’slandscapeasasymbolofgrowthand
prosperity.Thisstadiumsuccessfullyachievedthis
throughtheinnovativeuseofspace,texture,colour
andartifacts,whilstalsohavingdrawnonitssur-
roundingsandphysicalfeatureswhichgaveita
vernacularidentityandcharacter.Itsarchitectural
andstructuralelementsallowedpeopleto‘feel
alive’withinitssurrounds,havinginvitedpeopleof
allwalksoflifeandbindingthemwithinaniconic
webofspaceandcommunity.
“Itisimportanttorecognisethatthisstadium,anarchi-
tecturaljointventure,wasagroupeffort.Therewere
fivelocalpractices:TheunissenJankowitzDurban,
Ambro-AfriqueConsultants,MthulusiMsimangAr-
chitects,NSMandOsmondLangeArchitects&Plan-
nersandoneinternationalpracticeinvolved,name-
lyGMP.Eachpracticefulfilledadifferentrole.The
localeffortandlocalexpertise,mergedwiththe
internationalexperience,madeitallhappen.Theef-
fortisreflectedinwhatwasbuiltanddesigned.From
theurbandesignapproachtotheiconography,the
stadiumhasastronglocalrepresentation,”says
GerhardleRoux,director,TheunissenJankowitz.
An
arch
itec
tura
lvie
wo
fthe
arc
han
dit
’sd
esig
nel
emen
ts.
The
tim
eles
sar
chre
pres
ents
the
past
and
the
futu
re,w
here
So
uth
Afr
ican
sha
vec
ome
from
and
whe
reth
eya
reg
oing
.
159 >
160 >
An
inte
rior
vie
wo
fthe
sta
dium
bow
lfaç
ade,
sho
wca
sing
it’s
cir
cula
rfor
m.
Iconography
Fromadistance,thestadium’sarchisadefining
silhouette,afamiliarmarkeragainstthelandscape.
Fromwithin,thearchforksonbothsides,tocreate
aviewofDurban,awindowontothecity,symboli-
callylookingbackatwherethecityhascomefrom,
ontheoneside,andthefuture,ontheotherside.
“Wewantedtocreateatimelesslongarchwhich
representsthepastandthewalkintothefuture.
Onceyouareinthestadiumyouareawareofthesur-
roundingenvironmentwherethestadiumislocated,
bywayofthestadiumwindowonthesouthside.You
canseetheconnectionbetweenthesea,cityandthe
heartofDurban,”saysDeonvanOnselen,Director,
OsmondLangeArchitects&Planners(Pty)Ltd.
Thewhitetensileroofingisreminiscentoftheactivi-
tiesofthenearbyharbour.Theuseofnaturalindig-
enousplantsandtreeslinkstheprecinctonanurban
scaleandtheincorporationoftheAfricanlandscape
contextualises the building.The expanded steel
meshwrappingthefaçadeandtheinfillpanelsof
thebalustradesissymbolicofthebeautyofhand-
madebaskets.Thebaregreycoolnessoftheoff-shutter
concreteiscontrastedbythepaletteofwarmcolours
usedoninfillwallsandinteriors–anexpressionof
theAfricanclimateandspirit.
Tonesofthebeaches,thecoloursofclothingand
handcraftedjewellerywereusedtoexpressthevi-
brancyofthelocalsurroundingsinthebuilding.
Brightlycolouredseating,drawingitsinspiration
frombeachsandmergingintotheocean,givesthe
stadiumbowlasensethatitisalandscape.Theupper
standseatingiswashedinyellowandwhitecolours,
themiddleseatingisgradedinayellowtogreen
161 >
162 >
D & H Flooring was established in 1993 with just two employees, our main focus was to supply and Install flooring to both the domestic and commercial sectors.
From their humble beginnings and over a decade of successful trading and solid customer relationships, D & H Flooring have grown to be one of the leading
Flooring Contractors in KZN employing a compliment of in excess of 50 permanent staff trained in their specialised fields.
BBBEE CertificationD & H Flooring has a 135% BEE Recognition and is a Level 1 Company
PRESTIGE PROJECTSStadium - Presidential Suite Bamboo Flooring - Norament Rubber Matts
King Shaka International Airport - N2 Toll Plaza - Ceramic TilesSt Lucy Hospital - Ceramic Tiles
Cecilia Makiwane Hospital - Ceramic TilesHibiscus Hospital - Vinyl sheetingAl Shifa Hospital - Vinyl Sheeting
Newcastle Private Hospital - Vinyl SheetingPearls of Umhlanga - Wall to wall carpets Breeze Reef Dawn Tides A&B
Florence Mkhize Building - Old Martin West - sanding Zimbali Lodge - New Installation - Rhodesian Teak Wooden Floors
OUR SERVICES
CarpetsVinyl tiles
Vinyl sheetingLaminatesSolid wood
Repairs, sanding and sealing Marmoleum
Bamboo flooring
SUPPLIERS / DEALERS
Belgotex floor coveringsVan Dyck carpetsCrossley carpetsNouwens carpets
FloorWorx Polyflor
Traviata FlooringBona
163 >
colourmixwithscatteredlightgreysandwhites,
andfinallythelowerstandseatingisgradedinablueto
greenmixsprinkledagainwithlightgreysandwhites.
Driversofdesign
Althoughstadiumsaremostlyvenuesofsheerscale,
theyareconsideredsingularpurposestructures.Dueto
thestadium’ssheersize,therewasaneedto‘humanise’
thestadiumintermsofscale,toallowforitsintegration
intothecityfabricandlandscape.
AdriverofdesignfortheMosesMabhidaStadium,
wastheneedtoencouragemixeduseinorderto
promoteongoingactivities.Fromanurbandesign
pointofview,itwasofprimaryimportancethatthe
stadiumwaslocatedwithinanenvironmentthat
enablesthebroadercityandsurroundingareato
benefitfromit.Therefore,oneofthekeydriverswas
theneedtodesignbeyondthebuilding.Inorderto
bringextensiveinvestmentintotheprecinct,the
stadiumwasdesignedaccordinglyinordertoserve
asacatalystforcontinuinginvestment.
Heroeswalk–Theiconicjourney
Adominantpathleadingfromthecitycentretothe
stadium,knownasHeroeswalk,lendsitselftoavariety
ofprocessionsthatwillbeenjoyedbylargegroupsin
thefuture.Thewalkstartsinthesouthwithinafrag-
mentedlandscapeofharshwallsandmonochro-
matictones,reflectingthefragmentationofpast
Africa.Thisisthejourneydedicatedtotheiconsof
sportandpoliticalchange,forthosewhohavebeen
andfortheheroestobemadewithinthestadium.The
rigidstructureofthewalkbecomesmoreorganic,
softandcolourfullyadornedasoneapproachesthe
Av
iew
oft
hes
tadi
ums
exte
rior
faça
de
and
one
ofit
sm
aye
ntra
nces
.A
3D
dis
sect
ion
ofth
est
adiu
m.
An
arti
stim
pres
sion
illu
stra
ting
the
arch
edro
ofs
truc
ture
oft
hes
tadi
um.
Av
iew
oft
heic
onic
arc
h.
164 > 164 >
Door Control Panic Hardware Glass Fittings Door Handles Door Locks Automation Mose
s M
abhid
a S
tadiu
m
DORMA WAS THERE.
Architecture taken to new dimensions: Structural elements of glass impart an impression of unrestricted openness and expanse. Trusses and supporting components of high precision provide stability to intricate structures. External and internal walls, facades and roofs of glass require construction systems that satisfy the highest demands in terms of functionality and aesthetic elegance.
Manet Construct single point fixings meets the specific requirements of all-glass systems by providing the sophisticated technology and harmonious design required.
WESTERN CAPE 021 510 4806 - EASTERN CAPE 041 585 1782 - GAUTENG 011 510 1500 - KZN 031 572 2077 - FREE STATE 051 522 8491www.dorma.co.za
165 >
stadium.TheHeroesWalkisdesignedtosymbolise
thejourneywalkedbythepeopleofAfrica.
A‘world-first’achievement
TheMosesMabhidaStadiumhasplacedSouthAfrica
onthemap,havingobtaineda‘Worldfirst’inthedesign
ofroofarchfoundations,whichinvolvediaphragmwall-
ingtobedrock,massivecappingsandspringerplinths.
Inaddition,thestadiumhasachieveda‘South-African
first’forpre-castdesignandinstallationinstadiumsand
alsoachievedthespecifiedstrictrequirementsforcon-
cretequality,durabilityandaesthetics.
Themainconcretestructurecomprisesanovalbowl
oftieredseatingwithsixaccesslevels,sheercores
andstairwellsandapodium.Thelightweighttranslu-
centroofissupportedbyasteel-cablestructuresus-
pendedfromthearch.Theremarkable104mhigh
arch,spanning380m,issecuredonlargeconcrete
foundationswhichextenddowntothecretaceous
bedrock.Thesefoundationsareelongatedrectangu-
larboxeswith800mmthickreinforcedconcretewalls,
whichwereexcavatedandcastunderbentoniteslurry,
inpanellengthsofupto7mandtoadepthof20m.
Thestadiumbowlstructureisfoundedonatotalof
1901 CFA piles varying in diameter from 450 to
700mm,installedtodepthsof20m.“Thebowl-like
shapeofthestadiumallowsforallthespectatorsto
beabletoseetheactionandfeelthattheyarea
partofthewholeevent.Normalstadiumstendtobe
morerectangularinshape,withNorthern,Southern,
EasternandWesternsides.Theclientwantedall
peoplefromdifferentwalksoflifetobecomeunified,to
becomeoneformwithinthisdome-likestructure,”
saysvanOnselen. The
seat
sw
ithi
nth
est
adiu
mre
sem
ble
the
blue
oce
ana
ndit
sm
ovin
gw
aves
.
166 >
Thefaçadeofthestadiumbowlisalayeredinte-
gratedseriesofcomponents.Overonehundred
leaningpre-castconcretecolumnssweeparound
thecircumferenceofthestadiumbowlformingthe
skeletonofthefaçade,creatingtheimpressionofa
sculpturalelementinthelandscape.Addingtothe
sculpturalqualityofthebuilding,aluminiumfinssit
verticallybetweeneachoftheconcretecolumns
and,finally,awovenmeshtiesthefaçadetogether.
Theexpandedmetalmeshcoveringthebrightlycol-
ouredfaçadeandthefillingtotherailingsinthe
stadiumtaketheirinspirationfromthestructureof
basketweave.
“Animportantaspectofthestadiumisthatitis
basedontheageoldAfricantraditionofelevatinga
structureabovegroundlevel,wherebythestadium
isplacedonapodium.Byplacingitonthepodium,
thestadiumisgivengreaterstature.Theclientwant-
edthestadiumtoriseupfromtheenvironment,creat-
inganexperienceasvisitorsleaduptotheentrance
ofthestadium,”explainsvanOnselen.
Theroofing
Theroofcableswerepre-manufacturedtotheex-
actlengthsrequiredtoachievetheprecisegeom-
etryofthecablenetstructurethatspansbetween
thearchandthecompressionring.Itwasneces-
sarytohaveverystrictspecificationsaccordingto
thetolerancesrequiredforallsupportpointsat
theinterfacebetweentheconcreteandroofstruc-
ture.Inaddition,thestiffnessoftheconcretesup-
portstructurehadtobeaccuratelydetermined.
Themainstructuralunitoftheroofconsistsofthe
104mhigharchspanning380montothefounda-
tions.Theroof,whichdefinesthestadiumasanicon-
icedifice,alsoconsistsofotherstructuralelements
namelysupportingcables,amembraneroof,anda
steelcompressionringrestingonsteelcolumns.
Atotalof50mainridgecablesaresupportedfrom
thearchwhichdefinestheshapeforthe46000m2
roofcoverage.Theseridgecablesaswellasthevalley
cablesareconnectedtothecompressionringthat
inturn,issupportedonsteelfaçadecolumns.
Concrete–TheNo.1choice
Concretewasusedforthemajorityofthestructural
andarchitecturalelementsbecauseofitshighqual-
ity finish, its ease of construction into complex
shapesandforms,durabilitytoresistthemarineen-
vironmentofDurban,itsspeedinconstruction,its
lowmaintenanceandbecauseoftheeconomical
advantages.
Theconcretefaçadecolumnsarethemainfeature
ofthefaçade.VerticalinthevicinityoftheNorth-
Southspanningarch,theyrakeprogressivelyout-
wardtowardstheEastandWestofthestadium,
definingthedramaticbowlshape.Theyarepre-
castconcretefromlevel3tolevel6andsteelfrom
level6uptothecompressionring.Ofthe102col-
umns,42areverticaland60arerakedatvarying
inclinations.Thecolumnsarepaintedwhitetofitin
withtheoverallfaçadecolourconcept,withahigh
leveloffinish.
167 >
Visi
tors
can
exp
erie
nce
mag
nific
entv
iew
sof
the
stad
ium
and
the
Dur
ban
City
from
the
cabl
eca
ron
the
arch
.
168 >
SME ad
Lightning Protection& Earthing cc
SME are still the only company in this field to have successfully held the coveted SABS/ISO 9001-2000 listing in Southern Africa, since 1987.
As a result of this listing, as well as CIDB accreditation, and our BEE status, we have been successful in undertaking contracts throughout Southern Africa, and as far as Tanzania. and Madagascar, with extensive contracts in Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, and more recently, Namibia. We are eager to extend our customer base further in Zambia, and hope to become active in Zimbabwe and Angola.
Our client base is largely made up of Corporate Clients in the private Sector, as well as large government contracts such as 2010 Stadia, and the new King Shaka Airport in Durban, due to our ability to deliver a quality product on time, and within budget.
Our core business of Lightning Protection and Electrical Earthing, supplemented by our large range of surge protective devices (SPD’s) is crucial in our subtropical climate, which experiences some of the highest lightning activity in the world, that can result in catastrophic losses in plant and equipment, not to mention risk to personnel.
2010 marks our 25th anniversary as an independent company, and due to the growth in our client base, we are constantly striving to improve quality of delivery, and adding skilled personnel to our ever-growing operation.
More information is available on our Website www.sme.co.za
Phone: +27 31 701 7582 Fax: +27 31 702 5320 Email: [email protected]
www.sme.co.za
Specialist contractors in strict accordance with SANS codes of practice.
SANS 10313 2008(IEC 63205)
SANS 10199 2004
SANS 10089-2
The Protection of Structures againstLightning.
Soil Resistivity surveys, Design and Installation of Earthing, Testing of Existing Earthing.
Earthing for Hazardous areas.
Design, Supply and Installation, Investigations and Reports, Maintenance and Compliance Certification.
For Reliability and Quality Installations - Call SME
169 >
LightningProtection&Earthing
SMELightningProtectionandEarthingwasproud
tobeassociatedwiththecelebratedMosesMabhida
SoccerStadium,inthattheywerecontractedtoin-
stalltheLightningProtectiontotheStadiumStruc-
tureaswellastheearthingforthesubstation
feed.Overall,itwasimperativetoensurethatthe
installation,fromthemetaloftheseatingthrough
tothearchoverthestadium,wasearthedtothe
exactingstandardsdemandedbytheSABS/IEC
codesofpractice.
Due to the commitment and dedication to the
projectdisplayedbyVusiShabane,theteamlead-
er,andhiscrew,nodelaysorproblemsoccurred
duringthecourseoftheproject.SMEiscurrently
innegotiationwiththeirclient,GLEvents,regard-
ingtheearthingrequirementsforthemediacentres
whicharebeingerectedateachstadium,inorder
formediavisitorstobekeptsafeshouldtheyhave
thepleasureofexperiencingarealSouthAfrican
lightningstorm.
SME,with25yearsinbusiness,isstilltheonlycom-
panyinitsfieldtohavesuccessfullyheldthecov-
etedSABS/ISO9001-2000listinginSouthernAf-
rica,since1987.Asaresultofthislisting,aswell
asCIDBaccreditation,andtheirBEEstatus,they
havesuccessfullyundertakencontractsthroughout
SouthernAfrica,andasfarasTanzaniaandMada-
gascar,withextensivecontractsinMozambique,
Zambia,BotswanaandNamibia.Theirclientbaseis
largelymadeupofcorporateclientsintheprivate
sector,aswellaslargegovernmentcontractssuch
as2010Stadia. Alo
wa
ngle
sho
toft
hee
xter
iorf
açad
e.A
vie
wo
fthe
inte
rior
faça
de,w
ith
its
conc
rete
fini
shes
and
str
uctu
res.
170 >
Theircorebusinessoflightningprotectionandelec-
tricalearthing,supplementedbytheirlargerangeof
surgeprotectivedevices,iscrucialinSouthAfrica’s
subtropicalclimate,whichexperiencessomeofthe
highestlightningactivityintheworld,resultingin
catastrophiclossesinplant,equipmentandpersonnel.
“Thisstadiumlooksbeyond2010.Itlooksatthe
wholeprecinctandhowthisdevelopmentwill‘sell’
Durban.Thisisoneofthefirstopportunitiesthat
SouthAfricanconsultantshavehadtoprovethat
we,asSouthAfricans,canproduce largescale
projects.TheMosesMabhidastadiumisworldclass,”
concludesvanOnselen.< BEL
OW
:An
exte
rior
vie
wo
fthe
icon
ics
tadi
umli
tup
at
nigh
t.R
IGH
T:A
wid
ean
gle
view
oft
heD
urba
nsk
ylin
e,
wit
hth
est
aidu
mb
eam
ing
brig
ht.
171 >
172 >
ByBevHermanson
THEPRIDEOF
THECAPE
173 >
Of all the stadiums that were prepared for
the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, only three
were entirely new constructions. One of
these was the Cape Town Stadium situated
close to the popular V&A Waterfront along
the shoreline of Table Bay, within full view
of Cape Town’s most famous landmark,
Table Mountain.
Oneofthelargestconstructionprojectsthathad
beentackledbytheCityofCapeTown,theCapeTown
Stadiumandthesurroundingparklandhadbeencom-
pletedatacostofR4,5-billion.Alongwithitspark-
ingareaandaretailplaza,thestadiumcoversanarea
of18hectares,equivalenttosixcityblocks.Built
tobemorethanmerelyasoccerstadium,thisde-
velopmenthasbeendesignedasamulti-purpose
venuethatisequippedtohostrugbymatches,mu-
sicconcertsandmanyothermajoreventsaswell.
PhotobyBruceSutherland,CityofCapeTown.
174 >
Itssuccessfulcompletioninvolvedalargetask-
forceofprofessionalscomprising15differentdis-
ciplinesand51firmsandajointventureof2ofthe
largestcontractingfirmsinthecountry.
GreenPointasasportsprecinct
SincebeforetheAngloBoerWarinthelate1800s,
theGreenPointCommonhasbeenhometoavari-
etyofsportsclubs,includingHamiltons,SouthAfri-
ca’soldestrugbyclubthatwasfoundedin1875,
andtheGreenPointCricketClubthatstartedin1897.
Declaredapublicopenspaceforrecreationandsport
byBritain’sKingGeorgeVin1923,thisvaluable
pieceofgroundhasbeenstaunchlyprotectedfrom
thethreatofovercommercialisationandexpansion
aroundtheMotherCity.
TheGreenPointStadium,builtontheCommonin
the1940s,wasrathercontroversial,as,withaca-
pacityofonly18000seats,manysawitasa‘white
elephant’thatwasunder-utilised.Overtheyears,it
wasusedforvariousevents,includingsmallscale
concertsandsportsevents.Itwasadditionallyhome
totheSantosandHellenicSoccerClubsandlaterthe
AjaxFootballClub.
Atthetimethatthe2010FIFASoccerWorldCupwasawardedtoSouthAfrica,theplanningcommittee
determinedthatthestadiuminCapeTownwasgo-
ingtoneedcloseto70000seatstoqualifytohost
atleastoneofthesemi-finalmatchesthere.Under
thecircumstances,theydecideditwouldbeeasier
tobuildanentirelynewstadiumclosetotheold
stadium,ratherthantrytoupgradetheoldfossilfa-
cilities.TheoldGreenPointStadiumhassincebeen
175 >
partiallydemolishedandhasbeenconvertedinto
adedicatedstadiumforathletics.
TorefertoCapeTown’sstadiumastheGreenPoint
Stadiumis,therefore,acompletemisnomer,asthe
landallocatedfortheconstructionofthenewstadium
waslandthathadbeenusedbytheMetropolitanGolf
Clubforitsnineholegolfcourse.Tocompensate
theMetsandothersportingdisciplinesusingthe
Common,theentireareahasbeenreorganised.Anew
nineholegolfcoursehasbeenbuiltand12,5hec-
tareshavebeenconvertedintoanurbanparkthat
boastswalking,cyclingandjoggingtracks,thatweave
aroundbeautifulwaterfeaturesandlandscaped
gardens.Otherfacilitiesintheprecinctincludea
Health&FitnessClub,tenniscourts,hockeyand
rugbyfieldsandacricketoval.Atree-linedpedes-
trianwalkwayfurtherconnectstheMouillePoint
lighthousewithSomersetRoadontheoutskirtsof
thecity. In total, thisencompassesanareaof
some65hectaresofparklandandsportsfacilities.
Withinastone’sthrowofthenewstadium,the123
hectareV&AWaterfrontoffersvisitorsawealthof
pleasurepursuits–fromaferrytriptothehistori-
calRobbenEiland,wherethewellknownfreedom
fighterandpastpresidentofthecountry,Nelson
Mandela,wasincarcerated,toasumptuousarrayof
restaurants,luxuryhotels,storesandotherleisure
pursuits.
Thenewstadium
Thestate-of-the-artCapeTownStadiumhostedfiveof
thefirstroundmatches,onesecondroundmatch,one
quarterfinalandonesemi-finalofthe2010FIFAWorld
The
vari
ous
phas
eso
f
cons
truc
tion
on
the
Cape
Tow
n
Stad
ium
.Pho
tos
byB
ruce
Suth
erla
nd,C
ity
ofC
ape
Tow
n.
176 >
FIRE PROTECTION CONSULTANTSBramley and Associates cc
Specialists in the application of
The National Building Regulations,
Rational Designs and Fixed FireProtection Services
E-Mail: [email protected]
Often copied but Never Surpassed
CAPE TOWNTel: (021) 462-4960
Bramley & Associates ccAdding Value through Expertise
176 >
Tel: 021 884 4568Fax: 021 884 4537Office Cell: 083 704 6881Email: [email protected]: www.groenvleigras.co.za
WE OFFER– Collections on farms– Deliveries anywhere in the Western Cape– Sod installations– Advise on any turf matters– 3 Varieties of turf grass: Kikuyu, Cynodon Dactylon and Buffalo
WE SPECIALIZE IN:– Golf Courses - new and existing– Sport fields - soccer fields for big events– Developments– Estates– Domestic Housing
Construction and maintenance of the Cape Town Stadium Pitch
177 >
Cupsoccermatches.Designedbyconceptarchitects,
gmpArchitectsofGermany,inconjunctionwithlo-
calfirms,LouisKarolArchitectsandPointArchitects,
thestadiumcoversanareaof290mx260mand
stands50matitshighestpoint.
Themostamazingaspectofthestadiumisthe
high-techroofthatcovers38000squaremetres,
protectingthebulkofthespectatorsfromtheoften
inclementCapeweather.Knowingthe‘CapeDoctor’,
theharshsouth-easterwindthatoccasionallythrash-
estheForeshoreandtheGreenPointCommonat
galeforce,asubstantialroofwasdefinitelyonthe
city’swishlist.Thedoublewhammyofthisdesign
isthatitnotonlyprotectsthespectatorsfromharsh
weatherconditions,itreducesthenoiseemanating
fromthestadium–whichwillbemostwelcometo
theGreenPointandSeaPointresidentsthatdo
notrelishhearingthevuvuzelasatfullblastthrough-
outthematches.
Commandingasignificantchunkoftheconstruction
budget,theroofhasbeendesignedasasaddleback
curvewithadoublemembrane.Itssmoothflowing
appearancefromallanglescontributestomakingthis
stadiumoneofthemostdistinctiveinthecountry.
Weighingintheregionof3735tons,theroofstruc-
ture,thatrestsonatotalof72columns,comprisesan
outer‘compressionring’whichislinkedtoaninner
‘tensionring’byasystemoftrussesandcables.The
innertensionringhousesthelightsandacoustic
equipment.Thetoplayeroftheroofismadeofaround
9000panelsoflaminatedsafetyglasstoallowin
plentyofnaturallight,whilethebottomlayerismade
upofwovenPVCceilingpanelsthatabsorbssound,
whileprotectingtheequipmentfrombelow.
Phot
osb
yRo
dger
Bos
ch,
Med
iaCl
ubSo
uthA
fric
a.co
m.
178 >
Facilities
Althoughtheseatingcapacityforthedurationof
theWorldCupaccommodated68000spectators,
aftertheendofthetournament,13000seatswere
removed,whichleft55000permanentseats.To
channelthelargecrowds,59maingatesleadto
115turnstilespositionedaroundthe745metrepe-
rimeter.Conveniencesinclude530toiletsand360
urinals.TherearefourTVstudios,24mediadesks
and178mediaseats,aswellasamedicalcentre
andapolicestation.Tocaterforthemovementof
theimpaired,thereare16liftsand120placesfor
spectatorsinwheelchairs.
“Thesizeofthefacilityisphenomenal,”saysBev
Mitchellofprojectmanager,MitchellduPlessisAs-
sociates(MDA).“Theroofiscolumn-freeandthe
seatingispositionedinsuchawaythatspectators
canseeallfourcornersoftheplayingareawithout
havingtostandorjump.Evenwhentheyleavetheir
seatstobuyfood,therearestillopportunitiesto
seethegamewhilestandinginthequeues.To
complementtheactiononthefield,twogiantTV
screenshavebeenmountedabovetheseating
area–excellentforactionreplaysandclose-upsof
theaction.”
Jointeffort
Withinthetimeframeoftheproject,thedesign
teamspentayearinthepreparationphasebefore
theconstructionteameventuallybrokegroundin
February2007.However,timewasextremelylimited,
consideringtheenormityoftheproject,andtherefore
therewasacallfortendersfrommulti-disciplinary
Phot
oby
BKS
.
Phot
osb
yB
evM
itch
ell(
left
)and
Rodg
erB
osch
(rig
ht),
Med
iaCl
ubSo
uthA
fric
a.co
m.
179 >
teamstoensurethateverythingwouldbecom-
pletedontime.
“Duringthetenderprocess,MDAputtwoteamsto-
getherandenteredtwodifferenttenders,which
cameinfirstandsecond.Afterlengthydelibera-
tions,itwasdecidedthatbothteamsshouldbe
appointed.MDAwasthecommondenominator,so
thetwoteamswereco-ordinatedfromtheMDAof-
fices.Weputtogetherajointventureoffourproject
managementfirms–ourselves,BKS,AriyaProject
ManagersandNgonyamaOkpanumAssociates.
Overall,weendedupwithover51firmsinvolvedon
theprofessionalteam,representing15disciplines.
Thatwastheonlywaywecouldseeourselvesbeing
abletohandthestadiumoverbytheendof2009,
thespecifieddeadline.”
Thefirstcostingscameout20–30%overthebudget,
requiringsignificantdesignrefinementsinorder
toshrinkthecosts.“Tryingtoadjustthecostswasa
nightmareastheWorldwasgoingthroughareces-
sionandourlocalconstructionindustrywasflying,so
thelabourratesandmaterialscostswerealothigh-
er,”Mitchellelaborates.“Fortunately,wemanaged
tonegotiateaslightlyhigherbudgetasacompro-
miseandwewereabletocomeinbelowthat,in
theend.”
Withthehelpofgmp,theGermanarchitects,thede-
signteammanagedtoconceptualiseastructure
thataddstothebeautyofCapeTown.Standing
proudlywithintheparklikesurroundings,itsform
iscertainlydistinctiveandsomewhatsculptural.
180 >
Sustainability
TherevampedGreenPointCommonisverymuch
apeopleplaceandtofallinlinewiththenatural
andhumanaspectsofitsenvironment,theCape
TownStadiumneededtobeasenvironmentally
sustainableaspossible.Partofthechallengewas
toreducetrafficcongestioninordertoreducethe
stadium’scarbonfootprint.
“Fortunately,theCentralBusinessDistrictofCape
TowniswithinwalkingdistanceandanIntegrated
RapidTransitsystemisalsoavailabletotransport
spectatorsfromtheparkadesandopenparkingareas
withinthecitytothestadium.ThereareonlyVIPpark-
ingfacilitiesallocatedwithinthestadiumgrounds
–thesewillaccommodateupto3000vehicles.”
Furtherenvironmentallyconsciousinitiativesin-
cludedwatermanagementandenergyconservation
andrecyclingwhereverpossible.“WhentheGreen
PointStadiumwaspartiallydemolished,95%ofthe
componentswereincorporatedinthenewstadium
aspartofarecyclingproject,”Mitchellcontinues.
“Waterandenergysavingswerealsoapriority.”
Abuildingmanagementsystemhasbeenincorpo-
rated.Thismonitorsenergyusageandlightscanbe
switchedoffandair-conditioningadjustedinrooms
thatareunoccupied.Compactfluorescentlamps
havebeenusedinmostareasandtoreducethe
needforairconditioning,theoutercladdingofthe
stadiumallowsairtocirculate.
Waterfromtheroofischannelledintostoragetanks
andasmuchgreywaterisrecycledaspossible.
MuchofitisusedtofillpondsontheGreenPoint
Commonaswellasforirrigationofthegardens.
Furthermore,neithertheCommon,withitsurban
park,northestadium,reliesontheCityofCapeTown’s
Phot
osb
yB
ruce
Sut
herl
and,
Cit
yof
Cap
eTo
wn.
181 > 181 >
LIGHTNING PROTECTION & EARTHING
GAUTENG:
Postnet Suite 162
Private Bag X15
Menlo Park 0102
Tel: 012 - 542 2088
Fax: 012 - 542 2091
Email: [email protected]
SPECIALISTS IN THE FOLLOWING FIELDS:
Design, Supply, Installation and Testing of Lightning Protection Systems in strict accordance with SANS 10313:2008 and SANS 62305:2007
Design, Supply, Installation and Testing of Earthing systems in strict accordance with SANS 10199:2004
Internal Lightning and Surge Protection
Measurement of Soil Resistivity
Earth Resistance Tests
Specialise in large industrial, commercial, mining, railway and explosive installations
Mast Protection for Thatch Structures
Nationwide Service
www.hunterlp.co.za
CAPE:
P.O. Box 50490
Colleen Glen
6018
Tel: 041 - 378 2678
Fax: 041 - 378 2679
Email: [email protected]
182 >
watersupplyfordrinkingwater.Thisissourcedfrom
theOranjezichtNaturalSpringslocatedamerefour
kilometresaway.
Sustainability,ofcourse,doesnotonlyextendto
naturalresources.Atpeakstimes,therewereup
to2500peopleemployedonsite.Amongstthese,
around1200artisansreceivedtrainingduringthe
constructionperiod,whichwillequippedthemto
findfurtheremploymentinthefuture.
Thestadiumismanagedbyaconsortiumconsisting
oftheSouthAfricansportsmarketingcompany,
SAIL,andStadedeFrance,operatorsofamajormulti-
purposevenueinParis.<
PhotosbyBruceSutherland,CityofCapeTown.
183 > 183 >
184 >
MBOMBELA STADIUMMBOMBELA STADIUMNelspruit
www.clotansteel.co.za
8 Firestone Street, NW 7, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. PO Box 2614, Vanderbijlpark, 1900Tel: +27 (016) 986 8000 Fax: +27 (016) 986 8051 Financial +27 (016) 986 8050 Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
Craft-Lock concealed fi x roofi ng, Translucent sheeting,
Lipped channels,Flashings,
Rainwater goods and Aluminium composite panels.
185 >
MBOMBELASTADIUM:FORTHE
LOVEOFTHE
Known as Africa’s wildest stadium,with18structuralgiraffeelementsandseatspatternedwithzebrastripes,theMbombelaStadiumwastheultimatesportsvenueforthe2010FIFAWorldCUp,wherethe‘game’ofsoccermetthe‘game’ofAfrica.
ByStaceyRowan
‘GAME’
186 >
AsoneofthestadiumsusedintheFIFA2010World
Cup,theMbombelaStadiuminNelspruitillustrat-
edtheloveofthesoccergamethatwasplayed
withinit.Thestadiumalsoshowcasedtheloveof
Africa’sbiggamethroughitsanimalisticarchitec-
turaldesign.
SituatedclosetotheworldrenownedKrugerPark,
surroundedbynumerousgamelodges,itwasimpera-
tiveforthestadiumtohavesomereferencetothebig
gameofAfrica.Aswildlifemuralsarenotconvinc-
ing,and following thebelief that form follows
function,thelongroofcantileverdesignlentitselfto
acablestayedroofdesign,whichinturnrequireda
tower,creatingthegiraffeicon.Thegiraffetowers,a
keydesignelement,providedthestadiumwithan
Africanmotif.
The30metrehighgiraffemotifs,eachwithanabstract
headlargeenoughforapersontostandinside,
havebeenplacedaroundtheoutsideedgeofthe
stadium,facingoutwards.Thebodiesandlegsof
thegiraffeshavebeenbuiltintotheconcretestruc-
tureofthebuilding,whilethenecksformanimpor-
tantpartofthesteelsupportingstructureforthe
roof,makingtheconceptnotonlyeye-catching,
butalsopractical.
“ThestadiumisatthedoorstepoftheKrugerPark
gamereserve,perfectlypositionedsothatattendance
ofoneofthemany2010WorldCupmatcheswas
becombinedwithavisittoviewthemagnificence
ofAfrica’swildestanimals.Thiswasnotlostonthe
stadiumdesignersandthesignaturefeatureofthe
stadiumistheabstract18structuralgiraffes,making
thisSouthAfrica’swildestfootballandrugbystadium.
Inox Manufacturing specialises in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of steel items required by the construction industry. We cover the full spectrum of steelwork requirements, ranging from structural steelwork to highly aesthetic architectural steelwork. Our process capabilites include working with stainless steel, aluminium, brass and mild steel. Our mission is to provide our clients with a personalised service, meeting the client's requirements within theproject budget and deadline and at the highest standard of quality.
Some recent projects include: Mbombela Stadium – Galvanised Pedestrian & Motor Gates – Basil Read (R1.3M)UNISA NRB – Steel Staircases & Balustrade – G. Liviero & Son (R4.1M)The University of JHB – Balustrade – Group 5 (R1.5M)The Core – Steel Staircases, Balustrade, Cross Bracing & Signage Pylon – G. Liviero & Son (R1.4M)The Axis – Brick Bearers, Fire Escapes – Group 5 (R0.7M)Silver Star Casino – Laser Cut Steel Facades – Grinaker-Lta (R0.5M)
Contact: Tel +27 011 7080551 +27 011 7081632Fax +27 011 7081646E-mail [email protected] www.inox.co.za
187 >
Theroofsupportswerenaturallytallandslender
andcriedouttobegiraffes.Itwasoneofthosegreat
synergiesbetweenfunction,formandstructural
necessityandsotheMbombelaGiraffecametobe.
Theseatingbowlpatternedlikeaherdofzebrasen-
hancedtheassociation,”sayDouglasRoberts,
founder,R&LArchitectsandMikeBell,projectarchi-
tect,R&LArchitects.
ProudlySouthAfrican
LocatedinMpumalangaandworthR1,07billion,
theMbombelaStadiumwastheonlywhollySouth
Africandesignednewstadiumoutofallthestadi-
ums,withSouthAfricanproductshavingbeenused
asfaraspossible.OtherstadiumswhichwereSouth
Africandesignedweretechnicallyrevampsandnot
newlybuiltstadiumsastheMbombelaStadiumwas.
“ThisstadiumistheonlySouthAfricandesigned
anddetailedstructure.Thedesignintentionwas
tomakethisanAfricanstadium.Itclearlylooks,feels
andisSouthernAfrican,”addRobertsandBell.
Asthesiteiscradledinanarcofgraniteoutcrops
andlocalthorntrees,thesurroundinglandscape
providesa‘SouthAfrican’feelandlowveldexperi-
ence.Theopeningbetweentheupperedgeofthe
seatingbowlandtheroofprovidesagapthrough
whichtheskyandsurroundinggranitetoppedhills
arevisiblefrommostoftheseats.Theroofcreates
theillusionoffloatingwithalightnessratherlikean
acaciatreecanopy.AnAcaciaforestonthesouth
hasbeenpreservedandadjoinsthestadium.The
main spectator approach path passes through
thesetreesprovidinga‘bushveld’experience.
Functionalityversusaesthetics
WithDurban’sMosesMabhidaStadiumhavingan
iconicarch,Johannesburg’sSoccerCityshowcas-
inganimpressivecalabashfaçadeandtheCape
TownStadiumpossessinganimpressiveroof,it
Theexteriorfaçadeofthestadiummoldsbeautifullyintoitswildandplant-filledsurroundings.
189 >
wasimperativefortheMbombelaStadiumtohave
itsownuniquelyidentifiablesignature.
Designedforcontextualrelevanceandfunctional-
ityratherthananiconicstatementandaesthetics,
theMbombelaStadium’spleasantstadiumexperi-
enceshavetodowiththeintimateproximitytothe
pitch,clearsightlinesandeaseofaccess.Otherele-
mentshavegreaterattentiontodetailratherthan
flashydécorandstoicstructures.
Stadiumdesignprinciples
Thestadiumseats40000spectatorsonthreeseat-
ingterraces.Foragoodviewofamatch,aspectator
requiresgoodfloodlighting,proximitytothefield
ofplayandaclearviewofallpartsofthepitch.These
are,tosomeextent,conflictingrequirementsbe-
causethecloseryoubringthestandstothefield,the
poorerthesightlinesbecome.Ifyouremovespecta-
torsfromthepitchbyhavingseatingplacedata
distance,theirexperienceisdiminished.Thetrick
hereistofindtherightbalanceinordertoachieve
bothproximitytothepitchandgoodsightlinesfor
spectators.Basically,thesightlinesattheMbombela
Stadiumareexcellent,enhancingspectatorsatis-
faction.
Thedesignatalltimeswaskeptrelativelysimple,tak-
ingintoaccountthelocalityofthestructureandthe
skillsavailablefromthelocallabourforce.Another
majorfactorinkeepingthestadiumsimpleandacces-
siblewasthatthearrivalandgeneralspectatorcir-
culationoccursatthemid-heightlevelofthestadium.
Spectatorsneedingaccesstothelowerterraceeas-
ilywalkdowntotheirseats,andspectatorsusingthe
suitelevelandupperterracewalkuplessthan
halftheheightthattheywouldnormallydoatlarger
stadiums.“Theaimoflayingthearenainasimple
rectangularplanform,andnotinanovalshape,
wastosimplifytheconstructionprocessandkeep
thebudgetincheck.Bothofthetwomainseating
tierslinkdirectlyintocontinuousandgenerous
TOP:Thethemeofsoccerisspreadthroughoutthestadiumwiththeuseofsoccericonwallcoverings.
ABOVE:Withbrightcoloursandanimalisticdesignelements,thisisAfrica’swildeststadium.
TOP:Thecolourfulinteriorcreatesanexcitingandvibrantatmosphere.
CENTRE&ABOVE:Zebra-stripedseatsenhancethewildanimalisticfeelofthestadium.
190 >
pedestrianconcourses,which in turn linkwith
eightgenerouspedestrianramps.
Inordertomeetthechallengingbudget,MOTTMc-
DonaldinLondonoptimisedtheroofdesigntobe
extremelylight,settingaworldstandardforde-
signweights.TheroofdesignhaswontheBritish
OverseasExpertiseAwardinthesportandleisure
category.
“Thearchitectsfolloweduniversallyacceptedstadium
principlesandusedtheFIFATechnicalRecommen-
dationsandRequirementsfortheConstructionor
ModernisationofFootballStadia,2000andthe
‘GuidetoSafetyatSportGrounds’(GreenGuide)
HMSO1997,”sayRobertsandBell.
Construction
Theclient,MbombelaMunicipality,wantedastadi-
umdesignthatcouldfitapproximately45000seats
andonethatwassuitabletohostpreliminary2010
WorldCupGroupstagematches.Thestadiumhadto
beFIFAcompliantintermsofsafetyanddesigned
accordingtotheBritishPublishedGreenGuide.It
hadtobeconstructedwithinthebudgetsprovided
as,unlikelargermunicipalitieselsewhereinSouth
Africa,thismunicipalitydidnothavefundstocover
extracostsoverandabovetheinitialbudget.
Thestadiumwasbuiltonasitethathasanesti-
mated5metreslopefromendtoend,whichiside-al,butthegroundconditionsproveddifficultwith
excessiveclaynecessitatingexpensivefoundation
piles.“Fourleggedconcretecolumnsbuiltat10me-
treintervalswerepouredincrementallyaroundthe
stadium.Thesteelroofstructurefollowed,assem-
bledmodulebymodule.Thepre-castseatingtiers
andstepsfollowedasthepouredconcretecured.
Thelowertierexcavatedintothegroundwasrela-
tivelyindependentofthemainstructureandcould
thereforebeinstalledaccordingtoitsownidealpro-
gramme,”explainRobertsandBell.
192 >
Eachgiraffemotifhasaheadlargeenoughforapersontostandinside.
AnarchitecturalgiraffestaresintotheSouthAfricansunset.
Afisheyeviewoftheentirestadium,showcasingitszebra-stripedseatsandeightgiraffes.
193 >
Outofall thestadiumsusedfor theFIFA2010
WorldCup,theMbombelaStadiumhadthelowest
perseatcost.Thestadiumcanseatupto43500
spectators,ofwhich40000ticketsweresoldfor
theWorldCupand3500wereformediaandVIP
seats.Theseatswerenotremovable,thustheca-
pacityremainedunchangedaftertheWorldCup.
Forthespectatorswithwheelchairs,196wheel-
chairspacesareavailable.
Theseatinginthestadiumwastheclosesttothepitch
ofalltheWorldCupStadiumsinSouthAfrica.Inaddi-
tion,94%oftheseatingwasunderroofing,making
MbombelaStadium,alongwiththeCapeTownStadi-
um,thestadiumswiththemostseatsunderroofing.
TheRyegrasspitch,whichis693mabovesealevel,
hasagrasssurfacesuitableforinternationalrugby
andsoccer.
Difficultiesfaced&challengesovercome
Witharestrictedbudgetitwasimperativetostaywith-
inthelimits,thereforetheconstruction,including
mostcomponents,werelocallyprocured,manufac-
turedandassembled.Thedistancefromthemain
commercialandindustrialcentresrequiredaconsid-
erableamountoftransportationofprefabricated
goodswhichwasachallenge.Otherchallenges
facedincludedthedifficultgroundconditionsand
therelativelysmallcapacityoflocalcontractorsand
subcontractorsthatwereincludedintheproject.
194 >
Themaincontractorhadtotrainover400work-
men,andlocalresidentswhowereseasonalfruit
pickers,invariousbuildingskills.Despiteanumber
ofstrikesandthecollapseofagiantcraneinama-
jorstorm,whichresultedinthelossofnumerous
workingdays,theconstructionteammanagedto
meetthecontractualdeadlines.
The‘goal’istobe‘green’
Tomaintainalowcarbonfootprint,withthe‘goal’
ofbeing‘green’,thedesignersandthemunicipality
didtheirbittofallinlinewiththeWorldCup’sGreen
Goalinitiative.
“Alowtransportcarbonfootprintwasachievedby
minimisingtheuseofoverseascomponentsasfar
aspossible.Theenvironmentallyfriendlyandeco-
logicalaspectsofthedesignincludetherecoveryof
rainwaterrunofffromthestadiumroofandrecovery
oftheirrigationandprecipitationwateronthepitch
viaapipenetworkthatchannelsthewaterbackto
aholdingtankforre-use.Muchcarehasbeentak-
entorecoverandrecyclebothrainandirrigation
water.Another innovation is theheat recovery
fromtheairconditioningsystemwhich inturn
heatsthehotwaterforthebuilding.”
Othergreeninitiativesincludealargesolararray
connecteddirectlyintothebuildinggrid.Theclimate
oftheregionallowsforopenconcourses.Thesixme-
treopeningbetweentheupperedgeofthetiered
seatingandtheroofventilatestheseatingbowlon
hotdaysandcreatesafeelingofopenness.
Facilitiesavailable
EverynewstadiumincludingMbombelawasbuilt
toFIFA’sspecifications.Themainplayers’change
rooms,locatedinthebasement,caneachaccom-
modate50people.Thefacilitiesincludenettedwarm
upareas,afullyequippedgymnasium,amplelockers,
Anartist’scolourpalettewasusedfortheinterior,withcoloursofred,orange,blueandgreensplatteredthroughouttheinteriorstructure.
196 >
The30metrehighgiraffemotifshavebeenplacedaroundtheoutsideedgeofthestadium,facingoutwards.
197 >
Thelongroofcantileverdesignlentitselftoacablestayedroofdesign,whichinturnrequiredatower,creatingthegiraffeicon.
198 >
hydrotherapybaths,bootwashfacilitiesandre-
laxationrooms.Elaboratepressfacilitiesareincor-
poratedincludinganauditorium,withaudiovisual
equipmentforgameanalysisandpressconfer-
encesandassociatedrecreationalspaces.Offices
suitableforrunningthestadiumandagymnasium
forpublicusehavealsobeenplanned.
Themid-level, locatedbetweentheupperand
lowertiersinthestadium,hasaPresidentialSuite
withbarsanddiningroom,publicrestaurantfacili-
tiesand28publicleasedskyboxes.Alongsidethe
skyboxes,fiveclubloungeshavealsobeenbuilt.
ThePresidentialSuiteisservicedbyaliftfroma
drop-offpointinthebasement.ThereisalsoaTV
studioandthevenueoperationscentreonthe
Mid-level.
Alecturetheatrewithrelatedkitchensandacom-
mercialgymnasiumonthegroundfloorcanbe
usedforoccasionsunrelatedtofootballorrugby
games.“Thesiteislargeandwillbedevelopedin
thecourseoftimetoincludeanathleticstrack,
netballcourtsandtenniscourtswithaccompany-
ingfacilities.ItishopedthateventuallyaSports
ScienceCentrewillfollow.Asthepublic’sneeds
becomeclearer,thebalanceofthespace(thatwas
initiallyusedasFIFAentertainmentareasforthe
worldcupmatches)willberetainedaslargeenter-
tainmentareasorconvertedintofurtherskyboxes
orleasedascommercialoffices.”
“BoththeMbombelaMunicipality,includingtheir
enthusiasticMayor,andtheMpumulangaProvin-
cialofficialsappearextremelyproudoftheirnew
asset,”concludeRobertsandBell.
DannyJordaan,headoftheFIFALocalOrganising
Committee,hasalsorecentlysaidthat“theMbombela
Stadiumisoneofthemostdistinctiveandunique
stadiumsinFIFAWorldCuphistory.”<
TOP:Asimpleandformalarchitecturaldesignwasusedfortheshowerfacilities.
CENTRE:Brightcolourpaletteshavebeenusedforinteriorrooms,togetherwithAfricanelements.
ABOVE:Thelockerroomsprovideplayerswithaprofessionalspacetoprepandgetreadyforthebiggame.
We do allBuilding alterations
PlumbingFire-claims
Replacement of ceilingsPainting
Burglary repairs
Tel: 012 664-1717 Fax: 012 664-7810 email: [email protected]: 22 Botha Avenue, Lyttelton, Centurion
200 >
Theinteriorviewofthepitchandsomeoftheseating.
201 >
TheEllisParkStadium,situatedintheheartofJohannes-
burg,isoneofthecountry’smostfamousvenuesforlarge
sportingevents.Inordertoqualifyasavenueforthe
stagingofmatchesforthe2010FIFASoccerWorldCup,the
stadiumunderwentafaceliftandupgrade.Thiswashighly
challenging,asthestadiumremainedoperationalthrough-
outtherenovation.
ByBevHermanson
ASLICEOFHISTORYGETSAFACELIFT
TheEllisParkStadiumwillalwayshaveitsplacein
thehistoryofSouthAfricanrugby.Fewwillforget
thespiritofunitythatsoaredhighabovethena-
tionasNelsonMandelahelduptheRugbyWorld
CupTrophythatwaswonbytheSpringboksback
in1995.Itwasapoignantmomentinthecountry’s
historythatwillliveforeverintheheartsofourre-
centlyliberatedrainbowpeople.
Fewcanlikewiseforgetthetragiclossoflifeastoo
manyfans,crammedintoEllisPark,panickedand
ranamokatanOrlandoPiratesvsKaiserChiefs
clashin2003.Thusthestadium’shallsresonate
withglory,yetareshroudedinsorrow.
ThefirstEllisParkstadiumwasbuiltonthesiteback
in1928on13acresthatwereearmarkedforthepur-
posebytheJohannesburgCouncillor,JDEllis.After
justoverhalfacenturyofrugbytriumphsandde-
feats,thestadiumwasdemolishedtomakeway
foramoremodernfacility.Thenewstadiumwas
completedin1982,butitremainedverymucha
maledominateddomain.
FrombeingthebasefortheTransvaalRugbyUnionin
theearly1900s,thenewstadiumwasestablished
asthehomeoftheCatsandtheLionsRugbyUnion.It
wasalsoapopularvenuefortestmatcheswherehis-
torywasmadeinthetitanicstrugglesbetweenrug-
bynations.Thiswastheplacewherelegendswere
born.
Oneofthemostmemorablemomentswaswhen
JoelStranskybootedadropgoalinextratimeonthat
fatefuldaybackinJune1995,whentheSpringboks
wrenchedtheRugbyWorldCuptitleandtrophy
fromtheAllBlackswitha15:12finalscore.
Tenyearslater,historywasagainmadewhen51%
ownershipwaspassedtotheOrlandoPiratesFootball
Club,establishingEllisParkasthefirstblack-owned
stadiuminSouthAfricaandhometobothsoccer
andrugby–stillinthemain,maledominatedsports.
Thebrief
Whenplanswereputinplacetopreparethevarious
citiesforthestagingofthe2010FIFAWorldCup,
EllisParkagaincameintothelimelight.Where
nearlyacenturyago,13acreshadeasilybeenset
asideforenjoymentofthesportofrugby,thepre-
cincthadnowbecomelargelybuilt-up.Thiswas
indeedchallengingfortheteamatDBMArchitects,
whowerepartoftheconsortiumtaskedwithup-
gradingtheconvenientlysituatedstadiumtoa
seatingcapacityof62000spectators.
“ThestadiumformspartoftheEllisParkWorldof
SportCampus.NowknownasCocaColaPark,the
stadiumrubsshoulderswiththeJohannesburg
Stadium,thehomeofathletics,theStandardBank
Arena,apopularvenueforconcerts,tennistourna-
ments,boxingandsquashchampionshipsandthe
202 >
AerialviewofEllisPark,nowrenamedtheCocaColaStadium.Thestadiumprecinct.PhotobyEmilyVisser.
203 >
CELEBRATETHE POWEROF COLOUR
With a remarkable selection of colours to choose from, Nexus carpets will take you beyond the limits of your imagination. And if you don’t find your ideal floorcovering within our standard ranges, you can simply create it with our unique Custom X facility.
TM
203 >
204 >
Olympicsizedswimmingpool.Althougharound
R2-billionwassetasidebytheJohannesburgDe-
velopmentAgency(JDA)foramajorupgradeand
regenerationofthesuburbsofDoornfontein,Ber-
trams,BezuidenhoutValley,Troyeville, Judith’s
PaarlandLorentzville,onlyR230-millionwasallo-
catedtotheupgradingoftheCocaColaParkStadi-
um,”saysWynandduPlessisofDBMArchitects.
“Thiswaslessthanatenthofthebudgetsforsome
ofthenewstadiums.”
Whenonelookedattheaerialviewoftheprecinct,
thetightnessoftheurbanfabricwasapparent.As
therewasnotmuchinthewayofparking,hence
thePark‘nRideschemethatwasputinplacesome
yearsback,tocopewiththeinfluxoffans.
Theupgradewasdividedintofourcategories:
> Theentiremainwesterngrandstandwasupgrad-
ed,includingallofthecompetitors’,hospitality
andmediaareas.
> Theexistingtoiletsandconcessionfacilitiesaround
thestadiumwerecompletelyoverhauledandaddi-
tionaltoiletfacilitieswereaddedforwomen.
> Anewupperseatingtierthatwouldaccommo-
dateanadditional5000seatswasaddedtothe
northernpavilion.Thishadtoincludearoof.
> Aparkadewasadded,enoughtoaccommodate
1100vehicles forVIPparking,withplans in
placeforfurtherexpansioninthefuture.Thisbuild-
ingnowincludesprovisionforstoragespace,a
publicmedicalcentre,apolicestationwithholding
cellsandretailtradingspace.
“Inorderforastadiumtoqualifytohostsomeof
thematchesuptoquarterfinallevel,theseatingca-
pacityhad to accommodate more than 60 000
spectators.Thiswastrickyas,duetothebigpress
contingent,we‘lost’alotofseats,”duPlessisex-
plains.“Asaresultoftherestrictedbudget,wehad
tobeverydisciplinedintermsofwhatshouldbe
upgradedandhow.Oneoftheareasthatwede-
cidedtofocusonwasthepublicareabetweenwhat
wastheEllisParkStadiumandtheStandardBank
Arena.Weknewthatmostofthepublicapproached
thestadiumfromthenorth,sowedecidedtomake
thisaspectthefaceofthenewCocaColaPark,with
thenewParkadelocatedontheeasternside.”
Executionofthedesignconcepts
Theaestheticstyleofthenewnorthernelevation
canbedescribedasmodernfunctionalism.Elements
weredevelopedto‘workwith’theexistingstruc-
ture.Theseincludedanewstructuralskinofcare-
fullydesignedsteelsupportsthatcarrythenew
roofandseating,alongwithhugeuprightsmade
ofoff-shutterconcretedissectedbyanenormous
TheEllisParkprecincthasbeenextensivelyupgradedaspartoftheJohannesburgurbanregenerationinitiative.
Thestadiumprecinct.PhotobyEmilyVisser.
205 >
AerialviewofEllisPark,nowrenamedtheCoca-ColaPark.
206 >
redarchthathintsattherainbowofthenewde-
mocracy.Further, thesteelgrillescreeningthe
glassedareaissuggestiveoftheSouthAfrican
flag.
Overandabovethearchitecturalrequirements,
every other aspect of the stadium had to be
broughtintolinewithFIFA’srequirements.Thisin-
cludedtheupgradingofthefloodlighting,which
hadtobedoubledinintensity.Therearetemporary
structuresthathavebeenplacedasoverlays,tobe
usedonlyduringtheSoccerWorldCup–thesewill
bedismantledandremovedafterthechampion-
shipsareconcluded.Thisincludesabridgebe-
tweentheuniversityandthestadiumforusebythe
press.Then,forfuturesustainability,alegacyelement
hasbeenintegraltotheoveralldesign.Thisincludes
aconferencecentre,thatwillaccommodatebetween
800and1000delegates,thathasbeencreatedout
ofwhatwasaparkinglevelbehindthegrandstand.
Fortheconferencevenue,thepresidentialsuite
andthesportscentre,anaffordabletuftedcarpettile
fromNexus’sMatrixrangewasused.Thisprovides
insulation,warmthandtheabsorptionofambientsta-
diumnoise.
“WiththecarpetingattheEllisParkStadium,budg-
etanddurabilityweremajorconsiderations.Nexus
wasawardedthecontractasourproductsaremanu-
facturedlocallybuttothebestinternationalstand-
ards.Ifanyproblemsarisewiththeflooring,itis
easiertoobtainsuppliesandmaterialsfromalo-
calmanufacturerandourcarpetsarebackedwith
a15yearwearwarranty,”saysAdrianScholtz,a
Nexusrepresentative.
Nexusisthecommercialdivisionofleadingcarpet
manufacturer,BelgotexFloorcoverings(Pty)Ltd.
Withitswiderangeofproducts,Nexusassisted
DBMArchitectsbyprovidingadurabletiletocope
withtheexpectedheavytrafficflow.“Theobjective
wastosteerawayfroman‘officelook’andtocre-
ateanaestheticallypleasinginterior,withalinear
appearance.Forthis,weusedcarpettiles,instead
ofbroadloomcarpeting,”Scholtzexplains.
Publicsafety
Spectator safety is an essential consideration
whenplanningapublicfacilitysuchasastadium.
Crowdcontrolandthedynamicsofemergency
situationshavedistinctivepatternsandsincethe
2003tragedy,themanagementoftheCoca-Cola
StadiumattheEllisParkcampusisemphaticthat
thiskindofincidentshouldnotbeallowedtohap-
penagain.Likelyevacuationpatternswereexam-
inedandescaperoutesidentified.
Themainescaperouteprovidedisa4m-widetun-
nelatthenorth-easternendofthestadium.Thisis
wideenoughforemergencyandservicevehicles
tousetogetontothepitchinordertoevacuate
anyonethathasbeeninjured.Theexitofthetun-
nelisclosetothenew,state-of-the-artmedical
centrelocatedinthenewparkade.
Disabled and paraplegic spectators have also
beenconsidered.Thereare200spectatorseating
positionsallocatedatgroundlevelwithrampsfor
easy access by wheel chairs and in the cloak-
rooms,emergencyalertshavetakensightand
hearingimpairedindividualsintoaccount,too.So,
forexample,aflashinglightwillindicateaneedfor
evacuation,toalerthearingimpairedspectatorsto
anemergency.
TheupgradestartedinAugust2007andendedin
March2009,intimeforthesuccessfulstagingofthe
ConfederationsCupinJune2009.
“ItwasindeedaprivilegeforDBMArchitectsto
havebeeninvolvedinthisproject.Ithasenhanced
ourunderstandingofstadiaasabuiltformand
whilechallengingonmanylevels,itwasapleas-
uretobepartoftheveryspecialteamthataccom-
plishedthisupgrade,”saysduPlessis.<
207 >
Twoconcretecolumnssupportaredflashthatisreminiscentofthecountry’srainbow.
Theextensiveuseofsteelsupportsaddsaslightlymorecontemporaryappearancetotherenovatedstadium.
208 >
Itwasin1999thatspectatorsattheLoftus
VersfeldStadiumwitnessedBafanaBanfana,
SouthAfrica’snationalteam,playasoccer
gameagainstSweden.Asoneofthevenues
thathostedmatchesofthe2010FIFAWorld
Cup,LoftusVersveldgaveitsspectatorsthe
opportunityonceagaintowitnessBafana
Bafanaplayanothergameofsoccerwhen
theyplayedagainstUruguayatthestadium.
TheLoftusVersfeldStadiumhasalotofcharacter,
ithashistoryandithasasenseofplace.Situated
inTshwane,Pretoria,thestadiumislocatedwithin
averydenseandurbanfabric,makingitpartof
thecity.Itisnotisolatedfromthecityassomeof
theotherstadiumsare,whichmakesitunique.“It
isnotjustastadium,butitisabuzzofactivities.
Ithasavibe,”saysBhavikRanchod,architectand
projectmanager,TheCreativeAxisArchitects.
ONEOFTHEOLDESTSTADIUMS
LoftusVersfeldStadiumisoneoftheoldeststadi-
umsinSouthAfrica.Thisall-seaterstadiumhas
beenusedformajorsportingeventssince1903,in-
cludingsignificantmatcheswhichwerepartofthe
1995RugbyWorldCupandthe1996CAFAfrican
CupofNations.Hostingcountlessrugbyandsoccer
matches, this stadium is no stranger to these
sports.LoftusVersfeldStadiumisthehomeground
oftheMamelodiSundownsFootballClub,oneof
SouthAfrica’spremiereprofessionalclubs,andSuper-
sportUnited.Itisalsohometooneofthecountry’s
toprugbyteams,theBlueBulls.
Thestadium’sfirstconcretestructure,builtbythe
CityCouncilofPretoriain1923,couldonlyaccom-
modatetwothousandspectators.Since1948,Loftus
Versfeldhasundergoneconstantupgradesand
renovationsanditsfourmainstandshavebeen
completelyrebuilt.
LOFTUSSPECTATORSWITNESSEDANOTHERBAFANABAFANAGAME ByStaceyRowan
209 >
UPGRADINGTHEOLDTOMAKEITNEW
ThemostrecentrenovationatLoftuswasthe2010
FIFAWorldCupfacelift.Toqualifyforselectionasa
SouthAfrican2010hoststadiumandavenuefor
theWorldCup,thestadiumwasupgradedtomeet
thestringentrequirementsspecifiedbyFIFA.
“ThestadiumisownedbyTheBlueBullsCompany
(Pty)Ltd,wherebyotherstadiumsareownedeither
bymunicipalitiesorthegovernment.Beinganold
stadium,itrequiredvariousupgradesinorderto
makethestadiumFIFAcomplaint.Unlikeother
newlybuiltstadiums,thisprojectonlyinvolvedan
upgrade,”addsRanchod.
Thebriefentailedanupgradethatincludedbasicad-
ditionsandarefurbishment.Thefloodlightswere
upgradedandanewroofovertheeasternpavilionwas
built,whichnowhousesanewsetoffloodlights,
addingtotheaestheticsofthestadium.Another
upgradeincludedtheimplementationofback-up
power,throughtheuseofgenerators.“Duringthe
matches,thestadiumwillrunoffgenerators,elimi-
natingtheriskofpowerfailures,”saysRanchod.
Thescoreboard,players’changeroomsandsound
systemwerealsoupgradedtomeetFIFA’sspecifi-
cationsanddesignatedmediaareaswerecon-
structedinthelowerleveloftheweststand.With
anestimatedseatcapacityof49215seats,thetask
ofreplacingeachseatwaschallenging.“Thenewly
placedbrightblueseats,whichareplasteredevery-
where,standout,”saysRanchod.Anewliftonthe
north-westcornerofthestadiumwasadded,to-
getherwiththeplacementofanewringofturn-
stilesthatarelocatedaroundthestadium.TheIT
systemswerealsoupgradedwhichallowedfordig-
ital access control and the pitch was restored,
amongotherminorupgradesthatoccurred.
Inaddition,anewwalkwaywasbuiltontheeastern
sideofthestadium,whichallowedformorethan
210 >
50%ofthestadiums’spectatorstocomethrough
theeastside.Thisentrancewasalsodesignedto
doubleupasanessentialaccessforemergencyve-
hicles.Thewalkwaywas,andstill is,seenasa
meansofknittingtheprecincttogetherwithboth
thetransportandbusroutes,aswellasthejam-
packedsocialareaofHatfield.Withthewalkway
beingdesignedaroundaclassicpark-likeapproach,
itmadethestadiumupgrade,asawhole,serveas
adynamicrenditiontothelistoflandmarksalready
definingthecity.
Otherupgradesincludedtherefurbishmentofthe
boardhallarea,newtoiletblockswereintroduced
andtheVIPareasonthemainpavilionwereup-
graded.Thekeyentrancesaswellasablutionfa-
cilitiessituatedaroundthestadiumwererenovat-
ed,whichgavethestadiumafreshnewlook.
THESTADIUMTHATNEVERSLEEPS
TheLoftusVersfeldStadiumwasdifferent from
mostoftheother2010FIFAstadiumsasitwasa
workingstadium,withmatchesthatwereplayedon
anongoingbasisduringtheconstructionphase.
“Wefacedenormouschallengesinthatweneeded
totakehealthandsafetyintoconsideration,mak-
ingsurethatnospectatorsorplayerswerehurt.
EventhoughLoftusVersfeldwasa‘living’stadium
atthetimeoftheconstructionperiod,noincidents
occurred.
Havingthesmallestbudgetofallthe2010stadiums
wasanotherchallengefortheprojectteam.“We
didnothavethefreedomtodowhatwewishedar-
chitecturallyduetoourlimitedbudgetandthere-
forewecouldnotmakeanarchitecturalstatement,”
explainsRanchod.
Keepingwithinthestadium’ssurroundingswas
alsoachallengethatwasfaced,yetaccomplished.
“Wehadtotiethestadiumintowhatwasalready
there,keepwithintheheritageofthestadiumand
notallowourconstructionactivitiestodisturbthe
outsidearea.”Thestadiummaintainedinteraction
withthecity,whichwasvital.
Duringtheupgrade,theprojectteammaintained
eco-friendliness.Someoftheeco-friendlymethods
usedincludedtheuseofenergyefficientproducts
forlightingandplacementofeco-friendlyflooring
likebamboofinishedfloorsandcertaineco-friendly
carpets.“Wetriedtomakethestadiumeco-friendly
wherewecould.”
AMIXED-USEDEVELOPMENT
“Thefullyoperationalstadiumcanbeconsidereda
mixed-usedevelopmentasithousesmorethan300
offices,aconferencevenue,anauditorium,change
roomsfortheplayers,manysuitesandskyboxes,”
saysRanchod.Accordingtotheclient’sbriefand
theBlueBullsManagementAgency,thestadium
hadtobeofbenefittotheownersasafuture-use
development,afterthe2010WorldCup.
“TheLoftusVersfeldStadiumprovedtobeareward-
ingprojectuponcompletion.Withthebasicinfra-
structureimproved,itisnowaFIFA-compliantstadium
andweareproudtosaythattheFIFAaffiliatesare
satisfiedwiththestadium,”concludesRanchod.<
211 >
GREENPARK:‘WORK,LIVE&PLAY’Withapublicsquare,offices,a5-starboutique
hotel,apavementretailcentre,cafes,anup-
marketnightclub,aconferencecentre,aVirgin
Activehealthcentre,aspaandapartments,
residents,employeesandguestsatGreen
Parkdon’thavetostepafootoutsideitsdoors.
Alltheirbasicneedsaresatisfiedbythefacilities
availableatthedevelopment,whichprovide
meansoffood,exercise,leisure,workandrest.
Atthisurbanlifestyledevelopmentit’sall
aboutthe‘Work,Live,andPlay’.
GreenParkissituatedinWestRoadSouth,
Morningside,withinwalkingdistancefrom
SandtonCentralandthenewGautrainStation.
Althoughphasetwoandthreeofthedevel-
opmentareonlysetforcompletionin2013
and2015respectively,phaseoneisduefor
completionattheendof2010.
212 >
ByStaceyRowan.
213 >
ARCHITECTURALDESIGN
ThearchitecturaldesignofGreenParkis
environmentallyresponsive.Thedevelop-
menthastobecarefullyorientatednorth-
wardstoallowfornaturalsunlightandsum-
mershading.
“Thesiteitlocatedwithinapublicenviron-
mentandhasbeendesignedtoaccommo-
datethepeople.Thedesignisdeliberately
pedestrianandinclusiveofthesurrounding
areas.Theintentionwas,andcontinuesto
be,tocreateacomfortablehumanenviron-
mentsimilartothekindofsmallerscaleur-
banareaswhichexistedbeforecar-driven
planningdestroyedmostofthiscity.Also,
theclientunderstandshowcomplexand
integratedenvironmentsfunctionwhichhas
madeitpossibleforthedesigntodevelop
inaverydifferentmannertoconventional
projectsinSandton,”explainssaysVaughn
Horsman,headarchitectontheproject.
Apartfromthearchitecturaldesign,the
overallaestheticsofthedevelopmentare
modernandcontemporary.Theinterior
calledforacleanandneutrallook.“Thiswas
createdthroughtheuseofneutralmaterial
choiceslikeconcreteintheframestructures,
glassforthefacadesandgreyandwhite
plaster.Otherchoicesincludedrobustexter-
nalmaterials,brickworkskinwithgamma
zenithorcladdingandtimberforthebal-
conies.
214 >
CHALLENGESFACED
Withthedevelopmentofferingapartments,
hotelroomsandofficespaces,among
others,thisrequiredasubstantiallylarge
amountofparkingthatneededtobebuilt.
“Thereisahugeamountofparkingaccom-
modatedoverfourbasements.”Notonly
didthesefacilitiescreateaneedformass
parking,butthemixed-useofthedevel-
opmentalsocreatedchallenges.“Thecom-
plexitiesofmixed-usearenaturallychal-
lenging.Theresidentialapartmentson
topofretailhadtobecarefullyplanned,as
wellastheofficespacethemselves.The
useofdeepgreengardendecksandar-
cadesthatseparatethesevariouszones
providedasolutionforthis,”saysHorsman.
SOARINGINTOTHESKIES
GreenParkcertainlysoarsintotheskies
withits20storycommercialoffice,which
formsthetallestbuildinginthedevelop-
ment.“Thedesignbrief,fromourclient
LushakaInvestments,calledforamixed-
use,highriseandhighdensityprecinctin
Morningside,whichwouldfocusaroundan
urbansquare.Thelandcosthasdemanded
thatthedesignmaximisesheightand
bulkatallcosts,”saysHorsman.
216 >
217 >
LANDSCAPEARCHITECTURE
BerthaWiumLandscapeDevelopment,in
associationwithRedLandscapeArchi-
tects,wasresponsiblefortheexecutionof
thelandscapearchitectureoftheLandscape
DevelopmentPlan,ascommissionedby
A3Architects.
“Workingincloserelationwiththeclient
andthearchitects,thevisionwasformu-
lated–developingalandscapethatwill
emphasisethenameofthedevelopment
‘GreenPark’.Thedesignallowedforample
green,verticalwalls,raisedplantersand
lawnareas,potgardensandlargetrees
plantedinsunkengardens,”saysBertha
Wium,MD,BerthaWiumLandscapeDevel-
opment(Pty)LtdandFrancoisvanRooyen,
MD,RedLandscapeArchitects(Pty)Ltd.
Thelandscapearchitectureneededtoover-
cometheadverseclimaticconditionsas-
sociatedwiththebuiltupenvironments
inSandton.Thiswasachievedbystrate-
gicallydesigningthelocationoftheland-
scapewithinandaroundthebuilding,
ensuringthattheultimatelandscapewas
chosenintheavailablespaces.
“ThedesignofGreenParkwillbeayard
stickfornewbuildingsinandaroundSand-
ton,”saysWium.
A3ARCHITECTS
A3Architectsworkedcloselywith the
LushakaGrouptocreatetheultra-modern
architecturaldesignofGreenParkSandton.
Differentiatingthemfromotherarchitec-
turalfirmsisthereuniquerelationshipswith
clientsandsuppliersandthereongoing
personalservice.“Ourpracticeisnotonly
aboutdeliveringtheendproduct,butit’s
alsoaboutcreatingrelationshipswithour
clientsensuringthattheirrequirements
aremet.Thepracticeitselfisahardwork-
ingbutrelaxedenvironmentwithagood
vibebetweencolleagues.Itisalsoalearn-
ingenvironmentwhereeveryoneisableto
participateinalllevelsofacertainproject,
askquestionsandanumberofstudents
areemployedandtrained.<
218 > 218 >
We SALUTE , NEDBANK’S EARTHLY “GREEN” SOUTH AFRI-
CAN VISION for commitment to a healthy work environ-
ment, and their insistence that all Carpet Tiles installed
at their Sandton “Phase 2” premises are manufactured
IN South Africa and are “Greenstar IEQ-13” compliant.
This “Green – Keep it South African” vision was directly
responsible for Dyemension Dynamix Corporate Carpets
(Pty) Ltd urgently researching and acquiring the neces-
sary knowledge, technology, skills and equipment for
production and the resultant “Greenstar IEQ-13”
accreditation on all of our products including the
Nedbank carpet tiles used in “Phase 2”.
In addition to creating a healthier, sustainable environ-
ment the opening of export opportunities with compli-
ant South African products is an important added
benefit.
This “keep it – Green and South African” vision is appre-
ciated and seen as a genuine display of Nedbank’s
Corporate Responsibility in creating opportunities and
jobs, by ensuring local products enjoy all the benefits
of, and are equivalent to, internationally available “state
of the art” products worldwide.
For more information please visit us at
www.dyemensiondynamix.co.za
Email us: [email protected]
Tel no: +27 (31) 464 2627
Fax no: +27 (31) 464 9450
N T R ACT
O
C
CAR P E T T
I L
ES
C
ORPORAT
E
yemension ynamix
DESIGN DYNAMICS BY DYEMENSION DYNAMIXNedbank – colour sandune carpet tiles.As supplied by Dyemension Dynamix and Installed by
Peter Bates Flooring in Nedbank’s Phase 2 Rivonia Project.
GREENBUILDINGCOUNCIL
MEMBER ORGANISATION
SA
219 > 219 >
The‘Gogreen’movement,atrend
thathasbeenaroundforages,is
continuouslyevolving.
THE
FIR
ST
STE
PIN
TH
ES
OU
THA
FRIC
AN
GR
EEN
B
UIL
DIN
GE
VO
LUTI
ON
ByStaceyRowan
Weallknowthewaystoliveeco-friendlyliveslike
switchingofflightsandusingwater-savingdevices
inourhomes,reducingourusageofmotorvehicles,
plantingtreesinourgardensandrecycling.Going
greenisheretostayandthevarioustrendswithin
thegreenmovementarenowchangingdirection,
movingbeyondmaintainingeco-friendlylives,to
developingeco-friendly‘green’buildings.
NedbankPhase2,situatedinSandton,Johannes-
burg,notonlyisoneofthelargestbankofficecom-
plexesinSouthAfrica,butitisalsothefirstbuilding
inSouthAfricatoreceiveGreenStaraccreditation.
“ThisisahugeachievementinSouthAfrica,asthis
hasneverbeendonebefore.Therearenoothercerti-
fiedbuildingsyetinSouthAfrica,”saysMarloes
Reinink,thesustainablebuildingconsultanton
theNedbankproject.
Whatisagreenbuilding?
Tounderstandthisachievement,itisimportantto
firstunderstandtheconceptofagreenbuilding.
AccordingtotheGreenBuildingCouncilofSouth
Africa(GBCSA),agreenbuildingisastructurethatis
energyandresourceefficient,whilstmaintaining
environmentalresponsibility.Thebuildingitself
integratesdesign,materials,construction,techno-
logicalandoperationalpracticesthatdramatically
reduceorcompletelyeliminateitsnegativeimpact
ontheenvironmentanditsinhabitants.Building
green,anopportunitytoaddressclimatechange,
createsimproved,healthierandmoreproductive
workenvironmentsforemployeestoworkin.
Specificgreenbuildingmeasuresincludecareful
buildingdesigntoreduceheatloads,themaximisa-
tionofnaturallightandpromotingthecirculationof
freshair;theuseofenergy-efficientair-conditioning
andlighting;theuseofenvironmentally-friendly
materials;thereductionofwaste,andtheuseof
recycledmaterials;water-efficientplumbingfittings
andwaterharvesting;theuseofrenewableenergy
sourcesandsensitivitywithregardtotheimpactof
thedevelopmentonthesurroundingenvironment.
Ratingagreenbuilding
Inordertoenableanobjectiveassessmentastohow
‘green’abuildingis,agreenbuildingratingtoolneeds
tobeputinplacetosetstandardsandbenchmarks.
Theratingsystemsetsouta‘menu’,acartedujour,
ofallthemeasuresthatcanbeincorporatedinto
abuildingtomakeit‘green’.Pointsareawardedto
abuildingaccordingtowhichmeasureshavebeen
builtinand,aftersuitableweighting,acomplete
221 >
scoreiscalculated.Thisdeterminestheratingof
thegivenbuilding.
TheGBCSAdevelopstheseGreenStarSArating
toolstoprovidethepropertyindustrywithanob-
jectivemeasurementforgreenbuildingsandto
recogniseandrewardenvironmentalleadershipin
thepropertyindustry.EachGreenStarSArating
toolreflectsadifferentmarketsector,forexample:
office,retailandresidential,amongothers.
TheGreenStarobjectivescreateacommonlan-
guageandstandardofmeasurementforgreen
buildings, togetherwithpromoting integrated,
whole-building design. Raising awareness of
greenbuildingbenefits,recognisingenvironmen-
talleadershipandreducingtheenvironmentalim-
pact of developments are other criteria of the
GreenStarsystem.
Greenbuildingsversusconventionalbuildings
Asidefromthereducedcarbonfootprint,thereisa
convincingbusinesscaseinfavourofgreenbuild-
ings.Withstudiesshowingdramaticincreasesin
productivityamongusersandemployees,dueto
increasedfreshair,morenatural lightandless
toxicmaterialsused,tenantsarebecomingmore
awareofthese‘green’benefits.Alongsidethisin-
creasedawareness,thedemandforgreenbuild-
ingsisgrowingatarapidpace,withtenantseven
beingpreparedtopayhigherrentals.
Duetothesubstantialsavingsinutilityservices,
particularlywhenviewedonalifecyclebasis,ten-
antsingreenbuildingsarefindingthatoperating
costsarelessenedconsiderably.Agreenbuilding
doesnotnecessarilyneedtocostmorethanacon-
ventionalbuilding.Throughintelligentdesignand
theuseoffundamentalenergyefficientmaterials,
muchcanbeachieved.
Thegreenbuildingmovementisamoreefficient
wayofdevelopingandoperatingbuildingsandit
ishopedthat,overtime,itwillleadtotheobsoles-
cenceofconventionalbuildings.Themovementis
nowbeingseenas‘futureproofing’buildingsand
isbeingregardedasariskmanagementissue.
Operatorsofgreenbuildingscanreducetheircon-
sumptionofenergytolessthanhalfofwhataconven-
tionalbuildingconsumes,withsimilarreductions
inpotablewaterusage,runofftosewerandsolid
waste.Bypromotinggreenbuildingpractices,the
GBCSAcanhaveareallysignificantimpactonthe
222 >
223 >
224 >
reductionofresourceconsumptionandoncombat-
ingglobalwarming.
Thenamewiththegreenlogo
Woulditnotbeconsideredcoincidentalthatthe
clientofthefirstGreenStarratedbuildingsports
agreenlogo?
NedbankGroupisSouthAfrica’sfourthlargest
bankinggroupmeasuredbyassets,withastrong
depositfranchise,thesecondlargestretaildepos-
itbase,aclient-centricwholesaleandretailfran-
chiseandasubstantialandgrowingassurance
andwealthmanagementoffering.Thisgrouppro-
videsanamplerangeofwholesaleandretailbank-
ingservicesthroughfivemainbusinessclusters,
namely Nedbank Capital, Nedbank Corporate,
NedbankBusinessBanking,NedbankRetailand
Nedbank Bancassurance & Wealth. Nedbank
GroupfocusesonSouthernAfrica,withthegroup
positionedasabankforall–frombotharetailand
awholesalebankingpointofview.
NedbankGroupoffersbankingserviceswhich
comprisebusiness,corporateandretailbanking,
property finance, investment banking, private
banking,foreignexchangeandsecuritiestrading.
Italsogeneratesincomefromprivateequity,cred-
itcardissuingandprocessingservices,custodial
services,unittrustadministration,assetmanage-
mentservicesandbancassurance.
Makingthingshappen
WithNedbank’sproudslogan‘makethingshappen’,
thequestionisposed:howdidNedbankmakethe
Phase2developmentgreen?
Asustainabilityreviewofthedesigntookplacein
2007byagroupconsistingofWSPGREENbyDESIGN,
PJCCarewConsultingandTheCouncilforScientific
andIndustrialResearch(CSIR).Thereviewpanel
evaluatedthedesignandsuggestedinitiativesto
improvethesustainableperformanceofthebuilding.
Therecommendationswerecategorisedandpri-
oritisedusing the ‘shadesofgreen’approach,
whichclassifiedtheinitiativesintothreelevelsof
sustainability,includinggoodpractice,bestprac-
ticeandcuttingedge.Afterthesustainabilityre-
view,WSPGREENbyDESIGNwasappointedto
assistinimplementingenvironmentalinitiatives
Automated Control Solutions is the exclusive importer & distributor of Alerton Building Management Systems throughout South Africa. Our selected Alerton installers are
committed to providing you with the best service and support along with easy to use solutions to make your building as energy efficient a possible. You benefit from flexible local
experts, in tune to your business needs, backed by powerful and innovative resources.
Recommended Installers: Optimal Control SystemsTel: 011 462 7760 / Contact: Ray Knight
Energy Efficient Building Management Solutions
For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.acontrols.co.za
226 > 226 > 226 >
andtoguidetheprofessionaldesignteamtowardsa
4StarlevelofGreenStarSA–OfficeDesignv1rating
whichwasachievedon15October2009.Inaddition,
theprojectteamiscurrentlypursuingregistration
foraGreenStarSAOfficesAsBuiltv1rating.
AGreenfieldsitewasnotusedasthebuildingis
locatedonpreviouslydevelopedland.Takingthe
landuseandecologyintoconsideration,thetopsoil
onthesitewastakenawaybythesub-contractor,
cleanedandreusedonotherdevelopmentprojects,
whiletheecologicalvalueoftheNedbankPhase2
sitewasenhancedbeyonditspreviouslyexisting
state.Thebuildingispredominantlyframedincon-
cretewith95%recycledcontentforrebarsanda
minimumfly-ashcontentof30%onaverage.
“NedbankhadwantedthePhase2buildingtobe
agreenbuildinglongbeforetherulebookcame
out,”saysXavierHuyberechts,seniorexecutive
partner,GLH&AssociatesArchitects.
Togogreen,Nedbankrequiredthatallemissions
frommaterialsandprocessespossessrefrigerant
andgaseousfiresuppressantsandthatthermal
insulantshaveanOzoneDepletingPotentialofzero.
VolatileOrganicCompoundsoftheofficeinterior
paintandcarpetshavebeenreducedtoabare
minimum.
Theindoorenvironmentqualityalsoturnedgreen,via
freshairintakeinthebuildingbeing100%greater
thenrequiredbySANS10400-O.Theinclusionofcar-
bondioxidesensors,integratedatthereturnpoints
oneachfloor,ensurescontinuousmonitoringand
adjustmentoftheamountoffreshairenteringthe
building.TheMeanValuelevelswerepredictedtobe
between-0.5and+0.5,calculatedinaccordance
withISO7730usingstandardclothingandmetabolic
ratevaluesduringoccupiedhoursduringtheyear.
Although60%oftheofficeshavedirectlineofsight
totheoutdoors,noisefromtheoutsidehasbeen
minimised,whilethenoiselevelswithintheoffices
havebeenreducedinaccordancewithinSANS10103:
2004.Aswithmostbuildingsthatcomplywiththe
smokingrules,theNedbankPhase2Buildingisnon-
smokingandhasnodesignatedsmokingareas
internally.
Aconservativeapproach
Withregardstowater,oncemunicipalityreticence
hasbeenovercome,aBlackwatertreatmentsystem,
229 >
aprojectinnovation,willbeinstalledtoproviderecy-
cledwaterforallnon-potablewaterusesincluding
irrigation,toiletsandcoolingtowers.Anotherproject
innovationistheimplementationofarainwaterhar-
vestingplantthatwillcollectandtreatrainwaterfor
usealongwiththerecycledwater.
Toensuresignificantsavingsinwaterconsump-
tion,watermetersforallmajorwateruseshavebeen
connectedtoaBuildingManagementSystem,which
supportsproperfacilitymanagementofwatercon-
sumption.Pumptestingrequiresnoconsumption
ofwater,efficientwaterfixturesandfittingshavebeen
installedandisolationvalvesoneachfloorlimitthe
amountofwaterusedformaintenance.Thefiresys-
temhasbeendesignedtodirectsprinklerwaterfrom
maintenancedrain-downstotheBlackwatertreatment
plantforon-sitereuseandalllandscapinghasbeen
designedtoincludelowwaterconsumptionplants.
Anothergreeninitiativeis inthefieldofwaste
management.Thisinvolvesadedicatedstorage
areaprovidedfortheseparationandcollectionof
paper,glass,plastics,metals,usedcompactfluo-
rescentlightbulbsandothermaterials.
Alloutflowstotheseweragesystem,duetooccu-
pantuse,hasbeenreducedbyimplementinghighly
efficientfixturesandfittings.TheBlackwatertreat-
mentsystem,onceitisinstalledwillfurtherreduce
theoutflow.
Energysavingentailedtheimplementationofeffi-
cientopencircuitevaporativecoolingtowersforheat
rejectionofthechillers.Thepartialeconomycycle
hasbeendesignedtoprovide100%freshairto60%
ofthefloorplateswhenoutsideconditionsallowit.
Lightingpowerdensitieswereputinplacefor95%
oftheofficeswithanenergyuseof2.25W/m2per
100Lux.Inaddition,aprogrammabledigitallight-
ingsystemhasbeenprovidedfortheoffices.The
lightingdesignachievesanaveragemaintainedil-
luminationlevelofnomorethan400Luxforthe
officesandhighfrequencyballastshavebeenin-
stalledinallthefluorescentluminaries.
Qualitymanagement
Commissioninghadtobedoneinaccordancewith
CIBSE,TheCharteredInstitutionofBuildingServ-
icesEngineers’commissioningcodes,atpractical
completion.Thedesignteamandcontractorhad
totransferprojectknowledgetothebuildingown-
er throughdocumenteddesign intent,as-built
drawings,operationsandmaintenancemanuals,
commissioningreportsandtheactualtrainingof
230 > 230 >
buildingmanagementstaff.Totunethebuilding
systems,monthlymonitoringwillneedtobeconduct-
edforoneyearafterpracticalcompletion.ABuild-
ingUser’sGuidewascompiledforstaffinclose
cooperationwithdesignprofessionals.Themain
contractorontheproject,GroupFive,developed
andimplementedanon-siteEnvironmentalManage-
mentPlanthatwillrequirecontinuousmonitoring.
Duringconstruction,themaincontractoralsotracked
allwastestreamsandcompletedquarterlyreports
onwastegeneration,recyclingandreuse.
Astransportandmotorvehiclesarenotregarded
as‘green’,itwasdecidedthatthenumberofparking
spaceswouldonlybeallocatedaccordingtothe
minimumlocalrequirements.Fivelevelsofunder-
groundparkingwith1598parkingbaysareavail-
able.Dedicatedparkingbayshavebeensetasideto
provideforhybridvehicles,motorbikesandbicycles,
inordertopromotefuel-efficienttransport.Complete
bicyclefacilitieswereconstructedwithchange
rooms,showersandspaceforbicyclestorage,in
theformofracks,toencouragetheuseofbicyclesas
ameansoftransportation.AstheNedbankPhase2
buildingislocatedwithinthecentreofSandton,
theuseofpublictransportationisencouraged.In
thefuture,thiswillincludetheBusRapidTransit
systemthatwillhaveabusstoponRivoniaRoad
andtheGautrainSandtonStation.Residentialdwell-
ingsincloseproximitywillfurtherreducetheneed
forlongdistancecommutingforthosewhooptto
stayclosetowork.
TherelativescoresoftheNedbankPhase2building
foreachGreenStarcategoryinclude:75%forman-
agement;52%for indoorenvironmentquality;
30%forenergy;71%fortransport;86%forwater;
36%formaterials;43%forlanduseandecology
andlastly,50%foremissions.
Paintinga‘green’picture
Alongwiththeenvironmentalinitiativesthatwere
implemented in thePhase2development, the
‘greening’ofthewallcoveringwasputinplace
throughtheuseofDuluxTradeEcosurepaint.This
productformspartofthefirst‘green’rangeintro-
ducedbyDulux.Usedonmostoftheinteriorwalls,
EcosureAd10-7-9 10/7/09 12:07 pm Page 1
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
ConsistantDurableQuality
LowVOC
Paint for aGreenerFuture
+=
For further information visit www.duluxtrade.co.zaDulux Trade, Ecosure and Paint for a Greener Future are trademarks of AkzoNobel © 2009
FACT: • Reduced VOC content Less than 16g/L• Contributes towards points in the IEQ category of Green Star SA
- Paint for a Greener Future
Environmental benefits no longer have to be chosen at the expense of performance when specifying paints. The Ecosure range from Dulux Trade provideshigh quality, long lasting finishes with excellent application characteristics and colour choice. Dulux Trade Ecosure can be tinted using the Dulux TradeColour System to allow flexibility in colourful decorating while taking the environment into account. Available in both Silk and Matt finishes in 5L and 20L.
Dulux Trade is a Silver founding member of the Green Building Council of South Africa and our specifiers have been trained on the Green Star rating tool.
232 >
Design Electronic Nedbank Ph2 advert Rev1 20100818.doc
ASTER INTERNATIONAL (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd
A Subsidiary of the Gilaf Group of Companies, Italy Air-Conditioning Engineers and Contractors
Johannesburg
Erf 89 Impala Road, Kelvin View Eastgate Extension 8, Sandton 2090
PO Box 1599, Kelvin 2054 Tel: +27(0)11 581 9400
Fax: +27(0)11 581 9548 or (0)86 636 1190 E-mail: [email protected]
Aster International is a leading contractor for medium to large projects in the Heating, Steam, Ventilation
and Air-Conditioning industry. Aster specializes in the installation of plants for the climatisation and ventilation of buildings for corporate
offices, hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, pharmaceutical, clean rooms/sterile air and industrial plants. Aster provides Engineering, Project Management, all aspects of Air-Conditioning contracting, Operating
and Maintenance Services and has more than 30 years of proven local experience.
Proudly associated with Nedbank for the Nedbank Head Office Phase II Project
thislowVOCpaintcreatesapictureofeco-friend-
liness,contributingtoNedbank’sgreen-starrating.
WhentheNedbankPhase2projectcommenced,
therewasno‘green’paintavailableontheSouth
Africanmarket.Duluxwasveryaccommodatingin
thattheystartedtomanufacturethis‘green’paint
inordertomeettherequirementthatpaintshould
beproducedlocallyfortheNedbankproject.
DuluxTradeSA,aprofessionalproviderofpaintprod-
uctsandservices,pridesitselfinbeingoneofthe
leadingauthoritiesonproducts,colourandservice,
undertakingresearchintolocalandinternational
trendstoproducethemostcomprehensiverangeof
productssuitedtothenationalSouthAfricanmarket.
NowasasubsidiaryoftheAkzoNobelgroup,the
leaderinperformancecoatingandtheworld’slargest
decorativepaintscompanyandleadingspecialty
chemicalsbusiness,thecompanyaspirestowardsbe-
inganinnovative,sociallyandenvironmentallyre-
sponsibleorganisationwithbrandsthatprovide
valueformoney,goodtechnicalperformanceand
minimalimpactontheenvironmentandpeople’s
health.AlsobelongingtoSAPMA(SouthAfrican
PaintManufacturersAssociation),Dulux’sproduct
stewardshippoliciesareanintegralpartofitsstrat-
egiesinAfrica.Akzo-NobelandDuluxarepassionate
aboutintroducingnewideasanddevelopingsustain-
ableanswersfortheircustomers,suchasNedbank.
ThePluviaSyphonicroofdrainagesystem
Geberit,thecreatorofthePluviaSyphonicroof
drainagesystem,iswellknownforitswater-saving
plumbingandsanitarytechnology.Beingnamed
oneoftheTop10oftheWorld’s100Sustainable
233 >
Companies,Generithasbeenrecognisedforits
commitmenttosustainability.
“ThebiggestroleGeberitplayedintheNedbank
Phase2projectwastheplacementofthePluvia
Syphonicroofdrainagesystem,”saysMarkSchurr,
operations director, Geberit. Geberit used the
moreeco-friendlyHDPEpipes, rather thanthe
conventionalPVCPipes.Thesewerearequirement
fortheNedbankproject.
GeberitPluviaisaroofdrainagesystembasedon
anintelligentnegativepressuresuctionsystem.This
systemofferssolutionsforthearchitectureoftoday,
providing architects with considerably greater
flexibilityintheplanningofbuildings,intheutili-
sationofspaceandintheco-ordinationofdifferent
buildingrequirements.
Thehigh-performanceGeberitPluviaroofoutlets
arelinkedtogetherdirectlyundertheroofwitha
non-slopingcollectorpipe.Largeroofareascan
thusbedrainedthroughasingledischargestack.
Thissimplifiesplanningandreducesconstruction
time.Cost-intensivedischargestacksanddrains
aredispensedwith,multiplyingboththeplanning
optionsavailabletothearchitectandthepotential
usesforthebuilding.Thetechnicalprincipleandthe
highdrainagerateofGeberitPluviaensurethatthe
systemcanbeusedinawiderangeofapplications.
Someofthemanyadvantagesofusingthissystem
includelessplanningeffort,fewerdischargestacks
androofoutletsandthesimplificationofbuilding
planning,permittingoptimumspaceutilisation.A
diminishedneedfordischargestacksreducestheout-
layforundergrounddrainconnectionsandsurfacelines
aswellasthecostsforthepropertydeveloper.
Physical Address: Unit 7, Citrus Street Industrial Park,Citrus Street, Laser Park, Honeydew, Gauteng
Postal Address: PO Box 1477, Honeydew, 2040
Contact numbers: Tel: +27 11 794-6551 Fax: +27 11 794-5055
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.knightshopfitters.co.za
Knight Shopfitters are Proud to be Associated
with the Nedbank Phase II Development
234 >
Attheforefrontofthemove
GroupFiveBuilding,asthemaincontractoronthe
NedbankPhase2project,wasattheforefrontof
the move towards a cleaner environment.The
GroupFiveconstructionteamputinamassiveef-
forttoachievethestandardssetbytheGreenStar
SA–Officev1ratingtool.
Asoneofthelargestconstructionandmaterials
manufacturingcompaniesinsouthernAfrica,Group
Fiveisabroad-basedinfrastructurecompanywith
abalancedportfolioofbusinessesacrossselected
geographiesinAfrica,EuropeandtheMiddleEast.
Offeringmulti-disciplinaryconstructionandengi-
neeringskillsandexpertise,thecompanyachieves
deliveryofallaspectsofprojects,includingconcept
developmentanddesign.
Withyearsofconstructionexperience,GroupFive
hasplayedamajorrole inthedevelopmentof
southernAfrica’sinfrastructure,achievingarepu-
tationbothnationallyandinternationallyforinno-
vationandprofessionalism.
“Wemonitoredtheprogrammeverycloselyand
anydeviationsoractivitiesslackingbehindwere
immediatelyaddressed.Everypersonknewex-
actlywhatwasgoingonandwhatwasexpectedof
him.Eachmorning,thepreviousdaywouldbedis-
cussedintermsofworkbeingdone,togetherwith
howweweregoingtogoforward.GroupFivewas
chosenforthisprojectbecauseofourprevious
trackrecord,thededicatedteamwehaveandthe
spiritpresentedbyourteam,”saysJohanMatthee,
SeniorProjectManager,GroupFive.
Derrington Floors – suppliers and installers of superior wooden flooring including the following:Solid wood flooring, Super-Engineered wood flooring, Engineered wood flooring, Bamboo flooring, Laminate flooring
Suntups Super-Engineered wood flooring was chosen for Nedbank's Phase II building – the flooring chosen offering all the benefits of an engineered floor along with the useful life of a solid wood floor whilst using the optimum quantity of valuable timber.
www.derrington.co.za
Tel: 082 900 3343Fax: 086 666 1686Email: [email protected]
235 >
Notjustadesk
Witheightlevelsofofficespace,Phase2oftheNed-
bankHeadOfficewillprovidenewaccommodation
for3,000employees.WithateamcomprisingGLH
Architects,TerraEtherArchitects,ClaassenAuret,
Aurecon,CoffeyProjects,Group5BuildingandWSP
Structures,amongothers,theNedbankPhase2
buildinghasbecomemorethanjustanofficewith
adesk.
Weallknowtheterm‘sick-buildingsyndrome.’Al-
thoughthisdefinitionmayrefertoahumanhealth
conditionwhereinfectionsarecausedbyexposure
tocontaminantswithinabuildingasaresultof
poorventilation,thistermalsoappliestothede-
signandarchitectureofaspecificbuilding.Whenit
comestothelayoutofabuilding,thecolourpalette
used,theinteriordesign,theinternalandexternal
lighting,amongothers,theimperativeistocreate
theperfectworkenvironmentthroughcorrectstruc-
turalanddesignimplementation.
“Theaimofarchitectureistocreateenvironments
forpeopletoworkandliveinthattheyareproud
ofand that theyarehappy toassociate them-
selveswith.Payingattentiontoaworkenviron-
mentdoesalotintermsofincreasingtheemploy-
ees’performanceandinkeepingstaff.Thequality
oftheworkenvironmentisveryimportanttous,”
saysHuyberechts.
“Theclientwantedtocreatealargeoffice,which
wouldbringdepartmentstogether.Bybringing
peopletogether,itwouldinturnmakecommuni-
cationstrongerbetweendepartments.Wepride
ourselvesinhavingcreatedaworkenvironment
237 >
thatpeopleliketoworkinandcreatingabuilding
thatworksanddoeswhatitisintendeddo.Our
primaryaimwastocreateanoffice,butforus,it
wasgoingbeyondfunctionality.Byachievingthat,
we have reached where we want to be. If you
speaktopeopleinNedbank,theyarepositiveand
happypeople,”addsHuyberechts.
Thesimpleoffices,canteens,amenities,littleshops
andgreenopennessoftheparks,allowforthemixing
ofpeople,creatingarelaxedwayofworking.“Itisa
buildingthatpeoplewanttogotoworkin.Nedbank’s
employeeslovegoingthere.Forthem,workismore
thanjustadesk,”explainsHuyberechts.
Greenerywithincement
Inordertoimproveonthepreviousworkingenviron-
mentsofNedbank’semployees,itwasessential
forthearchitectstogobacktotheoriginaldesignof
thepastoffices.BeforetheNedbankHeadOfficewas
builtinSandton,thestaffwerehousedinvariousof-
ficeblocksacrosstheJohanneburgCBD.Johannes-
burg’sinnercity,oftenreferredtoasthe‘cementjun-
gle’, iscrowdedwithdevelopments,busyroads,
traffic-jamsandover-bearingofficeblocks.Essentially,
theofficeswerehousedindenseofficebuildings
whichwereseenasalienatingtotheemployees.
Asnature,withitsgreenelements,affectsthework-
ingenvironment,NedbankPhase2wasdesigned
tosurroundtwobeautifulspacesofgreeneryin
theformoftwoparks.Thegreeneryhasgiventhe
employeesofNedbankanexceptionaltypeofwork
environment.Withfloraandfauna,largelawnsof
grass,wildgeese,birds,windingwalkingpathsand
seatingbenches,thisistrulyanescapefromthe
cityhustle-and-bustlewhereemployeescanspend
theirlunchbreaksrelaxinganddecompressing.
“Whenyouareinthepark,youcannothearthe
buzzingofthecity.This,initself,isanachievement,”
saysHuyberechts.
Atimelesspiece
Imperativetothedesignisthecreationofatime-
lessbuilding,onethatshowsthebank’slong-last-
ingdurationandstabilitywithinSouthAfrica,whilst
differentiatingitsdesignandappearancefromoth-
erbankingdevelopments.Forthearchitects,itwas
importanttodesignabuildingthat‘ageswell’.
“Weusedaslightlyclassicallookforthebuilding,
avoidingfallingintoaneo-classicalappearance.
Peoplearenotscaredofthistypeofarchitecture.It
hasalreadybeenassimilatedthroughtheNedbank
Phase1building.Asthearchitectural‘handwriting’
238 >
hadalreadybeendoneinthefirstphase,wemade
astrongreferencetothepastarchitecturalstyles
andformsthatarerecognisedbythegeneralpub-
lic.”Asolididentity,fromanarchitecturalpointof
view,wasdeveloped.“Eachofourclientshasan
architectural ‘handwriting’which inevitablybe-
comestheiridentity,”saysHuyberechts.
Thearchitecture,withitsmodernityandpaletteof
lightcolours,isverystriking,creatingadistinctpres-
encewithintheSandtonarea.Itwasaboutbeing
strikinglydifferent,yeteasyrecognisable.
Thearchitecture,althoughnotalientoglobalarchitec-
ture,doesnotfallintothepitfalloftrends.“Following
populartrendsinarchitecturecanbedangerous,as
onedayabuildingistrendy,butthenthenextdayitis
dead.Wedidnotwanttofallintointernationaltrends,
whereyoutakeaninternationalarchitecturalextract
andplaceitinSouthAfrica,”addsHuyberechts.
ItwasimportanttotheclientthatPhase2bekept
inlinewithPhase1intermsofdevelopment,con-
structionanddesign.“Thisprovesthatwedidnot
gowronginthedevelopmentofphase1,”con-
cludesHuyberechts.
AlandmarkinSandton
NedbankPhase2islocatedonaprimesiteinthe
heartofSandtonandalthoughthebuildingitself
isnottallenoughtofeatureaspartoftheskyline,
ithowevercanbesaidthat“anyonewhoknows
Sandton,knowstheNedbankPhase2building,”
saysHuyberechts.
ThebuildingseekstobenefitthewholeofSand-
tonbybetteringandintegratingcityliving.Thisis
accomplishedbyopeningthebuildinguptothe
streetviaanactiveface.“Therearenootherbuild-
ingslikethisthatare‘open’andactive.Thisisan
239 >
innovation,”saysHuyberechts.Afterconvincing
theclientnottohaveahardedge,theactiveedge
alongMaudeStreetwasestablishedthroughretail
shops, a high end restaurant and a Nedbank
branchwhichareopentothepublic.
“ItisalandmarkinSandtonbecauseofitssizeandits
presencewithintheprecinct,”addsHuyberechts.
WalkingthroughNedbankPhase2,theimmense
effortthathasgoneintomakingthisdevelopment
aneco-friendlyworkenvironmentbecomesappar-
ent.Withpeoplespendingasubstantialamountof
theirlivesworkinginoffices,it’simperativethat
officeenvironmentsencouragegoodhealthand
provideaplaceinwhichpeoplecanreachtheirfull
careerpotential.NedbankPhase2isalreadycre-
atingthedreamworkenvironmentfortheluckystaff
thatwillworkwithinthisdevelopment.Forthem,
thisistrulyareality.<
applicationsapplications
more than a building...
L E G A C Y C O R N E R
TECHNAL MX CURTAIN WALLING
SHOPFRONTS
DOORS
WINDOWS
PERFORMANCE GLAZING
FRAMELESS SYSTEMS
THE REV GROUP21 BUNSEN STREET, INDUSTRIA, JHB
Tel: 0860 738 477Fax: +27 11 474 1692
E-Mail: [email protected]
241 >
Strange,buttrue,alloftheaccommodationoffer-
ingsaround the tremendouslypopularNelson
MandelaSquareinSandtonareLegacyproducts.
ThelatesttojointhefoldaretheDaVinciHotel
andSuitessupportedbytheLegacyCornerMall.
TheLegacyGroupwasfoundedbyBartDorresteinand
thelateBrunoCortejustoveradecadeago.Theinten-
tionwas, justasthegroup’snamesuggests,to
leavealegacyofhospitalityandresidentialprop-
erties,anAfricanportfoliobuiltandruntothehighest
internationalstandards,locatedacrossAfricaand
theIndianOceanislands.
It’snotjustfinefourandfivestarhotelsthatfeaturein
theLegacyportfolio.Thereareahostofbushlodges
andlifestyleretreatssuchasKwaMaritane,Bakubung
andTshukuduinthePilanesberg,theKrugerPark
LodgeinMpumalangaandTheWindhoekCountry
ClubinNamibiathataddspicetotheselectionon
offer.Inadditiontostraightforwardhotelaccom-
modation,thegroupalsosellssectionaltitlehotel
suitesandfractionalownershipintheLegacyPrivate
Residencesanddevelopsmixed-uselifestyleprop-
ertiesthatincludegamingandretailfacilitiesas
well.
Awinningformula
Ifyouarefortunateenoughtobeinvitedtothetri-
plestoreypenthouseoftheMichelangeloTowers,
youwillgetabird’seyeviewofjusthowsubstan-
tialtheLegacyfootholdisinNelsonMandelaSquare.
OncetheGautrain’sstationhasbeencompleted,
adjacenttothesquare,theLegacystableofthe
MichelangeloHotel,DaVinciHotel,Michelangelo
Towers,RaphaelPenthouseSuitesandtheDaVinci
Suiteswillcomeintotheirownasdemandinthis
vibrantbusinesshubsurges.
TheclassicMichelangeloHotelmadewaveswhen
itwasfirstbuiltonthenewretailsquareacross
fromSandtonCity.ItssuccesspromptedfurtherLEG
AC
YCO
RN
ER:
JOIN
ING
TH
ES
TYLE
HU
BO
FJO
HA
NN
ESB
UR
GB
yB
evH
erm
anso
n
242 >
hospitalitydevelopmentandsubsequently the
MichelangeloTowersbrokethemouldofferingexclu-
siveapartmentsinalavishstyleinthetallestbuilding
inSandton.WiththeLegacyformulaofelegance,cha-
rismaandcommitmenttoservicefirmlyentrenchedin
thearea,Sandton’slatestofferinghasnowarrivedto
completethepicture.
LegacyCorneris17storeysofmixed-usefacilitiessitu-
ated on the corner of 5th Avenue and Maude
StreetsinSandton,directlyoppositethestalwart
SandtonCityretailandofficecomplex,theSandton
SunHotel,theSandtonTowersIntercontinental
HotelandtheSandtonConventionCentre.
Theretailcomponentofthisnewdevelopmentis
situatedonthreelevelsthatarelinkedwiththeupper
andlowerretaillevelsoftheexistingNelsonMandela
Square.BAIarerenownedfortheirretailexcel-
lence–andthenewLegacycornerMallistestament
tothisexcellence.Alreadyopen,themallhasmetwith
greatapprovalbyshoppersandtenantsalike.
Belowthetwoshoppingmalllevels,istheglamor-
ousMarcoPoloentertainmentcentreoffers300state
oftheartinteractiveelectronicbingoterminalsasa
diversion.ThemedasaVenetianvenue,theMarco
Polocelebratesthelifeandtimesofthefamedmedi-
evalItalianexplorerthattraversedtheglobeonnu-
merousjourneysofdiscovery.Ownedandoperated
byGalaxyInternational,aUKcompanywithover15
years’experienceinBingodevelopment,theMarco
Polohasanintimatepianobarwitha romantic
danceflooraswellasashowbarandadedicated
smokingroomcalledTheCrystalRoom.
TheDaVinciHotelhas166ensuitehotelrooms,
50single,doubleandtriplebedroomedapartment
suitesaswellastwolevelsoffourluxuryduplexpent-
houses.Afitnessgym,infinitypoolandwellness
spaareamongsttheperks.
Thearchitectswhohavehelpedwiththesuccess
oftheSandtonLegacyportfolioareBentelAssoci-
ates International (BAI)whodesigned the iconic
Lega
cyc
orne
rext
erna
lvie
wfr
omth
est
reet
.
Access Control and Revolving Doors
FLOW SYSTEMS MANUFACTURERS (PTY) LTD Flow Systems established in 1975 supplies the widest range of Manual Revolving Doors Access Control Turnstiles, Vehicle Barriers and Access Control Booths PLUS a range of Manual Revolving Doors, Automatic Revolving Doors and Access Control Revolving Doors for Corporate Buildings, Hotels, Shopping Centres, etc.
Tel: +27 11 762 2453 | Fax: +27 11 762 2565 | [email protected] | www.flowsystems.co.za
Established in 1993, our products are designed to meet customers' specifications and requirements for high-quality workmanship. We
manufacture kitchen and bathroom units, custom-made bars, built-in cupboards and TV units. We also do 'out of town' work.
PLATINUMVAnitiesCC 2009/047131/23
Office J.B.R.
Sandra
011 827 6750076 188 3832084 780 9435
Address
Email21 Rosslee Street, Cruywagen Park, Elsburg
245 >
MichelangeloTowersandwhoarenowresponsible
forSandton’snewaddition,LegacyCorner.
“WearemostexcitedaboutthecompletionofLeg-
acyCorner,whichwebelievewillbeafantasticnew
additiontotheSandtonskyline–thebuildingisa
carefulbalancebetweenembracingclassicalele-
mentswhichisinkeepingwithitsneighbours,es-
peciallyNelsonMandelaSquare,andmodernar-
chitecture” says Franc Brugman, architect
responsibleforboththeMichelangeloTowersand
LegacyCorner.“Wehavealsostrivedtoinclude
sustainable technologies in the design of the
buildingasfarasthecommercialbudgetofthede-
velopmentwouldallow.Weareproudtohavebeen
abletodecreasetheenergydemandofthebuilding
byasmuchas15%throughtheinclusionof:solar
panelsthatassisttheelectricalboilers,heatex-
changetechnologythatcollectsthehotwaterpro-
ducedbytheairconditioningchillerunits,insula-
tiontohotwaterpipes,theuseofperformanceglass
whererequiredtoreducetheACheatloadandsim-
plespecificationslikelowflowshowerheadstode-
crease water consumption. Furthermore, the
buildingwillhaveabuildingmanagementsystem
(BMS)installedwhichwillassistinmonitoringthe
energyconsumptionofthebuildinginthefuture.”
Dininginstyle
Intendedtoberunasa24-houroperation,theDa
VinciLounge&Barwillbeawelcomeadditionto
Sandton’sportfolioofhipandhappeningentertain-
mentvenues.TheWine&CigarBarpromisestobe
anotherpopularspot,althoughundoubtedlyoneof
themaindrawcardswillbethegraciouslyelegant
MaximillienRestaurant,withitsexpansivewindows
andextendeddeckgivingpatronstheopportunity
toenjoytheoutdoorsandviewsofSandton.
GivenaNewYorkFrenchbistrocharacter,Maximil-
lienexudesasenseofgrandeurthankstotherich
Men
sbo
utiq
uein
Leg
acy
Mal
l.
246 >
darkbrownbambooflooring,thepewterpressed
ceilings,theantiquemirrorsframedbyrectangular
glasslightboxesandtheDouglasJonestiles.
Theinteriordesigners,VaroomInteriors,tookon
thechallengeofconvertinga longrectangular
spaceintosomethinginviting,classyandsophis-
ticated.“Theideawastomirrorthestyleofthe
renownedBalthazarrestaurantinNewYork.Balt-
hazarisaconvertedleatherwholesaler’sware-
houseandisknownforitsexceptionaldesign,”
saysVanessaPrestonofVaroomInteriors.“Ithas
aFrenchbistro/patisseriestyle,butwithavery
warmvibe.That’swhatourbriefwasforMaximillien,
butwewantedtomakeitasmarter,sexierversion.
Thesilverypewtermouldingaroundthebarkept
totheBalthazarthemeandweaddedinthelions
headstogiveittheAfricancontext.”
Therectangularspacewassubtlydividedinto‘stag-
es’,withthewelcomeareaandthebaratthefront,a
raisedsectionthatcouldbeclearedforentertainment,
themaineateryareaandthentheoutdoorterrace.
Theshopping,gaminganddiningtreatsaside,Legacy
Cornerhasanothertreatupitssleeve.Spanning
threelevels,theLegacyTVwall,wrappedwithin
thegranitecladescalatoratrium,offersexception-
alexposuretopremiumbrandnameswantingto
reachapre-qualifiedpremiumSandtonconsumer.
ThroughthegrowthoftheLegacyportfolio,the
keydecisionmakershaveappreciatedthatit’sthe
detailsthatcount.AtLegacyCorner,thisiscertainly
oneofthephilosophiesthathasbeenintegralto
thedesign.Mosaicsinthereceptionareaandonthe
pillarsintheretailmall,lowerluxlevelsinthelighting
togivetheshops‘centrestage’andhoteldécorde-
signedbyworld-renownedinteriordesigner,Stephen
Falcke,allcontributetotheheightenedsenseof
grandeurofthefinalpieceoftheLegacycollection
onNelsonMandelaSquareinSandton.<
247 > 247 >
TheCrystalRoominM
arcoPolo.ThebarattheM
aximillienRestaurant.
Maxim
illienRestaurantwithraisedstage(theflooringisdarkenedbam
boo)andthebar.
MarcoPolobingom
achines.
248 >
ConceivedasawalledTuscanvillage,inlinewiththepreviousphasesbuiltat
Montecasino,ThePivotisauniqueblendofoffice,retailandhospitalityspac-
esthatoffersconvenienceandstyletothoselookingforaccommodationand
businessfacilitiesintheupmarketsuburbofFourways.
ByBevHermanson
ThePivotcourtyardshowingpartoftheofficecomplex,theconferenceblock,the‘Pivot’sculpturedesignedbyrenownedJohannesburgartist,MarcoCianfanelli,andtheentrancetothehotel.
THEJUXTAPOSITIONOF
OLDANDNEWATMONTECASINO
249 >
EasilyaccessiblefromtheN1freeway,theLanseria
andORTamboAirportsandthebusinesshubsof
SandtonandMidrand,thecasinocomplexknown
asMontecasinooffersanexcellentblendofenter-
tainmenttotheresidentsofJohannesburg.The
firstphaseofMontecasino,comprisingagaming
floor,variousupmarketrestaurantsandboutique-
styledstores,alongwithaPieterToerientheatre,
NuMetrocinemacomplex,fastfoodcourtandkid-
diesentertainmentzone,wasopenedin2000.
Launchedamidstmuchfanfare,Montecasinorap-
idlybecameoneofthemostpopulargamingdesti-
nationsinGauteng.
Initially,the5-starPalazzoHotelbuiltalongside
thecasino,wastheonlyhotelaccommodation
nearby,butassubsequentphasescameonstream,
offices,anadditionaltheatre–the1900seater
Teatro–andanotherhotel‘onthesquare’added
morespice.
ThelatestofferingatMontecasino,intheformof
ThePivot,addsagreatdealofvalueasanextradi-
mension to the already popular entertainment
node.AjointventurebetweenTsogoSun,Abland
andABSA,ThePivotfulfillsanumberofneeds,one
ofwhichwastheprovisionofextraparking.Further-
more,forthoselivinginthevicinityandforthose
livingnorthofWit-koppenRoad,ThePivotoffers
anexcellentbusinesspremisesalternativetothe
congestionexperiencedinRivonia,Sunninghilland
Sandton.Over16000m2ofrentableofficespaceis
availableinblocksofbetween50m2rightupto
13000m2.Eachofficeblockhasitsowncorefacili-
tiesintheformoflifts,stairsandtoilets,withaccess
totheopenaircommunalsquare.
Adominantfeatureinthesquareisthehugesculpture
byrenownedJohannesburgartist,MarcoCianfanelli.
ThebrieftoCianfanelliwastocreateatallsculpture
thatwouldaddatouchofmodernitytotheTuscan
surroundings.“Itriedtocapturetheideaofapivot
Theopenplankitchencreatesa‘theatreofcooking’interactivewiththeguestsinthediningroom.
250 >
beingbothapointoforiginandasourceofenergy,”
explainsCianfanelli.Theinterpretationsuggeststhat
thepivotrepresentscentrifugalforcesandCianfanelli
decidedtodepict thisbyarrangingmultiple fins
aroundasinglepoint,tocreatetheeffectofenergy
radiatingoutwards.Theresulthasbeenquitea
featofengineering,at18metrestall,weighingsix
tonsandwiredtolightupatnight.
Theofficefacilitiesarecomplementedbyachoice
selectionofretailoutletsandrestaurants.Infact,
everyconveniencehasbeenconsidered,fromrenta-
blemeetingroomsandboardrooms,tohairdress-
ers,drycleanersandevenprinters.Inaddition,ten-
antsoftheofficeaccommodationhaveaccessto
thefacilities inthenewfourstarSouthernSun
MontecasinoHotelthatispartofthenewdevelop-
ment–inparticularthe120seaterrestaurant,the
loungeareaandtheVenetianbar.
“Theadditionofanotherhotelincreasesourtotal
roomstocktoover600intheMontecasinonode,”
saysKevinPage,directorofdevelopmentfortheTsogo
SunGroup.“Thishasbeenawelcomeextensiontothe
accommodationalreadyavailable.Theadditionalof-
ficeshavefurtheraddedanexcitingbusinessoppor-
tunity,especiallysincewehaveincludeda1200m2
conferencecentreasanextraattraction.”
ModelledonthePalazzoCorsini,afifteenthcentury
villanestlingontheslopesbetweenGianicoloandthe
TiberRiverinItaly,thenewSouthernSunMonteca-
sinoHotel,withitsdistinctivepinkandcreamexterior,
offers194roomsandboastsatheatre-styleopen
plankitcheninteractivewiththerestaurant,ahigh
techgyminthebasementandaspaciouslounge
andbar.Anextensivewoodendeckedterraceout-
sideoverlooksthepoolandwetlandareaonthe
northernsideofthehotel,which,althoughitfaces
MultiplevolumereceptionareaoftheSouthernSunMontecasinoHotelandthesweepingstaircaseleadingoffthereceptionarea.
Tel: +27 011 474 1431Email: [email protected]
www.lailainteriors.co.za
Laila Interiors appreciates the opportunity to be a part of another
Kharafi Holdings Project at the Hyatt Regency Oubaai development
Laila Interiors have been involved in the following projects with Kharafi Holdings;
-Sheraton Hotel, Albania & Gambia
-Lombardy Estate Lodge, Pretoria-Port Khalib Hotel Project Egypt
-Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria
"Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose."
- Charles Eames
SANDTON +27 11 555 4800 I CENTURION +27 12 663 2556 I www.offix.co.za I [email protected]
252 >
TheSouthernSunMontecasinoHotelenjoysprimepositionaspartofThePivotdevelopmentinFourways.
oneofthebusytrafficcircles,iseffectivelyshielded
frompublicview.
“Whatisspecialaboutthisdevelopmentistheunique
fusionofoldmeetingnew,”saysRyanIllgner,inte-
riordesignerforthehotelandconferencefacilities
andDirectorofBlacksmithAfricaInteriorDesign
Consultants.“Thejuxtapositionisevidentthroughout
thedevelopmentandespeciallyinthehotel,which
resemblesanoldVenetianbuildingthathasbeen
refurbished.”
The‘remnants’ofthe‘old’buildingareevidentin
theantiquefurniturepieces,therefurbishedceil-
ings,reclaimedoakfloorsandtimberwork.Acontem-
poraryelementisaddedthroughtheuseofglass
forthebalustrades,stainlesssteeldetailingand
theinterminglingofclassiccontemporaryfurni-
turepiecesaccentedinplaceswithstrongcolours.
“ThePivotprojectwasawonderfulexperiencein
thatitcombinedthetalentsofsomeofthetopcon-
sultantsinalldisciplineswithinSouthAfrica,who
weregiventhecreativefreedombytheclienttocreate
auniquedevelopmentwhereeverydetailhasbeen
carefullyconsideredandtested,” Illgneradds.
“ThefutureforThePivotcanonlybesuccessful.Its
beautifulclassicVenetianappealisseamlesslyin-
tegratedwithcontemporarydesignandall the
convenienceaffordedbymoderntechnology.”<
+27 (0) 82 398 2632 | [email protected] | www.effects.co.za
e are specialists in faux finishes, paint effects, murals, mosaics, gold and silver Wleafing, stencilling, refinishing of kitchen and
bedroom cupboards, epoxying of floors and hanging of wallpaper. We do interior and exterior walls, special effects on furniture, fireplaces, kitchens and bathrooms, living rooms and bedrooms.
Based in Gauteng, South Africa Elaine Jansen van Rensburg and her team of skilled painters and technique artists have worked on numerous homes, casinos, hotels, restaurants, wedding venues and churches, among others!
Contact us for all your special paint effects needs.
Architectural Solution In Polymer Concrete
Product info:
Technical Specification
Advantages
* Resin based moulded columns* Four times stronger than concrete* Water, weather and corrosion resistant* Cost effective & appealing* Lightweight and easy to install
* Compressive Strength of 133 Mpa
* Smooth finish, easy to paint to the colour of your choice* High quality finish than conventional concrete, no plastering or finishing required* Columns are hollow thus easy to transport and position* Can be used hollow or filled with concrete* No shuttering required
East CoastColumns & Mouldings
Contact details
Tel: 021 854 6889Fax: 021 854 5779Mike: 082 5514 149Sean: 074 1485 865
Email: [email protected]
255 >
COR
AL
INTE
RN
ATIO
NA
LC
AP
ETO
WN
HO
TEL:
CA
PE
TOW
N,B
EACH
ES,S
AN
D
AN
DC
OR
AL
AP
ERFE
CTC
OM
BIN
ATIO
N
By
Sta
cey
Row
an
CapeTown,withitsbeaches,winefarms,
TableMountain,KirstenboschGardens
andtheV&AWaterfront,isconsidered
oneoftheworld’smostbeautifulcities.
And,theperfecthoteltoexperienceits
riches is the Coral International Cape
Town.ForthefirsttimeinSouthAfrica,
guestscanexperiencetheidealcombina-
tionofCoralHotels&Resorts’distinctive
hospitality,throughtheoperationofthe
CoralInternationalCapeTownHotel,and
CapeTown’sbeauty.
256 >
Theclient,CiiHoldings,isoneofthemostestablishedbusinesshousesinSouthAfrica,withawiderangeofcommercialactivitiesspreadacrossdiverseseg-ments,includingCiiHotel&ResortsCapeTown(Pty)Ltd,andisnowpoisedtobeamajorplayerinthehospitalityindustry.
A5-starbrand
CoralInternational,beingthe5-starbrandthatitis,hasbroughtitsblendofrefinement,eleganceandluxury,toppedbyitsstate-of-the-artfacilities,totheSouthAfricanshoresintheformofthisnewhotel.“Ithasthelookandfeelofa5-starinterna-tionalhotel,”saysCliveShepherd,managingdirec-tor,DSAArchitectsInternational.Featuring137spa-ciousroomsandsuites–eachequippedwiththefinestamenities–CoralInternationalCapeTowncom-binesworld-classcomfortwithoutstandingservice.Aswimmingpoolwithapooldeck,meetingrooms,abusinesscentre,tworestaurantsservinginternation-alcuisine,aloungearea,spaandgymfacilitiesonthemezzaninefloor,arealsoavailable.
TheCoralInternationalCapeTownHotelprovidesbeautifullydecoratedroomsandsuiteswithamen-itiesincludingluxuriouslinens,plasmaTVs,cableTV,highspeedwiredandWi-FiInternetaccess.“Theroomsarespaciousandthoseonthetoplevelareallsuites,whichareverylargeinsize,”saysRobLow,director,DSAArchitectsInternational.
AhintofArabesqueflavour
Withregardstotheinteriorfeelanddesign,thecli-ent wanted to have a hint of Arabesque themethroughoutthehotel,withacombinationofmid-dle-easternandorientalelements.
“CoralInternationalCapeTownbringsanewcon-cepttoCapeTownwithapowerfularchitecturalde-sign.Theideafromtheoutsetwastoexploreastrikinglydifferentapproachtodesignwhichisre-flectedinthehotel’sdistinctivearchitecture.Basi-cally,thehotelincorporatesthebestofmodern
AneveningviewoftheCoralInternationalCapeTownHotel.
AlZaeemhastheshishaforeveryoccasion.
258 >
architecturewithatouchofArabesqueandAfricandesignsuchasthebeautifulchandelierinthelob-by,thearchesattheentranceandtheornatechairs.Itgivesyouafeelingofacourtyard–thisissuchasignatureelementofArabiandesign.Whiledevelop-ingthepublicspaces,muchattentionhasbeengiventocreatingcomfortableandrelaxingzoneswhilegivingourguestsauniqueexperience.
Extensiveamenitiesandfacilitiesareinterwovenintothelayouttoofferopportunitiesforsocialinterac-tion,leisureandrecreation.ExquisitetraditionalAfricantouchesandattentiontodetailbringasenseoffamiliarityandharmonyfromourlocalcultures.Therestaurantsareequallyimaginativelydesignedintermsofcoloursanddécor.Theroomsaregener-ouslyproportionedandprovidearelaxedambiencewithasleekandultra-modernlook.Overall,CoralIn-ternationalCapeTownisavibrant,high-qualityprod-uctthatembracesthefuturewhilevaluingthetradi-tions,”says JacquiBooyzen,GeneralManager,CoralInternationalCapeTown.
TheBo-Kaap
Thehotel,beinglocatedadjacenttotheBo-Kaap,aMuslimcommunityinCapeTown,createdchal-lengesfortheteamatDSAArchitectsInternation-al,who,fromadesignpointofview,hadtomouldthehotelintotheprecinctandworkwithintheBo-Kaapcontext.
The‘BoKaap’,or‘CapeMalayQuarter’asitisalsoknown,belongstotheculturallyandhistoricallymostinterestingpartsofCapeTown.Manyoftheinhabit-antsaredescendantsofimmigrantsfromIndone-sia,SriLanka,IndiaandMalaysia.
TheCapeMalayshavepreservedtheirculturaliden-tityandMuslimfaith.TheoldMalayQuarterwithitssteepand narrow streets, the simple artisan’shouses, Mosques and Minaretts reaches fromBuitengrachtStreetrightuptotheslopesofSignalHill.Thehouseshavebeenrestoredandcolourfullypainted.ThearchitecturalstyleisasynthesisofCape
ThearchitecturalstyleofthehotelblendsintothehistoricalcontextoftheBo-Kaapprecinct.
Viewofthespaciouslobby.
259 >
Viewsofthepooldeck.
Oneofseveralmeetingrooms.
Boasting137roomsandsuites,CoralInternationalCapeTowntakesmodernluxurytoahigherlevel.EachsuiteincludesanelegantandrelaxinglivingareawithstunningviewsofTableMountain.
Thebusinesscentre.
260 >
Thestate-of-the-artgym.
TheMezbaanrestauranttakesthebestelementsfromIndiaandArabiaandaddsamoderntwisttocreateoneofCapeTown’smostoriginalrestaurants.
TheAlNafoorarestaurantspecialisesinMediterraneancuisine.
Thehairsalonandnailbar.
261 >
DutchandEdwardian.“Itisaresidentialareawith
lotsofcolourfullypaintedcottages,”saysShepherd.
Challengesfaced
WiththeCoralInternationalCapeTownhotellocat-
edonaveryprominent,butrestricted,cornerofthe
precinct,atthebaseofTableMountain,therewere
afewdesignchallengesthatneededtobead-
dressed.
“Fromadesignpointofview,thehotelhadtosit
wellaesthetically.To ensure that views of the
mountainandotherwell-knownfeaturesofCape-
Townwerenotobstructedbythebuilding,theau-
thoritiesimposedheightrestrictionsonthebuild-
ing.Tocompensateforthis,wewentoutofour
waytooptimisetheviewsoftheWaterfrontand
TableMountainfromeveryaspectwithinthehotel
andespeciallymadeanefforttogiveeverybed-
roominthehotelaview,”explainsShepherd.
Thesite restrictions required improvisation to
mouldthebuildingwiththecorner.Thecourtyard
terraceandspaweregivenprivacythroughthe
useofform,whichshieldsbothfacilitiesfrompub-
licview.
“Anotherchallengewefacedwastheconstruction
of theparking.As thehotel isboundby three
streetsithadlimitedspaceforparking.Oursolu-
tionwastobuildalltheparkingforthehotelinthe
basement,”saysLow.
“We’vemanagedtoachievea137roomhotelofavery
highquality,asrequestedbytheclient.Itfulfills
theclient’svisionofanIslamicHotelwithinaMuslim
community,whileincorporatingallofthenecessary
facilitiestoserveaninternationalclientele,”concludes
Shepherd.“Weembracedtheaestheticswhicharerel-
evanttotheenvironmentofCapeTown,andsuc-
ceededinmeetingtheclient’sexpectationsofreturn
oninvestment.”<
Viewofthesteamroom.
Thehotel’stworestaurantsprovidedinerswithdistinctiveexperiences,signaturedishesandambiance.
262 >
TheCityofCapeTownhassignaleditsinten-
tiontobidfor IDAWorldDesignCapital™
(WDC)in2014.TheWDCprojectisabiennial
internationaldesignationcreatedtoidentify
and recognise cities that have effectively
useddesigntorevivethecityandimproveits
qualityoflife.
TheWDCdesignationformspartofthebat-
teryofprojectsoftheInternationalDesign
Alliance(IDA),whichconsistsoftheInterna-
tionalCouncilforSocietiesofIndustrialDesign
(Icsid),InternationalCouncilofGraphicDesign
Associations(Icograda)andtheInternational
FederationofInteriorArchitects/Designers(IFI).
UnderthedirectionofIcsid,theWDCdesig-
nationpromotestheimportanceofgoodde-
signbystrengtheningandempoweringcities
tousedesigntopositiontheircompetitive
advantagesfromsocial,culturalandeconom-
icpointsofview.
ThisstatuswillgiveCapeTowntheopportu-
nitytoshowcaseitsvisionanditsachieve-
ments through a year-long programme of
design-ledeventsandactivitiessimilar to
whatWorldDesignCapital2010Seouliscur-
rently doing and whatTorino achieved in
2008.
SociallyconsciousdesignisatthecoreofCape
Town’sbid:designthatseekssolutionsto
theCity’schallengeswhilstcreatinganenvi-
ronmentthatissustainableandinclusive.
SOCIALCONSCIOUS
DESIGN
FORASUSTAINABLEFUTURE:WORLDDESIGNCAPITALFOR2014?
263 >
FlowerLightbyHeathNash.
264 >
NestedbunkbedsbyTsai.
CapeTownStadium.ImagecourtesyofCityofCapeTown.
DesignIndaba10x10HousingProjectwitharchitectLuyanda
Mphalwa.
265 >
CapeTownisalreadyhometonumerous
cutting-edgedesignersandthebreeding
groundofawardwinning,groundbreaking
designs.DesignerslikeHaldaneMartinwith
hisZuluMamachairwhichdrawsonindig-
enous knowledge and craft techniques,
HeathNashwithhisrefashioningofusedplas-
ticproducts,LuyandaMpalhwa’s10x10Hous-
ingProjectsubmission,TsaiDesign’sstacking
bedsandMokenaMakeka’spublicbuildings,
areallexamplesofhowdesignersareapplying
amoreholisticapproachtodesign;seeing
itaspartofagreatersysteminsteadofasa
singleitemdetachedfromsocialorenviron-
mentalcontext.
But,theCity’surbanlandscapeandlackof
socialcohesionreflecttheplanningarchi-
tectureofapartheidandlatterdaypolitical
economicpolicieswhichresultedinthema-
jorityofcitizenslivingontheurbanfringes,
condemnedtopoverty,unemploymentand
alackofaccesstoresources.
In2014,whenSouthAfricacommemorates
20yearsofdemocracy,CapeTownwillhope-
fullyhaveacompellingstorytotellofdesign-
ledtransformation.Sociallyconsciousdesign
isalreadyevidentinanumberofpublicsector
projectsliketheViolencePreventionthrough
UrbanUpgradeprojectinKhayelitsha,the
upgradingofpublicspacesinthebroader
CapeTownareathroughtheDignifiedSpaces
programmeandthelegacyleftbythe2010
SoccerWorldCup.Thelatterhasseeninfra-
structureinvestment,whichhasemphasised
pedestrianisationandembedded‘people-
first’designinitsdevelopmentofurbanparks,
pedestrianandcycleroutesandthebegin-
ningsofanIntegratedRapidTransport(IRT)
system.TheCapeTownrailwaystationand
theairportterminalhavealsobeencompletely
transformed.Allofthesehaveasubstantive
impactonpeople’sconnectionwith,andin,
thecity.
Alltheseprojectsaimtogivethepoorgreater
accesstoemployment,givethempartsof
thecityfromwhichtheyweredisplacedand
therelieffrommonotonous,bleakaesthetics.
Sociallyconsciousdesignacknowledgescur-
rentworlddynamicsandusesdesigninin-
novativewaysthatseektoweavesolutions
intothewayinwhichdesignisconceived,
howitsapplicationisused,howitsproducts
orservicesareconsumed,andlastlyhowits
wasteproductsareabsorbedbackintothe
ecosystem.Sociallyconsciousdesignem-
ploysmethodologiesthatmakeuseoflocal
techniques,arelabourintensiveandthat
createemployment.Itusesproductsthatare
notharmful,scarceornon-renewableand
whichcanbereabsorbedintotheecosystem
withoutobstructingtheplanet’sabilityto
regulateitself.
CapeTown’sWDC2014bidaimstocatalyse
anewwayofthinkinginwhichsociallycon-
sciousdesignisintegratedintothelanguage
ofdesignandembeddedintoacurriculum
ofalldesign-ledthinking.<
FormoreinformationabouttheWorldDesign
Capitalorhowtoenteryourproject,visit
http://www.capetown2014.co.za/
266 >
MAKINGSENSEOF
STRATEGY&POLICY:
THECURRENT
STATEOFDESIGN
PROMOTION
ByJennieFourie
267 >
Mostdesignersfromdisciplinesacrosstheboard
havelittleornointerestindesignpromotionstrat-
egiesandpolicies.Truthbetold,theymostprob-
ablydon’tspendaminutethinkingaboutthese
issueswhiletherearedeadlinestomeet,plansto
bemadeandprojectstopresent.
InastudytosupporttheactivitiesofaSouthAfrican
taskteamondesignpromotion,JacquesLange,
past president of the International Council of
GraphicDesignAssociations(Icograda),collated
informationondesignpromotionstrategiesand
policiesglobally.ThisstudyfoundthatFinland
andSouthKoreaweretheonlycountriesinthe
worldthathaveacompletedesignsystemthat
implementsdesignsupportprogrammestarget-
ingbusiness,thegeneralpublicanddesignedu-
cationwithnationaldesignpoliciesoperatingat
governmentlevel.
AsiaandtheNordiccountries,inwhichSouthKorea
andFinlandresiderespectively,arethemostvig-
orousregionswhenitcomestodesignpromotion.
Infact,Asiastandsoutwithdifferentdesignpro-
motionstructuresinChina(includingHongKong),
Japan(withnolessthanfourorganisations),Ma-
laysia,thePhilippines,Singapore,Taiwanand
Thailand.OverandaboveFinland, theNordic
countrieshaveorganiseddesignstructures in
Denmark,NorwayandSweden.Themajorityof
EuropeanUnioncountrieshaveactivenational
andregionaldesignpromotionagencies.
Traditionally,designpromotionactivitieswereestab-
lishedtosupportandstimulatethemanufacturing
industriesofcountries.Adevelopedmanufacturing
industryisregardedasaprerequisitefordesign
stimulustobeeffective.Thismightexplainone
ofthereasonswhyAfricalagsbehindwithSouth
Africa’sSABSDesignInstituteasoneoftheonly
designpromotionstructuresonthecontinent.
Africaisknownforcraft-basedindustriesandit
mightwellbethatnowisthetimefornewmod-
elsofrelateddesignpromotionactivitiestobe
developed.
InapreviouseditionofDESIGN>(No.13,2009),
thoughtleadersfromdifferentAfricancountries
gavetheiropinionsonwhatwasneededtoboost
design on the African continent.They unani-
mouslyagreedthatthedesignsectordidnotre-
ceiveappropriate,ifany,supportfromtheirgov-
ernments.AsLindiNdebeleKoka fromSouth
Africanstatedinthearticle:“Comparatively,de-
signdoesnotreceiveenoughgovernmentalsup-
portasopposedtothecraftandfilmsectorsthat
wereidentifiedbygovernmentaspotentialsectors
foreconomicgrowthinSouthAfrica,despitethe
factthatdesignisalsopartofthecreativeindus-
tries.Currentlygovernmentalstakeholdersdo
notseemtohaveadequateunderstandingofthe
potentialofthedesignsector.Thesupportofthe
sector requires political advocacy backed by
enoughresearchthatwillmotivatethecontribu-
tionofthesectortobenefitandimpactonmajor
governmentimperativeslikejobcreation,pov-
ertyalleviationandmore.”Sheadded:“Designis
stillviewedasan‘elite’sector,sotospeak,where
thereareseriousbarriersofentryforordinary
people.”
AlthoughnonationaldesignpolicyexistinSouth
Africaatpresent,theSABSDesignInstitute,es-
tablishedin1969andfundedbygovernment,
promotesdesigntosupporttheeconomicand
technologicaldevelopmentofSouthAfrica.The
Institute’sinitiativesincludeanumberofaward
schemesanddesignpublications,withafocus
oneducation,industryanddevelopment.
268 >
Thereisgrowingemphasisonthecreationofde-
signandinnovationstructuresinSouthAfrica
throughadhocinitiativessuchasawell-defined
craftstrategy.
Whyshouldgovernmentscareaboutdesignpromotion?
Thesimpleanswertothequestionwhygovern-
mentsshouldcareaboutdesignpromotionis
thatitmakeseconomicsense.Let’stakeSouth
Koreaasanexample.
InaMcKinseyquarterlypublication,titledSouth
Korea:Findingitsplaceontheworldstage,five
essaysexplorethemiracleofSouthKorea,Asia’s
fastestgrowingeconomy.Duringthefourdec-
ades following the Korean War, this country
evolvedfromoneofthemostwretchedstatesin
the region to one of the most vibrant. It has
turnedintoamanufacturingpowerhousethat
hasvirtuallyeradicatedpoverty,malnutrition
andilliteracy.
Inaglobaleconomicclimatethatisstrugglingto
recoverfromtheravagesoflastyear’srecession,
SouthKoreaisperformingexceptionallywell.
Thiscountry’seconomyacceleratedinthefirst
quarterof2010asrisingglobaldemandboosted
salesatthenation’scarmakersandelectronics
manufacturers. Exports surged to more than
30%fromayearagoandtheSouthKoreangov-
ernmentforecaststhatexportswillrise13%this
yearto$410billion,withtheHyundaiMotorCor-
porationincreasingsalesandSamsungElectron-
icspostingaseven-foldincreaseinprofit.Finally,
thecentralbankhasraisedits2010growthfore-
castto5.2%.
InanessaytitledDesigningaDistinctiveNational
BrandintheMcKinseypublication,Christopher
Graves,statesthat“SouthKorea’sinvestmentin
designhasbeensubstantial,fromtheKoreaIn-
stituteofDesignPromotionto its230design
schoolstothedesigninstitutesatbothLGand
Samsung”.
GravespostulatesthatSouthKorea’sinvestment
indesignispayingoff.“SouthKoreandesigners
aredrivingthemostinnovativedesignsinthe
autoindustry–therevivaloftheCamaro,thenew
conceptcrossoverCadillacProvoq,theelectric
ChevyVolt,andtheLincolnMKT.Infashion,South
Koreandesignershavebeensewingupexcel-
lenceaswell.In2008,accordingtotheFinancial
Times,halfofthemosttalentedemergingdesign-
erschosentobehonouredinGenArt’sFresh
FacesfashionexhibitionwerefromSouthKoreaor
wereKoreanAmerican,andatParsons,TheNew
SchoolofDesigninNewYork,nearlyathirdofall
studentsareKorean.AtCanneslastyear,tenKorean
filmswerescreened–arecord–andone(Thirst)
wontheJuryPrize…CompaniessuchasLGandSam-
sunghavebeensweepinginternationaldesign
awards.IntheprestigiousiFdesignrankings,award-
edbyInternationalForumDesigninHanover,Ger-
many,Samsungisnumberoneintheworld–
aheadofnumber-twoApple.LGisnumbereight,
aheadofGermandesignlegendsBMW,Miele,and
Gaggenau.”
KoreaInstituteDesignPromotion
DesignbecameanationalimperativeinSouth
Koreain1970withtheestablishmentoftheKorea
InstituteofDesignPromotion,orKIDP.KIDPwas
establishedbytheKoreangovernmenttopro-
motethedesignindustryandexpandexports.As
269 >
anationalgovernmentdesignorganisation,KIDP
promotesKorea’smidtolong-termdesignpolicies
andengagesinvariousexchangeprogrammes
withcountriesaroundtheglobe.Tomeetthede-
mandsofthedigitaldesigneraofthe21stcen-
tury,KIDPparticularlyfocusesonleadingKorea’s
economicdevelopmentandenhancingqualityof
life.KIDPintendstodothisbypromotingresearch
anddevelopmentactivitiespertainingtodesign
andimplementingprojectstopromotedesignin
effectiveandsystematicways.
Withafull-timestaffofmorethan300,KIDPisbased
inthesix-storeyKoreaDesignCenterinSeongnam
Cityandissupportedby16regionaldesigninno-
vationcentres.
ThedesignpromotionpolicythatexistsinSouth
KoreaislegallyenforcedthroughtheIndustrial
DesignPromotionAct.
SeveralawardschemesformspartofKIDP’sinitia-
tives,includingtheGoodDesignAwards(product,
packaging,environmental,communication,materi-
als&surface,andprocessingdesign);theYoung
DesignersCompetition(fromelementarytohigh
schoollevel);andtheKoreaIndustrialDesignExhibi-
tionthatshowcasesthePresident’sAwardand
PrimeMinister’sAward.
ThestrengthofKoreandesigncanbeascribedto
anembeddeddesigncultureandcomprehensive
governmentsupportprogrammethataddresses
alllevels.AveryclearexampleofthisisthatSeoul
hasbeensuccessfulinitsbidtobecometheIDA
2010WorldDesignCapitalandhasdeclaredastrat-
egytobetheGlobalCentreforDesignby2015.
Andtherestoftheworld?
Aneconomiccasehasbeenmadefordesignpro-
motionbytakingSouthKoreaasanexample,but
thisdoesnotmeanthatthesubstantialeffortsof
othercountriesshouldbeignored.Themostpromi-
nentisthewell-knownBritishDesignCouncilin
Britainwhichservedasmodelformanydesignpro-
motionprogrammesformanydecades.InEurope,
Belgium,theCzechRepublic,France,Germany,
theNetherlands,SpainandPortugal,tomention
justafew,havewell-establisheddesignpromo-
tioninitiatives.TheAmericasandOceaniaalso
haveprofessionalbodies,awardschemesand
theliketopromotedesign.Althoughtheprimary
goalofdesignpromotioniscommercial,thecul-
turalidentityofacountryorregionplaysasig-
nificantroleinthenatureofthepromotionalpro-
grammes.
Andthepointofallofthis?Itisclearthatdesigners
shouldstartpayingattentiontoregional,national
andinternationaldesignpromotionactivitiesif
theywouldliketoelevatethestatusoftheirprofes-
sionontheglobalplatform.Byaddingtheirvoic-
estothoseofpressuregroupsthatarelobbying
governmentstoformalisedesignstrategiesand
policies,designerscanbeinstrumentalinsecur-
ingaprosperousfutureforthemselves.<
40 YEARSOF DESIGNEXCELLENCE
T: +27 (0) 12 428 6326F: +27 (0) 12 428 6546E: [email protected]: www.sabs.co.za
270 >
REBRANDING:AFEWLEGALCONSIDERATIONSAtsomepointduringthelifecycleofmostorganisa-
tions,therewillcomeatimewhenitisconsidered
appropriatetochangethecorporateidentityorits
flagshipbrands.Thishappensforvariousreasons,
suchaswithmergersandacquisitionsoftwoor
morebusinessesorpurelyforthesakeofrejuvina-
tionorrepositioning.Sometimesthereasonfor
rebrandingmaybeconnectedtoadesiretoshed
a ‘taintedimage’. Forexample, ithasrecently
beenreportedthattheglobaloilandgasgiant,
BP,maybeconsideringare-brandinlightofthe
negativepublicityithasreceivedasaresultofthe
oilspillsintheGulfofMexico.Closertohomeit
hasbeenreportedthattheSouthAfricanFootball
Association(SAFA)maybeconsideringachangeof
thepopularnationalfootballteamnameBAFANA
BAFANAduetothefactthatthismarkhasbeen
registeredinthenameofanotherparty.
Thereareafewbasicintellectualpropertyconsidera-
tionswhichbusinesseswoulddowelltokeepin
mindintherebrandingprocess.
Perhapsagoodstartingpointistherecognition
thattrademarksorbrandsareavaluableformof
intellectualproperty.Theirfunctionistoindicate
tothepublicthat‘thesearethegoodsorservices
ofme,thetrademarkowner.’Theirroleinattracting
customshouldnotbeunderestimatedsincecon-
sumersgenerallysticktothebrandsthattheyknow
orholdinhighesteem.Thatisthepowerofagood
brand.Nowadaysthevalueoftrademarkscanbe
reliablycalculatedanddetermined,andthisisan
everydayprocessacceptedbynoneotherthanthe
ReceiverofRevenue,aswellasfinancialinstitu-
tionsandthebusinesscommunity.Forexample,
BusinessWeekhas rankedCOCA-COLA as the
mostvaluablebrandintheworldwithitsnotional
valueexceedingUS$65billion.Obviouslyveryfew
brandscanbecomparedwithCOCA-COLA,but
thisbrand illustrateswell thepoint that trade
marksarevaluableproperty.
Itstandstoreasonthatasizeablechunkoftheval-
ueofatrademarkcanbeattributedtotheexclu-
sivityattachedtoit.Itisthereforecriticaltoensure
that thisexclusivity ismaintainedatallcosts,
whichcannormallybeachievedthroughtrademark
registrations,domainnameregistrationsandpre-
ventingothersfromdilutingthemark.
Whenrebranding,considerationshouldbegiven
totheprotectionofthe‘old’aswellasthenewbrand
inordertopreventpotentiallossesasaresultof
divertedcustom.Ifaregisteredtrademarkisbeing
discontinued,theregistrationshouldbemain-
tainedforaslongaspossible.Therewillobviously
beacostimplicationinmaintainingandpromoting
thebrand,whichwouldhavetobeconsidered,but
inthevastmajorityofcasesthebenefitinmain-
tainingthetrademarkregistrationwillfaroutweigh
therelatedcostasthiswouldprovidearelatively
easyandinexpensivewayofpreventingpotential
competitorsfromprofitingfromanygoodwillin
thebrand.Itwillalsoalwaysbepossibleforthe
trademarkownertosellthebrandifitisconsid-
ered to be expendable, as opposed to merely
abandoningit.
Animportantconsiderationinrelationtodiscon-
tinuedbrandsisthatinmostjurisdictionstrade
markswhicharenotinuseinthecourseoftrade
willatsomepointbecomevulnerabletoremoval
fromtheTradeMarksRegister.InSouthAfricareg-
isteredtrademarksbecomevulnerabletosuchan
attackafteraperiodoffiveyearsofnon-use.In
271 >
REBRANDING:AFEWLEGALCONSIDERATIONS
ordertopreventthisfromhappening,themarkwill
havetobeusedinthecourseoftradeatleastperi-
odically.Assomebeerdrinkerswouldbeaware,
forexample,SABMILLERhasdiscontinued its
LIONLAGERbrand,butinordertopreventthemark
frombecomingvulnerabletoanattackbasedon
non-use,LIONLAGERbeerisnowavailableinSouth
Africaonlyduringthefestiveseason.
Whenrebranding,protectionforthenewbrand
shoulddefinitelybesecuredpriortoitslaunchor
publication.Typicallythiswouldentailconducting
searchesoftheRegistriesinallthecountriesin
whichonehasorintendstohaveaviablebusiness
undertaking,toensurethattheproposedtrade
markisavailableforuseandregistration.Ifthemark
isavailableitshouldberegisteredimmediatelyin
alltherelevantclasses.Thisappliesequallyto
businessnamesaswellasdomainnames.Inthe
caseofFletcherChallengeLtdvFletcherChallenge
PtyLtdnewsoftheincorporationofAunderthe
nameofFletcherChallenge,whichwasformed
throughthemergerofthreeNewZealandcompa-
nies,wasannouncedtotheStockExchangeof
NewZealandon22October1980.Thenextdaythe
newsappearedinanumberofnewspapersand
financialjournals.Onthesameday,Breservedthe
companynameFletcherChallenge.InGlaxoPlcv
GlaxowellcomeLimited,Aissuedapressrelease
on23January1995,announcingatakeoverbid
which, if successful, would form a new entity
calledGlaxo-WellcomePlc.On24January1995B
filedanapplicationtoregisterthecompanyname
GlaxowellcomeLimited.Bothmattershadtobe
resolvedthroughlitigation.
Anoftenoverlookedaspectoftrademarksisthat
someofthemalsoenjoycopyrightprotection.Ifa
markisintheformoflogooracombinationof
wordsandadesignordevice,suchastheBPand
COCA-COLAtrademarks,itwillgenerallyalsoenjoy
copyrightprotectionasan‘artisticwork.’Theterm
‘artisticwork’asitisusedintheCopyrightActNo.
98of1978hasnoreferencetoartisticquality,and
should therefore not be misunderstood. Even
‘plainlooking’logosorvisualdeviceswillinmost
272 >
273 >
instancesenjoycopyrightprotection.Anotherlittle
knownfactisthatcopyrightgenerallybelongsto
theauthoroftheparticularworkandcanonlybe
transferredinwriting.Itmakesnodifferencethat
thedesignerwasremuneratedforcreatingthe
logo.Unlessthereisawrittenagreementinterms
ofwhichownershipofthecopyrightinthelogoor
deviceistransferredtothetrademarkowner,the
copyrightsubsistingthereinbelongstothedesigner.
SowhathappensifduringthecourseofA’sre-
brandingexercisethedesignerofA’snewlogo,as
thelegitimateownerofthecopyright,sellsittoB,
acompetitorofA?
Intermsofsection10(12)oftheTradeMarksAct
194of1993(“theAct”)atrademarkshallnotbe
registered,orifregisteredshallberemovedfrom
theRegisterifitsregistrationiscontrarytoany
law.InthecircumstancesmentionedaboveifA
triestoregisterthenewmarkhecanbeblockedin
termsofsection10(12)oftheAct.Ifheusesthe
markhewillinfringeB’scopyrightandcanthere-
forebestoppedintermsoftheCopyrightAct.
Consequently,A’srebrandingexercisecouldbe
stoppeddeadinitstracks.Dependingontheextent
ofA’soutlayatthatstagethiscouldpotentially
resultinasubstantialloss,oratleastsomeembar-
rassment. It isalsoarguablethatatrademark
‘owner’whodoesnotalsoownthecopyrightinthe
markcannotbethebonafideownerofthemark.In
termsofsection10(3)oftheAct,amarkinrelation
towhichtheapplicantforregistrationhasnobona
fideclaimtoproprietorshipshallnotberegis-
tered.Allofthispointstotheimportanceofensur-
ingthattheownershipofthecopyrightinlogoand
devicemarksissecured.
Rebrandingsignalschange.Anewimagewillcause
consumerstotakeafreshlookatabusiness.It
wouldbeapityiftheyfindabusinesswhichhas
unwittinglyopeneditselfuptolitigationasare-
sultoffailingtoadequatelysecureitsintellectual
property.<
274 >
TRANSFORMINGRURALVILLAGESINTO
WEALTHYTOWNSTHROUGHTHE
INDUSTRIALISATIONOFCRAFT
ENTERPRISESByLeonardShapiro
275 >
Theproductionofcraftproductsisamajorcon-
tributor toeconomies incountries theworld
over.Insomecountries,functionalcraftproducts
areproducedinvolumeslargeenoughtobesup-
pliedtomajorchainstores.
InSouthAfrica,craft-makingandtheharnessing
ofhandskillsandcreativetalentintothedesign
andproductionofcraftproductsfornationaland
globaldistributioniskeytoasectorthatcancontrib-
utesignificantlytooureconomy.Toachievethis,the
setupofpurpose-builtproductionlinefacilities
andappropriatelymechanisedmanufacturing
systemsareprimarycomponentsinthecontinued
supplyofcraftinlargevolumestosatisfymarket
demand.
Commonstereotype:peoplewholiveinruralareas
inSouthAfricaaretypicallypoorandunemployed.
Thisblindsustothefactthatthereareanabun-
danceofsophisticatedhandskillsanddesign
knowledgeavailableintheseareas,whichre-
mainuntappedandundeveloped.Theseskills
representavaluable inherentasset thatcan
formthebasisofthrivingandsustainablecrafts
enterprises.
PapermâchécrafterThembaMasalaandproductdeveloperLeonardShapiro.
276 >
Ifmoreemploymentiscreatedinruralareas,
theseareaswillbecomemorewealthyandthe
moremunicipalservicesruralinhabitantswillbe
abletoafford.Inaddition,individualswillbe
abletoaffordbetterhousing,privatehealthcare,
universityeducation,morenutritionalfoodstuffs
andluxurygoods.It’sthatsimple.
Tothisend,investmentintheruralvillagebecomes
attractiveforcertainretailoutletsandbanksas
thedemandfortheirgoodsandservicesbecome
affordable.
PovertyalleviationfundingfromtheSouthAfrican
NationalTreasuryisdirectedtoanumberofgovern-
mentdepartmentswhoaretaskedwithusingthese
fundstodevelopcraftsenterprises.Themainfocus
behindtheuseofpovertyalleviationfundsinthe
craftsectoristocreatesustainablecraftsenterpris-
esandjobsbasedontheutilisationofexisting
handskills.Thispolicyandprocesshasbeenim-
plementedsteadilyandsuccessfullysince1994.
Manycraftershavebenefitedfromproductdevelop-
mentandbusinessskillstraininginterventions
providedbyserviceproviderscontractedtovarious
governmentdepartments.
Consequently,thereareagrowingnumberofcraft
enterprisesthathavereachedthepointwheretheir
productionratecannotkeepupwiththedemand
fortheirproducts.Assuch,thenextlogicalstepin
thedevelopmentofthecraftenterpriseistheindus-
trialisationoftheproductionsysteminorderto
increasemanufacturingefficiencyandproduct
output,whilststillmaintainingproductquality.
Theindustrialisationofcraftsenterprisesthatare
atthepointwheretheycanjustifytakingthisde-
velopmentalstep,leadstoadramaticincreasein
jobsandwealth.Industrialisationneedstobein-
troducedsensitivelyandthemaintenanceofthe
RaaswaterPaperCraftandDesignenterprise.
importanthand-processesinthemanufacturing
processneedstobekeptsothatcraftproducts
stillhavethecharacteristicsthatmadethemdesir-
ableinthefirstplace.
Itisassumedthatanenterprisethatisreadyfor
industrialisationhastypicallybeeninexistencefor
atleastthreetofiveyearswithconsistentmonthly
orders,butnowtheordersfortheirgoodsarenow
outweighedbytheirabilitytoproduceandsupply.
Itfollowslogicallythatthedevelopmentofapurpose
builtproductionfacility,a‘productionworkshop’
or‘factory’,andtheintroductionofaproduction
systemalignedtothemanufacturingprocessof
thecraftproduct,willincreaseproductionoutput.
Currently,therearecraftsenterprisesthatareatthe
stagewheretheycanjustifiablytakethisnextstep
andestablishapurposebuiltproductionfacility
whilstintroducingtheappropriateinterventionof
manufacturingtechnologiestoassistthepeople
involvedinthemanufacturingprocess.
Itisimportanttonotethatanyinterventionoftechnol-
ogyissolelyforthealleviationofthedrudgeryof
humanlabour.Toelaborate,thestagesinthepro-
ductionprocessthatarerepetitiveandsuitedto
mechanicalinterventionshouldbemechanised.
However,machinescanneverreplacetheunique-
nessanddesirabilityachievedbyhandcrafted
products,andthereforethosestagesofproduction
suchashanddecoratingmustobviouslyneverbe
appliedthroughanautomatedprocess.
Takemouldingforexample.Mouldmakingmachinery
canbeusedtoreplacehumanlabourwhenacrafter
ismakinganumerousceramicplatesbyhand,where
thesizeoftheplateneedstoberegularandwhere
thedecorativeprocessisirrelevant.Thedecorative
processwillofcoursenotbemechanisedbutwill
277 >
278 >
remainahandprocess.Thereasonforthisisthat
thedecorativeprocessgivesthefinalproductits
realvalue,wheretheconsumerisbuyingthe
plateprimarilyforitshanddecoration.Mecha-
nisingtheprocessofshapingtheplatemeansthat
manymoreplatescanbemadeandorderscan
betakenfromretailoutletsandchainstoresthat
requiresupplyinlargequantities.Asordersin-
crease,morepeoplewillberequiredtodecorate
theplatesandconsequentlymorepeoplewillbe
trainedandemployedforthispurpose.Themore
themerrier!
Bysupportingthedevelopmentofsustainable
enterprisesinruralareasthroughtheindustrialisa-
tionprocess,willresultinfewerpeoplewholivein
ruralareasneedingtoseekworkinurbanareas.
SouthAfricaisarelativelyyoungdemocracyand
althoughgreatstrideshavebeenachievedinthe
craftssectorinthelast15years,developmentof
thecraftsectorisembryonicwhencomparedto
craftdevelopmentinothercountries.However,im-
portantly,indigenousknowledgeskillsthatform
thefoundationforthemanufacturingtechniquesin
themakingofSouthAfricancraftsarepartofSouth
Africa’sknowledgebankofskills.Theseskillsare
home-grown.Thesetechniqueshavebeenpassed
onfromgenerationtogenerationandalthough
theymayemploylow-technologyintheirmak-
ing,manyofthesetechniquesareinfacthighly
sophisticated.
Aftertheindustrialisationofacraftsenterprise
hasbeensuccessfullypilotedinonevillage,its
RaaswaterPaperCraftandDesignenterprise.
methodologyfordevelopmentcanbeappliedinall
oftheprovinces,tocraftenterprisesthatareready
forthisnextimportantstepintheirdevelopment.
Thereisacraftenterpriseinasmallvillageinthe
NorthernCapeprovinceofSouthAfricacalled,Raas-
waterPaperCraftandDesign.Itwasfoundedin2002
bypapermâchécrafteranddesigner,ThembaMasala.
AtthistimeLeonardShapiromentoredMasalafor
aperiodof18months.Today,Masala’scraftenter-
prisenowemploys20peopleandsuppliesretail
outlets inSouthAfrica,Germany,Switzerland,
FranceandtheUnitedKingdom.Thisenterpriseis
nowatthestagewherethedemandforproducts
exceedstheabilitytosupplytimeously.Assuch,
this craft enterprise is a perfect candidate for
mechanisation/industrialisation. Inessence,a
purposebuiltfactoryspaceiswhatisneeded.If
youoryourorganisationwouldliketosupportthe
Raaswater Paper Craft and Design initiative,
ABOUTLEONARD
LeonardShapiroisthedirectorofCraftSouthAfrica,
anorganisationdedicatedtothedevelopmentofcraft
enterprisesinSouthAfrica.<
279 >
280 > 280 >
WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU™
(WMATY) isanoriginal Italianproject
producingfashion-artcollectionsofshoes,
bagsandaccessoriesbasedondesigns
bycreativesfromacrosstheworld.The
projecttargetsyoungstudentsofart,
architecture,fashionandinteriordesign
collegesaswellasallthose–regardlessof
age–whohaveapenchantforfashionart
andwanttoseetheirideasrealisedand
rewarded.
WHAT’SMOREALIVETHANYOU™col-
lectionsareuniqueandincludedesigns
developedafterartisticandstylisticre-
search,whichtelltalesfromalloverthe
worldanduseinnovativematerialsand
WHAT’SMORE
ALIVETHANYOU?
281 > 281 >
originalpatternsastheexpressionofa
distinctivestyleforthosewhowantto
standout.
Thereisasubstantialdifferencebetween
standardcompetitionsandWMATY’screa-
tivecalls.WithWMATY,participantsare
allonapar,providedthattheirideasare
newandoriginal.Thereisnoclassification
witha1st,2ndor3rdplace,butareward
forthoseprojectswhichareconsistent
withthecreativecalltheme,theorganiser’s
corporatestrategiesandthenatureof
theircollections.WMATYaimstopromote
culturaldiversityandgivingaplatformto
everybody’sartisticanddesignskills.Itis
athreadofcreativityspinningaround
theglobe,whichbringstolifethestory
thatliesbehindeachartwork.
Designersofselectedartworksreceivea
net6%royaltyfeecalculatedonthesales
priceoftheirartworksaslongastheystay
intheWMATYcollections.Selecteddesign-
ersandartistsarealsopromotedthrough
aninternationalcommunicationcampaign.
Theirimagesandprofilesaccompanyeach
oftheartworksonsale.Itisthedesigners
themselveswhointroduceandexplain
theirartworksandtellbuyersabouttheir
LTR:FloralShoesdesignedbyVictoriaGeaney,UnitedKingdom.PebbleBagdesignedbyTomásTrenchard,Ireland.
282 > 282 >
underlyingstories.Therealprotagonist
isthedesignerwithhis/herartwork.
Followingseveralyears’work,theinter-
nationalprojectfinallygotunderwayin
May2009,whenthefirstcallforsubmis-
sionswaslaunched.Submissionscame
from82countriesandincludedconcepts
forfashionartwhichencompassedshoes,
bagsandaccessories.Thefirstselection
tookplacelastOctoberattheTriennale,
Milan.Theselectionpanelcomprisedof
WMATY’sdesignsupervisors,atechnical
committeeofpatternmakersandproduct
developmentmanagersandascientific
committeeofrepresentativesfrompart-
neruniversities.Thepanelshort-listed
projectsby15designersfrom12countries
andassoonastheresultswereannounced
theprocesswassetintomotiontoget
theseproductsintoproduction.
Projectsselectedamongthoserespond-
ingtothecreativecallsareindividually
developedforproductionbyWMATY’sstaff
withthesupportofoutsourcedspecialists
TOP:RecycledShoes,designedbyLizaFredricaÅslund,Sweden.
RIGHT:MyjabaMoneyBagdesignedbyAkikoTanakashi,Japan.
FARRIGHT:PostModernGetadesignedbyAkahitoShigemitsu,Japan.
includingMaterialConnexion,Vibram
andGruppoGiovanniCrespi.Theproduct
developmentprocessisbackedupbyex-
tensiveresearchintomaterialsandevery
partoftheproductionphaseisfirstsub-
mittedtothedesignersforapprovalbe-
foreproductionproceeds.Allthismakes
WMATY not only a manufacturer of
shoes,bagsandfashionaccessories,
butaboveallatrueincubatorofprojects
whichinvestsininnovativepeopleand
creationstogiveanewperspectiveto
fashion.
WMATYisalsocommittedtoprotectand
safeguardthedesigners’creativityand
intellectualpropertynotonlyforshort-
listedprojects,butforallprojectssubmit-
tedinresponsetocreativecalls.WMATY
283 > 283 >
284 > 284 >
TOP:SushiCovershoesdesignedbyPremrudeeLeehacharoenkul,Thailand.
ABOVE:TemporaryNightclutchbagdesignedbyPremrudeeLeehacharoenkul,Thailand.
RIGHT:UpShoesdesignedbyClaudiaCivilleri,Italy.
285 > 285 >
alsorewardsanytechnicalideas,inven-
tionsorinnovationswhichmaybeselected
frombothshort-listedandnon-short-
listedproducts.Forexample,ifashoes
projectcontainsaninterestingideafora
sole,aninnovativematerialoraspecial
constructionwhichcanbesubmittedfor
apatentapplication,WMATYwillpaythe
relevantdesignera3%to10%royaltyfee
inadditiontoastandard6%iftheproject
haspassedselectionandtherebyengages
toprotectthedesigner’sintellectualprop-
ertyrights,nameandpersonalimageat
alltimes.
WMATYmightalsocallpreviouslyshort-
listed artists to complete further on-
commissionprojectsforcollectionsorco-
ordinates.Insuchcases,designerswillbe
rewardedwithbothastandardroyalty
feeandanadditionalrecompensefor
contributingtoresearchonstyle.
Thefirsttwocreativeswho’sproductswent
to market was Premrudee Leehacha-
roenkul’sSushiCovershoesandTemporary
Nightclutchbag,andAkahitoShigemitsu’s
PostModernGetamini-shoerange.Since
productdevelopmentisatime-consuming
process,collectionsarelaunchedinphas-
es.Todate,fivemorerangeshavebeen
launched,includingAkikoTanakashi’s
MyjabaMoneyBag,ClaudiaCivilleri’sUp
Shoes,LizaFredricaÅslund’sRecycled
Shoes,TomásTrenchard’sPebbleBag
andVictoriaGeaney’sFloralShoes.Other
rangeswillsoonfollow.
Afteraprototypeisdeveloped,WMATY’s
designsupervisorsdecidewhichcollection
isassignedtoeitherthePermanent,Limit-
edorPrivateCollection.ThePermanent
Collectionisthecorecollectionandgathers
togetherthe largestnumberofnewly
developedfashionartworks.Best-selling
artworksarepresentedaspartofthiscol-
lection.Here,artworkscouldremainon
saleforyears.TheLimitedCollectioncon-
sistsofthemostprecious,creative,com-
plex,visionaryandevencrazyfashion
artworks.Theyaredesignedforshort-run
production,individuallynumberedand
signedbydesigners.ThePrivateCollection
istargetedatexistingcustomers–those
whohavealreadyaccessedWMATY’s
universebypurchasinganartworktowear.
Acopyofthecatalogueofthiscollection
anditsupdatesaresenttocustomers
onaregularbasisandaswiththePer-
manentCollection,someitemsmayre-
maininthiscollectionforyears.
“Peopleandourcollectionsarethereal
strengthofourproject,sowetellyouwho
theyare,togivethemanameandan
identitythatarereflectedintheircrea-
tionsaswell,”concludesGiuseppeReo,
WMATYcommunicationsmanager.<
286 >
ByStaceyRowan.PACE2010presentedabold
newvisionforacontinentthatisascontemporary
asitisAfrican.Thisshowcaseofpiecesfromaround
thecontinentwasamust-seeforvisitorswhowere,
andstillare,interestedinavisionofAfricathatchal-
lengestheirpreconceptionsandhackneyed‘curio’
stereotypes.Havinghighlightedexcitingnewdirec-
tionsinhand-madeAfricancraft,theexhibitionpre-
sentedAfricancrafts,withanedge.
HostedattheGautengCraftandDesignCentre,
NelsonMandelaSquare,Sandton,from17June–
31July,PACE2010wassupportedbytheSouth
AfricanDepartmentofArtsandCulture,theGau-
tengProvincialGovernment,theCityofJohannes-
burgandtheGautengCraftandDesignCentre.
CuratorsAdamLevinandAndileMagengelele,
commissionedbyCreateAfricaTrading,scouredthe
continentforunusualnewpiecesandcontemporary
PACE:THEPANAFRICANCRAFTEXHIBITION
Africanhandmadedesigns thatbased their
identitylessonethnicityandmoreonshape,
modernity,textureandindividualcreativity.
“Itwasaestheticallychallengingtoenvision
somethingthathadnotyetbeendoneinterms
ofartpiecesandtheexhibitionasawhole,butit
wasalsoagreatjoy.Logisticallywehadtowork
with20countriesinashorttimeframeatatime
whenSouthAfricancustomsandair-freight
were beyond busy, due to the 2010 Soccer
WorldCup,”saysLevin.
“Whenselectingtheart,wefirstfiguredwhat
wedidnotwantandthen,throughaverygood
networkofcontacts,wesimplyworkedonpiec-
esthatblewusaway.Wedidn’twanttojust
settleonanythingmediocretofillupthespace.
Itworriedmeattimesthatwe’dhavenothing,
butintheend,theartanddesignpieceswere
veryfresh.Allthepiecespresentedagreatfu-
tureforartsandcraftinourcontinent.”
ExhibitorsatPACE2010included:KenteDigital,
Tekura,AboubakerFofana,Okechuku,Cheick
Diallo,TheLover’sDrum,KpandoPottery,Aida
DuplessisandSeringa,amongothers.When
consideringsomeofhisfavouritepiecesinthe
exhibition,LevinsaidthathefavouredtheAliLamuCanvas,CheikDiallo’sBananaRockerandTekura’sWalkingTable.
Tekura,creatorsoftheStoolandTheWalkingTable,amongstotherpiecesintheshow,focus
onconvertingthetraditionalanddecorative
intothefunctionalforexample,turningamask
intoatablelegoradrumintoachair.Forthe
Tekurateam,it’saboutseparatingcuriosfrom
designproducts,focusingmoreondesignfunc-
tionality,yetcontinuingtokeepthecultural
aspectofadesign.
287 >
KindofBlue.ThecombinationofwhimsyandfinesculptingbearstheunmistakablesignatureoftheHouseonFirecollective,Swaziland.
TOP:Calabashes.TheapplicationofrafiatothetraditionalTuaregcalabashaddsanintriguingtexturalqualitytoatraditionaldesignfromNiger.ABOVE:BananaRocker.ThestrikingrockingchairbyCheikDiallo(Mali)iscoveredintie-dyedTuaregleather.
TOP:TheWalkingTablebyTekuraplacedontopofTheHuntedrugbySouthAfricanartistConradBotesandPacoRugs.ABOVE:NdebeleChair.ThenewdesignbySouthAfrica’sforemosttextileartist,RonelJordaan.
288 >
LTR:Exhibitswerehousedinaseriesofwell-litfuturisticpodsdesignedby
NicholasdeKlerk.DolosLight.ThisnewMoonlightandMagicdesignis
basedonanotherSouthAfricaninvention,theiconicconcreteDolos
blockswhichworkaswavebreakersalongcoastlines.AloeLamp.Thisnew
designfromMoonlightandMagic(SouthAfrica)whopioneeredthe
designofmuchcopiedpapermâchéanimallamps.
289 >
HouseonFire,designersoftheKindofBlue
andBlackNapoleonChairandOpenBust,among
otherpiecesintheshow,playedadominant
rolewithintheexhibition.ForHouseonFire,
designingcontinuestobeaboutexplorationand
goingbeyondthenorm.It’sabouthavingan
enthusiastspirit,adrivingforcebehindacertain
design.Exploration,fortheteamatHouseonFire,
createsopportunitieswherewecanshareideas
andlearndifferentthings.Tobeadesigner,one
hastoholdontoavision,aplacewhereone
ultimatelywantstobe.
LorenKaplan,ceramicartistanddesigner,de-
signedtheLightRoseWindowChandelier.“I
lookatthevalueandimportanceoftheobjectI
createandtheprocessitwilltaketocreateapar-
ticularthing.Theremustbealargeimportance
placedonthe‘sensory’–howitwillfeeltothe
enduserandhowitwilllook.Theenduserwill
thinkaboutwhomadeitandwhattheproduct
ismadeof.Whatdoestheuserthinkwhenthey
usetheproduct?Asadesigneryouhavetoask
yourself–whoisgoingtouseit,whoisgoingto
touchitandexperienceit?It’saboutgettinginto
theheadspaceoftheenduser,”saysKaplan.
PACE2010allowedAfricandesigntostandits
owngroundonaglobalstagebecauseprevi-
ouslyishasbeensurpassedasnaïve,ethnic
visionsandclichés.“Throughthisexhibition
wehavebeenintroducedtoawholenewwave
ofAfricandesign.Wetendtofocusalotonthe
wonderfullocalscene,butnowwecanseethe
continentismovingforward.I’mallforAfro-
futurism.IthinkPACEhasbeenalandmarkin
settingthatmoodonthecontinent.It’salways
greattoseeyouridentitythroughfresheyes.In
ourcontinent,thereisasenseofbuilding…de-
signersandcraftersarealwaysbuilding.We
havetocontinuallykeepthinkingofhowwe
havetoupourgameascrafters,designersand
artists,”concludesLevin.<
BlackNapoleonChair.CarvedfromreclaimedwoodbytheHouseonFirecollective,Swaziland.
290 >
ByStaceyRowan.Theadage‘Apictureiswortha
thousandwords’referstothethoughtthatmulti-
facetedstoriescanbedescribedwithjustasingle
image,orthatanimagemaybemoreinfluential
thanasubstantialamountoftext.Thismaystand
trueinsomecases,butinthecaseofGreeneron
theotherside,anexhibitionbyKudzanaiChuirai,
thewordswithintheartworksspokevolumesover
theimages.
Greenerontheotherside,hostedfrom9July–7
AugustatCO-OPinJohannesburg,wasKudzanai
Chuirai’sthirdposterseriesincollaborationwith
DokterandMisses.Featuringeightpostersandsix
drawingsintotal,theshowexploredthefranchise
ofdemocracy.“Thefranchiseisopenforbusiness,
butcanyouaffordtheproduct?Manyhavecome
toacceptthattheyaresimplywindow-shoppers.”
Althoughthethemeofdemocracyplayedadominant
rolewithintheexhibition,whatwasmoreprominent
werethewordsusedwithintheartworksandthe
titlesthatweregiventoeachpiece.Onecanlook
atanartworktitleandimmediatelycreateanideain
APICTUREISWORTHATHOUSANDWORDS
291 >
TOP:KudzanaiChuirai.
ABOVE:DetailfromVirginsoftheAtlantic.Thewordswithintheartworksspeakvolumesovertheimages.
LEFT:VirginsoftheAtlantic.Acrylicandwaxcrayononboard.1500x2500mm.
292 >
one’sownhead,projectinghisorherownpre-
conceivedperceptionsandthoughtsoniteven
beforeviewingtheartwork.Notonlyaresomeof
thetitles,likethepostersnamedDisarm,Dismay
andDisplace,thoughtprovoking,butitisthewords
usedwithintheartworksthemselvesthattruly
evokeemotionsandgivetheexhibitionitstone.
“Thetitles,DisplaceandDisarmarelinkedtoa
space,amoodorcharacterwithinthespace.Aper-
soncanbetransportedtoaplacesomewhereand
disarmthemselveswithinthatdisplacedspace.
It’showthewordsusedforthetitlesconnectto
anenvironment,”saysChuirai.
InVirginsoftheAtlantic,wordslikedisassociated,
disconnected,discarded,discourage,disbelieve
anddiscriminatedevokeanegativetone,yetan
almostrealisticone–consideringthatthesewords
speaktrueofourcircumstancesinwhichwelive
(TakeSouthAfricaforexample,wherethepooris
discardedanddifferentracesaredisconnected.)
Thesewordsallowustofocusonissuesthatare
normallysweptunderthecarpet.“Inthispiece,
Iusedasequenceofwords.Ilookedthroughthe
dictionaryandputthewordsinanalphabetical
formatthatfollowedinsequence.Thetextinthis
artwork,andtheotherworks,leadthewayofhow
youlookattheshow.”
Sentencesusedinotherartworkslike“Adiamondis
forever.EenyMeeny,Miny,Moe,catchablackdia-
mondbuyitstoe,ifhehollerslethimgo,EenyMeeny
MinyMoe”,usedinDeBeers,ishumourouslychar-
ismaticyethasacynicalundertone.Thereisan
underlyingmeaningherethatcouldbeperceived
asrelatingtotheslaveryandexploitationofblack
people,theblackdiamond,whomineddiamonds
inAfricancountries.TheposterstitledLetThemEat
CakeandWorkingHardforYou,alsopertainto
ABOVE:Cazal.Charcoalandwaxcrayononboard.594x840mm.
OPPOSITEPAGE,TOP:DrawingsbyKudzanaiChuirai.
FARLEFT:ScottTissue.Charcoalandwaxcrayononboard.594x840mm.
LEFT:Rolex.Charcoalandwaxcrayononboard.594x840mm.
293 >
294 >
295 >
thismatterinthattheyalmostsymboliseracism
andthesubordinationoftheblackworkingclass.
Combinethesetwotitleswithanimageofablack
manandablackwoman,andthetitles’meanings
aresupported.
“Mentalkaboutwoman,sportsandcars.Women
talkaboutmeninsportscars”,intheartwork
Mercedes-Benz,isofagender-basednature.Join
thatsentencewiththestatement“pictureme
fucking”(whichisinaspeechbubblepointingat
amalehyena’spenis)andyoucreateaworldof
stereotypicalwaysinwhichmenandwomenare
viewedandwaysinwhichtheyboththink.
NotonlydoesChuiraifocusongenderinhisuse
ofwords,butthetopicofviolencecomesupinthe
words“MachineGunFunk”,usedinRolex.The
wordsarealsoilluminatednexttotheartwork
imagery.Aladylaysnakedwithherlegsopenand
machinegunbulletsareflyingintohergenitals.
Now,ifthisdoesnotevokeemotion,thenwhat
does?
“Flauntourtaste”,intheartworkHennessayand
“Whenyouareworkingtomorrow,wearaRolex”,
intheartworkRolex,haveanunderlyingsnob-
bishtone.Thesestatementsportrayasenseof
mockery–amockeryattherich,whoseemtothink
thatmaterialthingsdefinethemasaperson.
Notonlydoesthewordingusedinthetitlesofthe
artworksandwithintheartworkthemselves,have
thepowertocreatethetonefortheentireshow
andevokeourthoughtsandemotions,butit’s
thewordingandtheimageryincombinationthat
trulycreatesomethingbeautifulandartistic.<
TOPLTR:Disarm.Dismay.Displaced.LetthemEatCake.LithographicprintsonMunkenpureunlimitededition.420x594mm.Workinghardforyou.LithographicprintsonMunkenpureunlimitededition.420x594mm.
LEFT:GreenerontheothersideandGreenerontheothersideinvitationandposters.
296 > 296 >
ImagingOurselves:VisualIdentitiesinRepresen-
tation,editedbyLeoraFarberandpublishedby
theFADAResearchCentreandtheVisualIdentities
inArtandDesign,presentsacollectionofessayson
howvisualidentitiesinSouthAfricaareconstructed
andrepresentedacrossarangeofartanddesign
disciplines.
Thecoveriscleverlydesignedtoactlikeamirror.
Uponlookingatthecover,thereaderisabletosee
areflectedimageofhimorherselfonthecover.This
supportsthetitleofthebook,whichspeaksofim-
agingourselvesandidentities–weareabletosee
ourimage,andimagineouridentityonthecover.
Thechapterswithinthebooklookattopicslike
advertising,creatingmeaninarchitecturaland
furnituredesign,ideologiesindigitalartist’sbooks,
socialidentity,andthemutabilityofidentification
inartworks,defianceandtouristicrepresentation,
amongstothers.
OnecouldclassifyImagingOurselves:VisualIden-
titiesinrepresentationastheperfectvessel,or
coursematerial,fortheoreticalstudieswithina
coursethatfocusedonrepresentationoridentity.
Beingtextheavyandimageshy,thisbookwould
notberecommendedforaleisurelylightread.
Withessaysfromnumeroussources,itiseasyto
seehowmuchresearch,timeandeffortwentinto
thecreationofthisliterature.Whatisanotherno-
tablecharacteristicisthediversityofapproaches
thattheessaysencompass–itisinterestingtosee
differentpointsofviewsandopinions.
WiththeliteraturebeingplacedwithintheSouth
Africancontext,togetherwiththeuseofSouth
Africanimageryandinformation,thisbookiscer-
tainlyhome-grown,andproudlySouthAfrican.
Theintentionoftheauthorswastohighlightthe
centralrolethatartanddesignplaysintheforma-
tionandexpressionofpost–1994SouthAfrica
visualidentitiesand,indoingso,tocontributeto
thebroaderredefinitionofSouthAfrica’ssocial
andculturalidentities,whichisstillongoingon
multiplelevels.Afterreadingthroughthebook,it
isobviousthattheintentionhasmostcertainly
beenachieved.
BOOKREVIEWSIMAGINGOURSELVES:VISUALIDENTITIESINREPRESENTATIONANDARCHITECTUREOFTHETHIRDLANDSCAPE:AWARDWINNINGBUILDINGSOFTHEFREESTATE
297 > 297 >
Architecture of theThird Landscape: Award
WinningBuildingsoftheFreeState,writtenby
PattabiGRamanandJakoOlivier,goesbeyonda
meredescriptionofthearchitectureofthebuild-
ingsandlocatestheminthespecificphysicaland
culturallandscapeoftheFreeState.Focusingon
conservation,buildingsinthecityandtheuni-
versity,housesandhouseextensions,architec-
tureoftheindustrialtownandtheFreeStateland-
scape,thisbookisyourA-ZguideofallthingsFree
Stateandallthingsarchitecture.
Inthisbook,eachdevelopmentisdissectedinto
adescription,floorplan,elevation,drawing,sketch
andlocalitymap,togetherwithprovidingthearchi-
tect’sdetailsandawardsgivenforthedevelop-
ment.Withinthisdissection,thedevelopments
arelookedatwithadetailedeye,analysingthe
prosandconsofthearchitecture.
Someofmypersonalfavouritedevelopments,
showcasedwithinthebook,areHouseVanRens-
burgbyKobusdePreezArgitek,therefurbish-
mentofthemainbuilding,UniversityoftheFree
StateandVaalEstateStudiobyElphickProome
Architects.Withawholeselectionofdevelop-
mentstochoosefrom,thereaderisboundtohave
hisorherfavourites!
Ifyouarelookingforarchitecturalimages,thisis
thebookforyou.Sportingcountlesspagesofim-
agesandgraphicsofinteriorviews,exteriorviews
andfaçades,thisbookdoesnotfallshortofvisual
appeal.Viewingthesearchitecturalbuildings,it
isclearthethatSouthAfrica,particularlytheFree
State,havecomealongwayintermsofarchitec-
ture,andthis in itself isanachievementthat
SouthAfricanscanholdproudly.
Withlimitedtextandacasualtonetothewriting
style,ArchitectureoftheThirdLandscape:Award
WinningBuildingsoftheFreeStateisaneasy
andenjoyableread.Thisbookisaninspiration
forthearchitectandtheFreeStateloveralike.<
ReviewedbyStaceyRowan.