October 6, 2005
By Sipho Maduna
A LANDMARK Johannesburg building has been hailed as one of the best architectural designs in the country.
Regionally, the Apartheid Museum was named as the best designed building in a survey run by design magazine VISI, in conjunction with the South African Institute of Architects.
The survey was undertaken to find the best architectural designs in South Africa and included an appeal for South Africans to vote for their favourite buildings.
In the national popularity stakes the museum came second, with 22 percent of the votes.
The Apartheid Museum: one of the best architectural designs in the country
"We are very excited for the recognition," said museum director Christopher Till. "It is good for Gauteng and South Africa."
The building, he added, was a powerful statement - "a must-see destination because it tells the story of the human spirit".
The Apartheid Museum "has a lot of contrasts, as diverse as our people in our country", said Lisa van Leeuwen, the brand development and media relations officer for Paula Wilson Media Consulting, the company that conducted the survey.
"Its appeal lies in the use of materials in their raw state," she added. "And the ability of the structure to convey emotion and mood."
The museum has won numerous awards and nominations this year, including:
- Award for excellence from the South African Institute of Architects;
- Most exciting/interesting heritage site in Gauteng from Professional Management Review;
- Nominated as one of South Africa's top 300 emerging empowerment companies, as a result of its contribution to broad-based black economic empowerment and transformation, by Impumelelo; and
- Best museum in The Star newspaper's readers' choice awards 2005.
The University of Johannesburg's main campus building came second in the survey of Johannesburg buildings, while the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown - the memorial to the place where the Freedom Charter was signed 50 years ago - came third.
The head of the university's arts academy, Rita van den Heever, described the recognition as "wonderful", "because the building is very pleasing" and the landscape architecture complemented the building.
The results of the nationwide survey were released to coincide with International Architecture Day on Monday, 3 October.
"Whether we want to build a dream home or explore a traditional African kraal, Architecture Day provides a focus for public interest nationwide and a chance to think about the way we live," according the VISI editor Sumien Brink.
World Architecture Day was particularly relevant to architects in South Africa, as the world was looking to Africa to provide a fresh direction in the discipline, said the president of the South African Institute of Architects, Trish Emmett.
About 95 percent of the people surveyed believed there was a need for a unique South African architecture. "Our architecture should reflect our unique diversity and the environmentally sustainable trends our times require," Emmett added.
A Joburg respondent had this to say on the VISI website: "I find downtown Joburg a thriving and exciting place. Its potential and spirit are enormous. Yes, it has a long way to go, but I have not felt this way about a city in a long time."
The Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown
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