Landscaping
SALI Awards
Judges’ comments
The two Gauteng regional judges who visited this remarkable project for the
2016 SALI Awards of Excellence were landscape architect Karen Botes and
environmental journalist Carol Knoll. They commented that the contractor’s
compliance with the design brief and the entire construction, installation and
planting of new elements had been highly skilful, despite the constraints of the
construction period and the challenges of working with an existing park with
heritage elements. They found the fact that the community had taken ownership
of the park, hence creating a much safer place than previously, to be highly
commendable, and one in which features and structures were almost entirely
free of vandalism. The popularity of the park, even on a week day, is very evident
as there are some scars showing high traffic but even though water restrictions
were in place at the February visit, the lawns were still in good condition. The
skateboard ramp shows wear and tear but no purposeful damage, as do the
other elements for exercise and play. The old trees form a bold skeleton for this
wonderful old Johannesburg park with its listed buildings. The original padlock
on one of the old entrance gates is still in place, as are parts of the palisade fence,
and new portions of fence that have been erected are accurate copies of the old
palisade.
An uplifting project, in more ways than one, with the contractor also responsible
for manufacturing the fences, play equipment and other metal elements. The client
for the original concept, the designer for innovation, the contractor for skill and
the community in this older part of Johannesburg for their surveillance are all
worthy of high praise.
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