African Design Magazine November 2016 | Page 17

African project Khayelitsha Youth & Community Centre – South Africa Can you give us a short background on the practice? The architecture was a collaboration between GAPP Architects & Urban Designers and Platform Architecture & Design. While GAPP took a leading role in the design and implementation of the building, Platform were mainly responsible for the tenant layouts and the interior architecture. became clear that there was a general need for office space for other NGOs operating within the area. The brief was to develop a building complex that could become a hub for social justice organizations, while offering a number of much needed facilities to the community. The centre, owned by the Khayelitsha Youth and Community Centre Trust, has been namely Isivivana. The word refers to a cairn or pile of stones and is symbolic of the safe passage of people into the future. GAPP Architects was established in 1993 The construction of the building cost – the result of a merger between two approximately R50 million and funds for established architectural firms, GAPS in the project were provided by the Atlantic Johanesburg and Prinsloo, Parker, van Philanthropies, a New York-based group den Heever, Elliot, and Flint in Cape Town. committed to laying foundations for Today GAPP is a thriving and productive change by helping organizations working national practice, serving local and to protect people’s human rights. The international clients in both Architectural project was driven by a group of inspired and Urban Design spheres. Our firm trustees all committed to improving works on projects in all sectors of the the lives of the community. Additional economy, on buildings of all scales and support was provided from the Harry levels of complexity. Platform Architects Crossley Foundation and the Bertha are a Cape-based firm who specialise in Foundation. custom-made/bespoke design. What was the brief? The primary intention of the centre was to assist in transforming Khayelitsha from an isolated dormitory township into a thriving place of opportunity afforded by facilities for the community. The project was initiated by the organization Equal Education who were anxious to establish a permanent presence in the centre of Khayelitsha. As the project evolved, it What was the full scope of work? For many years the design of the building was delayed by a frustrating search for a suitable site. In an effort to move the project forward, a number of design proposals were put forward on less suitable sites. By the time the current site was found, the brief had grown from a small building to house Equal Education, to one that housed nine different public benefit organisations.