Liste des projets

Carin Smuts

  • Site : www.csstudio.co.za
  • Adresse : 64 Ocean View Drive, Sea Point 8005 Cape Town
Carin Smuts started working with impoverished marginalized communities of South Africa and Namibia since 1982 when 8 migrant workers from Lingelihle, Cradock, Eastern Cape South Africa approached The University of Cape Town School of Architecture for assistance to obtain land and build a skills training workshop. Carin, a third year architectural student took up the task. This was at the height of Apartheid and many challenges had to be faced. The state of emergency made meetings and planning building projects an illegal activity and yet the planning and building went on. In 1989 with Urs Schmid CS Studio Architects were established. For 30 years the practice has produced hundreds of public buildings in disadvantaged contexts both urban and rural. The main focus is to create better urban space. Most of the black and coloured townships of South Africa consisted only of hostels, housing and informal structures. The public realm and urban spaces was severely lacking. The public spaces were the churches, mosques, temples and some small shops, with most of the beer halls being burnt out or standing empty. The way Carin Smuts works is through participation and collaboration. The process starts as a consultative process involving many stakeholders. Many months go by where a clear understanding of the future users' needs are explored in a number of participatory and capacity building workshops. The process can also include theatre, poetry sessions, counselling etc... whatever the project dictates. Design workshops produce drawings and models and give the future user a chance to give meaningful input. During construction local contractors, sub-contractors and artists are involved on the building site. Many local economic opportunities are created. Locally available materials are used. When there are existing structures material is recycled and re-used. Buildings are simple boxes juxtaposed to create more complex solutions. Outside in-between spaces become as important as the enclosed indoor spaces. The buildings are multi-functional and all share the same characteristics as they are a product of the people who designed them through an interactive process. With extremely limited budgets, CS Studio has created many vibrant urban and public spaces to improve the quality of life for many people.

Gugulethu Central Meat Market

COMPLETED 1998

BACKGROUND

South African cities during Apartheid were designed to spatially serve the Europeans. Townships were formed around Cape Town from 1923 to accommodate African males only, coming from the rural areas. This was for the sole purpose of providing their labour. The living conditions were unacceptable. Slowly in 1960 the women started moving to the cities. This is when Gugulethu Central Meat Market was started as an informal market. The police would regularly break down the entire market and confiscate the goods that the women were trading.

In 1994 we started working with the informal traders. With the help of the NGO Umsamo, that worked to improve the hostel dwellers living conditions, many participatory meetings were held with the over 100 traders and residents around the site. An executive committee was elected and we worked with them to design the building and raise the money. The government did not assist or support the project. The project is owned by the traders in a section 21 non profit company.

DESIGN

The first design was very Eurocentric much like a typical Italian corner market and evolved thanks to the input from the traders, who said they wanted a "petrol station" roof. The giant wave of the roof floats over the traders and provides identity and urban scale in a very "poor" context.

The L-shape shops at the west and southern boundary provides security from the back while the market opens on the other two sides onto the streets. The L-shape houses spaza shops, offices and public toilets. It is built out of blocks that were made on site. The concrete structure supports a steel structure with the curved pipe roof purlins. The budget was extremely small. The building was constructed entirely by local people from Gugulethu with a project manager's assistance.

Roller shutter doors are used to shut the market at night. Stainless steel tables, sinks and indoor fire places allow for braaing under the roof. The roof, resembling a giant wave, provides a pleasant and iconic shelter. At night when the roof is lit up, it creates the impression that it floats, allowing all the ‘informal’ market and “african restaurant” activity to take place beneath it. This adds to a positive and vibrant urban space. It is one of the only formalised meat markets in the western Cape; all the others are still informal.

Illustration