Manufacturing imaginaries: a catalyst for reimagining Marshalltown
Date
2024
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Abstract
The inner city of Johannesburg oscillates between images of a vibrant city full of possibilities, and a dystopian city that has fallen into disrepair - illustrating the profound complexities of the city and its resilience, where spaces of dystopian desolation lie adjacent to dynamic spaces of ambition and hope.
Since Johannesburg’s establishment various regimes of representation have sought to create a city in their image (Matsipa, 2014) – from visions of Johannesburg as a temporary mining camp with the sole purpose of extracting wealth, to the modernist images of a “New York in Africa” (Chipkin, 2008). This project explores how visions from a past epoch can be re-imagined and questions the role of the architect in facilitating new urban transformations.
This research report investigates the accumulated archive of abandoned buildings in the inner city and presents an architectural intervention that acts as a piece of urban infrastructure – facilitating the reinterpretation of these neglected structures. It draws inspiration from current examples of ad hoc spatial interventions that challenge the notions of permanent and purpose-made architecture.
The site forms part of an abandoned city block in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. This city block serves as symbol of urban decay and neglect, portraying feelings of desolation and abandonment (Bruwer, 2002) – making it the ideal site for the proposed architectural intervention as well as a source of inspiration.
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Architecture (Professional) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022
Keywords
Abandoned buildings, Urban infrastructure, Architecture