A R C H I T E C T U R A L  R E C O R D
THE JOURNAL OF THE CAPE. NATAL. ORANGE FREE STATE AND TRANSVAAL PROVINCIAL INSTITUTES 

OF SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHITECTS AND THE CHAPTER OF SOUTH AFRICAN QUANTITY SURVEYORS

CONT E NT S  FOR MAY 1948

A R C H IT E C T U R E  IN  JA P A N , by Donald Pilcher 123

C A PE  P R O V IN C IA L  IN S T IT U T E  O F  A R C H IT E C T S  —  Annuel
Report 19 4 7 -  1948 and President's Address 135

P O R T  E L IZ A B E T H  LO C A L  C O M M IT TE E  O F  A R C H IT E C T S  —
Chairman's Report 1947 - 1948 I38

N A T A L  P R O V IN C IA L  IN S T IT U T E  O F  A R C H IT E C T S  —  Annual
Report 1947 - 1948 and President’s Address 139

T H E  W O R L D  O F  A R C H IT E C T U R E  I42

H IS T O R IC  B U ILD IN G S  O F  J O H A N N E S B U R G — C O N C LU S IO N ,
by C yril A . S to lo ff 146

N O TE S  A N D  N E W S  160

BO O K  R E V IE W  160

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D O R A LD  P ILC H E R

V O LU M E  T H IR T Y - T H R E E . NO .



(

!

(

The Japanese print above, although damaged in some parts and 
apparently retouched in others, still shows much of Hokusai's masterly 
drawing. In relation to the article which follows it  serves to illustrate 
the interweaving of buildings and landscape which has been charac­
teristic of Japanese architecture since the earliest times. The illustration 
on the facing page shows a modern interpretation of this, with a living 
rpom opened up to frame a carefully designed garden composition.

122

l



A R C H I T E C T U R E  
I N  J A P A N

A Lec tu re  Del ivered to the  A r ch i te c tu ra l  Soc iety of the U n iv e r s i t y  of the W i tw a te r s r an d  by Donald  P il che

Architecture in Japan is a very large subject to cover in an hour. I therefore propose to confine 

myself to  the aspect o f i t  which seems to  be of particular importance to  us to-day, namely the design 

of the house and garden. In this direction Japan has already influenced W estern design to some extent. 

German architects, during the important period o f the nineteen twenties and early th irties, made use 

of many Japanese features which had been made fam iliar to them through the researches of Bruno Taut. 

The unencumbered interior, with plenty o f built-in furniture , the systematic method o f construction, the 

free connection between rooms and the equally free connection between in terior space and garden, were 

all features o f the Japanese house which German architects to some extent incorporated in their 

designs at this time. Before this, some Japanese ideas had found a home in Frank Lloyd W rig h t's  philosophy 

of "organic architecture." An aspect o f Japanese design which has been specially emphasized by W rig h t, 

as well as by Antonin Raymond, an architect who practised fo r many years in Japan, is the use o f natural 

materials as finishes. In fact it  seems to me that these two architects have made something of a dogma 

of this principle and I think it  is as well to remember that fo r us the choice between natural finishes and 

"a rtific ia l" ones, such as paint and plaster, is a mere matter of taste, while the Japanese feels himself 

compelled towards the use o f natural finishes by deep philosophic, and even religious, convictions, some 

of which I shall outline later. Nevertheless I think th a t there is still much that we can learn from  the 

Japanese, particularly in making a more subtle application o f those o f the ir principles which we already 

accept in a general way.

Now in Japanese house design there is not the single building tradition to which we are accustomed 

in W estern architecture. The traditional Japanese peasant's cottage, with its solid walls and small 

windows, represents the customary attempt to reconcile architecture with the demands o f climate, avail­

able materials and so on. But beside this tradition there developed another type o f house, an ideal



The Plan shows I , the Shinden 
o r Central H a ll; 2, Tainoya 
("Houses O pposite"); 3 and 4. 
Garden Pavilions built over the 
Lake; 5, Subsidiary buildings;

ranees; 8, Garden; 9, Lake; 10, 
Mound; I I ,  Island; 12, Bridge. 
Courtyard gardens were also 
laid out between the blocks 
with the stream flowing through 
them.

T H E  S H I N D E N  T Y P E  P A L A C E

type, which in many ways ignored these external factors. Quite early in Japanese history (the idea seems 

to have been well established by the tenth century) the circle o f the Imperial C ourt had decided on the 

outline o f the ir ideal house and garden. This, so-called Shinden type house, was one in which the garden 

was all-important, the house a mere shelter, open on all sides to  the beauties o f nature which wove them­

selves into the architecture o f the house. From then on more and more Japanese discarded the normal 

form  o f wall and window house and adopted the ideal form  but, even to-day, its use is fa r from  universal.

Th is ideal certainly had its  practical aspect, fo r  the climate o f Japan is a humid one in summer and 

the open house gives welcome cross-ventilation. Many other details in its design take notice o f this 

necessity, so that researches made at Tokio Un iversity  established that, even when completely closed 

up, the Japanese house enjoys more than fo u r tim es the number o f air-changes per hour than the 

European type. A ll the same, most o f Japan is cold in winter (the actual temperature level o f Tokio 

is something between that o f London and Berlin), so that acceptance o f the ideal involves crouching 

on draughty floors round little  portable braziers, wearing clothes padded against the cold and in general 

trying to  ignore the fact that only a sheet o f paper stands between you and the elements. However, 

the Japanese are fortunately a spartan people as well as an imaginative one and their poetic vision of 

the house triumphed over the technical drawbacks. I have no wish to  rummage in the dim recesses of 

history fo r the origins o f the ideal, but I don't think tha t we can discount the influence o f the extra­

ordinary natural beauties o f Japan itse lf. Remember tha t the national religion postulates that Japan 

is also the Home o f the Gods and you can appreciate that i t  becomes almost a religious duty to  form u­

late an architecture which can make the most o f its  beauties. Some such religious feeling may have 

driven the Japanese to the ir house and garden ideal. The Shinto religion has certainly helped to decide 

the way in which i t  should be realized, fo r aesthetics play a certain part in its  doctrine, laying down 

absolute cleanliness and scrupulous neatness as well as a certain standard o f quiet taste as pointers to  

the "W a y  o f the G ods." Th is is only one o f a series o f restraining influences (others we shall see later), 

which weaned the Japanese from  the gorgeous and elaborate architecture of China, which had been 

the ir original model, and created an architecture o f low tones and quiet atmosphere embraced by mellow 

landscape compositions.

So to  the pictorial idea o f the interwoven house and garden there was added the poetic contribution 

of atmosphere. In the garden this came to  take the form o f a landscape in which planting was handled 

so as to  filte r the light and mask sources o f glare, such as the setting sun. In the house there was an

124

6, Main, and 7, Subsidiary Ent-



Upper Wall 
Open for 

Cross 
Ventilation

Grooves for 
Slidinq 

Screens

Cross 
Ventilation 

Under Floors

equivalent in the form of walls o f translucent paper. (See Details on p. 130.) In the W e st we are apt to 

think of design in terms of solids and voids. W e  render our drawings to bring out these contrasts and 

design with firm  shadows to  suggest the modelling o f volumes. In Japanese architecture there is this 

third  element, the translucent screen which is neither a solid nor a void, and which adds enormously to 

the architect's vocabulary, fo r in its  effects the translucent wall is a great space-maker as well as a 

creator of atmosphere.

From seventh century China, Japan inherited her technique o f wood frame construction, a con­

struction of simple posts and beams without any cross-bracing and w ithout roo f trusses, the roofs being

built up of brackets and superimposed beams. This type of construction made an excellent framework

fo r the ideal house, fo r it  provided the roofed shelter tha t was required without the need fo r solid 

walling on the outside. Here the problem became one o f finding the most convenient type o f screen 

which could be opened or removed to  open the house to the landscape. The earlier solution was to 

use shutters hinged at the top, but a fter the tw e lfth  century th is gave way to the use of paper-covered 

sliding screens. So the house became a sort o f flexible box, all or part of which could be opened to 

the outside as required. The same idea was carried into the interior, the rooms also being divided by

sliding paper screens so that they could be thrown together as a single space or manoeuvred to get

a number of spatial variations out of the same in te rio r. Th is arrangement hardly makes fo r privacy 

inside the house, but this is an amenity which does not seem to concern the Japanese very greatly.

The connection o f the house to the exterior is designed with a subtlety which has as yet hardly 

been attempted by W estern architects, who have tended to make an enthusiastic leap from the house 

to the garden without considering what very careful design a mature architecture would demand of 

this transition. The all-round verandah and the raising of the house on a platform well above ground 

level are fo r the Japanese the f irs t  stages in th is manoeuvre. The verandah gives practical protection to

Bracket Type 
Roof Structure

Suspended
Ceiling

Grooves for 
Rain Doors

Box for
Rain Doors

Sleeper i  rame 
Counteracting 
Shallow 
Foundations

S E C T I O N  T H R O U G H  A  T Y P I C A L  H O U S E

125



Platforms and graded stepping stones linking 
buildings with the garden. Below, a modern 
house in Tokyo: S. Horiguci, Architect. Right, 
a Tea Pavilion in the Shugaku —  in Palace, 
Kyoto. Illustra tion: "Ju ra ku " Collection.

the paper walls and suggests a graded transition from  light to shade. The platform provides an archi­

tectural plane hovering in space from which a variety o f transitions is possible to the established level 

of the ground. Intermediate platforms, solid steps and stepping stones graded in height are all used fo r 

th is purpose and combine with planting to form  very subtle gradations from architecture to  landscape.

W e  have seen that by the tenth century the outline o f the ideal house had been established in the 

Shinden style. Th is Fujiwara period, which lasted until 1185, was a golden age o f Japanese culture and 

the courtiers who built these houses seem to have lived idyllic lives in surroundings which were always 

very close to nature, the inspiration o f so many o f their enjoyments. The fall o f the Fujiwara Regents 

was followed by a period of civil war as the result of which the feudal system was established which, 

with a b rie f interruption at the end o f the sixteenth century, was to last until the Restoration of 1868. 

Under th is system the Emperor retired to the background while the country was governed by the 

Shoguns, his commanders-in-chief. As the ir executive they had the m ilitary caste o f the Samaurai, 

whose outlook was to  play an im portant part in shaping the Japanese house. In fact i f  we look at a 

Japanese in terior I don't think that we can avoid feeling that there is something military about it . To  

me, at any rate, the Japanese reception room always suggests a sort o f idealised barrack room; neat, 

polished, orderly: everything put away in its  proper place except fo r one or two objects which are set 

out in a recess as i f  i t  were fo r a form  o f extremely fastid ious kit-inspection. Living like this implies a severe 

discipline on the part o f the people who undertake it, but it  certainly helps to solve the architect's 

problem, as what remains after the inessentials have been put away is pure Architecture.

The f irs t  problem which i t  raises is o f course just this putting away of incidental objects, and this 

the Samaurai solved by having a solidly built storehouse, usually attached to the house by a covered 

way, in which all the family valuables were kept. A scroll painting or a vase is selected now and then 

from the store and put on display in the Tokonoma recess, a feature which the Samaurai borrowed

from  the Zen temple, in which i t  had been a recess framing an effigy o f the Buddha. Throughout

the house there is also a generous supply o f built-in cupboards. Since the Japanese sit on the floor and

sleep on thin mattresses which can be rolled up and stored in a cupboard during the daytime, hardly

126



STUD Y
Cupboards 
One MaT Deep

Floor Mals 
(Tafami)

Sliding Screens 
( Fusuma)

W.C.

BATHROOM 
& LAUNDRY

KITC H EN

Small Cellar 
Under Floo;

SERVANTS
ROOM

H A LL

Step lor 
Shoes

W.C.

Sliding Screens 
(Shop)

LIVING
ROOM

DINING
ROOM

Cupboards & 
Drawer Unit 
Half Mat Deep

Glazed or 
Wood 
Rain Doors

RECEPTION
ROOM

Sliding Screens
(Shop)

Box for 
Rain Doors

Dotted Lines 
Show the 
Mat Sizes 
of Rooms

A X O N O M E T R I C  O F  A T Y P I C A L  I N T E R I O R

127



A  Liv ing Room, showing Tana, on the left, Tokonoma 
on the right and Shoin, extreme right. W ood through­
out is Sugi wood, the Tokonoma post being a natural 
trunk, polished. The difference in beam heights 
appears arb itrary, but the principle is that the 
heavier beams are placed lower than the lighter. 
Back walls are of plaster on a woven bamboo frame­
work. The plaster Is le ft slightly  rough and is gener­
ally coloured a light brown or buff. Notice the 
padded mats giving the Ken'' dimension to which 
all others are related. The suspended ceiling is 
nailed to the transverse fille ts  from  the top down­
wards and fhe ceiling boards are selected from the 
same scantling to give a continuous grain.

any movable fu rn itu re  is needed, except fo r a few low tables. The daytime storage o f the mattresses 

also helps to make a free use o f the in terior possible, as special bedrooms are no longer necessary.

Another feature adapted from  the Zen temple was the "Sho in ," originally the temple library, but, 

in the Samaurai house, becoming a window recess in which the warrior could s it and study the Classics 

of his religion. The "Sho in " gave its name to the new type o f house which the Samaurai introduced, 

most o f whose features remain in the modern house. Although generally irregular in outline, i t  is more 

compact in plan than the Shinden type, and the interior is more finely modelled, largely due to  the 

"Tokonoma" and "Sh o in " recesses which I have mentioned. Another feature which contributes to the 

in te rio r modelling is the "Ta na ," an alcove containing small built-in cupboards which are generally used 

to store "spare pa rts" fo r the Tokonoma display.

An aspect o f the Japanese house which also has a distinctly military flavour about it  is the drill fo r 

constructing the house. This, the so-called Kiwa-riho system, seems to have received, like later systems 

of pre-fabrication, a special stimulus from a national disaster, the Tokyo fire  of 1657, which made a 

system o f rapid rebuilding necessary. A t intervals throughout the seventeenth century the Samaurai 

also found it  politically necessary to publish a series of edicts lim iting the size of houses and virtually 

prohibiting decoration. These two external factors interacted to establish a standard o f construction 

and design which has remained until the present d ay. In it  the carpenter is king. He has two stan­

dards o f measurement, one fo r small timber dimensions, the Shaku, and another, the Ken, a length of 

six feet, which relates to  the size o f the Tatami, the padded floor mats which are used almost universally. 

These vary slightly in size in d ifferent parts o f Japan, but measure roughly 6 ft. by 3 ft. The main timber 

structure is set out in multiples or half multiples o f the Ken. From the resulting room sizes the dimensions 

of the posts are obtained by formula, and the sizes of all the other timbers are laid down as percentages 

of this dimension. From these sizes the carpenter sets out the whole house, obtaining willy nilly a 

coherent proportioning o f the in terior and a harmonious relationship in its details.

I have mentioned one or two features which the Shoin house borrowed from the Zen monastery, and 

before going any fu rther, I would like to  say something more about this religion which has greatly 

influenced Japanese house and garden design. Zen Buddhism, which is a development o f Taoism, is a 

religion which holds definite views on natural growth and also on the handling o f materials. The Zen 

monks themselves were great garden designers and, during the uncertain period following the end ot

128



Fujiwara rule, this art practically retired to  the Zen  monastery. The secular connection remained how­

ever through the Shoguns who were enthusiastic patrons of art, great gardeners and firm  adherents of 

Zen. O ften they retired from active administration at an early age and themselves became Zen 

monks. There was however little  of monastic seclusion about their retirement. They built fo r themselves 

fine gardens with pavilions in which they could display the ir artistic treasures, discuss aesthetic matters 

and, as always, enjoy the surroundings o f nature.

The Taoist outlook is one which I think is quite congenial to  the W estern mind. Anyone familiar 

with the Monads o f Leibnitz will fo r example find himself at home with Tao; fo r Tao, like the Monads, 

is held to be an inherent vital force which shapes things in the way they must grow. Man has his Tao, 

shaping his individuality towards inevitable ends, and so have the natural forms o f water or trees, each 

developing a form which will make some contribution to the "best o f all possible worlds." From this 

derives the principle o f "le tting  alone." "O bey the nature o f th ings," says the Lankavatara Sutra, "and 

you are in concord with the W a y ." It follows that the gardener's aim cannot be to organize nature into 

preconceived patterns, but must be one o f training natural form s into a type o f growth which appears 

inevitable. Th is acquires more subtle significance when i t  comes to  the handling o f wood in carpentry, 

because here the best results can only be obtained by carefully following the natural tendencies o f the 

wood when it  comes to  cutting or planing it. N o t only does the Japanese carpenter pay great attention 

to selecting sapwood or heartwood, r i f t  sawn or plain sawn timber according to the grain or behaviour 

which he expects to get from  the wood; he also selects carefully from the back or belly o f the tree, 

the parts which, during growth, have been exposed to  more or less favourable climatic conditions; in short 

where Tao has been more or less active. He also takes care to saw from  the belly to  the back o f the 

tree. Fo r the beams which will be grooved fo r the sliding screens, wood is very carefully selected from  

the outer sapwood, and with this wood planing is done from  the top o f the tree towards the root, and 

the reverse fo r the heartwood. Planing and polishing is a lengthy process, intended to emphasize the 

latent beauties o f the grain, and this becomes particularly apparent in ceilings, which are generally 

of boards selected from the same scantling so that the grain shall be continuous. The ceilings are 

suspended and the boards nailed to cover-fillets from  the top down so that no nails shall show in the 

room. Any painting or staining o f the wood is o f course ruled out, as i t  would obscure the essential 

Tao o f the material. Occasionally lacquer is applied to  special wood features.

P L A N  O F  F U S U M A
( S L I D I N G  S C R E E N S  B E T W E E N  R O O M S )

An Interior showing Fusuma 
screens. These have lacquered 
frames and are covered in thick, 
white paper on both sides (See 
Plan). In the background is equip­
ment fo r the Tea Ceremony.

129



H O R I Z O N T A L  A N D  V E R T I C A L  S L I D I N G  S A S H E S

Another aspect o f Zen which is worth examining is the idea that from a Supreme Tao there sprang 

both existence and non-existence, complimentary forces in the making o f the external world. A  practical 

illustration from  the Tao te King will help to make this idea more understandable.

"Th ir ty  spokes," says the sage, "unite  in one nave,

And because o f the part where nothing exists we have the use o f a carriage wheel.

Clay is moulded into vessels,

And because o f the space where nothing exists we are able to  use them as vessels.

Doors and windows are cut out o f the walls of a house,

And because o f the empty spaces, we are able to use them.

Therefore, on the one hand, we have the benefit o f existence, and on the other, we make use 

of non-existence."

W hatever its  philosophical value, this, I think, is a completely valid aesthetic idea. In the W e st we 

are familiar with it, say in the pictures o f Degas o r the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, in which the 

"place where nothing exists" in the design becomes as im portant visually as the place where Something 

exists. In Japan this particular art (it might be called the A rt  of Eloquent Omission) is found in its 

purest form in the garden o f the Zen monastery. In  the Ryoanji monastery there is a small garden which 

takes the form  simply o f a sanded area, not much larger than a tennis court, in which fifteen rocks are 

bedded in groups o f various sizes. There is nothing more symbolic of "existence" than a rock; and sand, 

I think, is a fa ir symbol o f non-existence. So here we can see the two abstracts physically expressed and 

with the ir elements so disposed as to give a most stimulating visual relationship. I hope you will be able 

to get some idea o f th is from  the slide. (Illustrated on p. 132.)

130



The Royoanji garden is something of a special essay in expressing non-existence, but the same feeling 

persists in secular gardens, in which a remarkable balance is generally maintained between groups o f rocks 

and the spaces o f land or water in which they are set. O ften "non-existence" takes the more tangible form  

of a garden designed to suggest a dry watercourse.

In practically all instances great importance is however assumed by rocks in the Japanese 

garden. In the W este rn  landscape - garden the various planes and spatial enclosures o f the land­

scape are generally defined by planting. In Japanese gardens th is is more the function o f the

rock groupings. Rocks define the distances; planting tends more to act in support of the rock 

groups. Th is can best be appreciated in gardens o f the very stereotyped period of the 

eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when every rock and tree in the garden acquired its individual 

name and function. Three stones particularly acted as pegs on which the whole composition was hung. 

The "Guardian Stone" was the focus of the whole composition, the "W orsh ipp ing  Stone" marked the 

point giving the best view o f the Guardian Stone, and the "Perfect View Stone" established a point 

in the foreground from which the whole composition could be appreciated. Th is so rt of thing o f course 

means tha t the garden becomes a very limited composition, simply in fact a scene designed to be looked 

at from the house. Some Japanese gardens certainly go beyond th is view, such as the beautiful garden 

o f the Katsura Palace, in which a long path winds through the landscape giving views o f successive 

compositions; but the fixed scene remains the basic form  of the Japanese garden, and by considering 

it  from  this point o f view we can best understand the principles behind its  design.

A  stereotyped design typical of the eigh­
teenth and early nineteenth centuries, with 
mounds, trees and rocks systematically 
grouped. The main pegs of the composition 
are the "Guardian Stone," I ;  the "W o r­
shipping Stone," 2; and the "Pe rfect View 
Stone," 3. (A fter Conder: "Landscape 
Gardening in Japan.")

I have already mentioned the rock groups which serve to define distances. Rocks fo r this are

selected with very great care fo r the ir size and shape, and rock-scrounging has always been a feature 

of Japanese gardening, Hideyoshi making himself particularly objectionable in requisitioning beautiful 

rocks from existing gardens. The rocks are generally grouped in small balanced compositions based on 

the triangle, with a little  planting to  set them off. The Japanese garden designer sta rts with a very

definite idea of what his final effect will be, and since trees are somewhat unpredictable in the ir growth,

he prefers to  select a fully grown tree o f the shape and size he has in mind and transplant i t  in the new 

garden. The handling and setting o f rocks and the transplanting of fully grown trees are very ancient 

arts in Japan, the latter being recorded as far back as the twelfth century. So in the Japanese garden

there is little  actual growth allowed fo r, the garden being finished almost as soon as i t  is laid out, and

i t  is kept that way by careful pruning. Shrubs, such as azaleas, are treated quite drastically in th is way,

131



The Ryoanji Garden, Kyoto. Left, a general view. Above, 
a diagram showing the projection of rock groups oh the 
ground and in silhouette. (A fte r Shigemori M ire i in 
Kyoto Bijutsu Taikan, Teien.)

as they are not valued so much fo r the ir flowers as fo r the ir shape. It  is characteristic that in Japanese 

they are not referred to  as shrubs, but as "round m aterial." The same emphasis on form dictates that the 

common cabbage shall frequently be used in indoor flower displays. And here i t  may be worth mentioning 

tha t neither tu r f  nor flowers play any appreciable part in the traditional Japanese garden, the ground 

generally being formed of rammed earth, well watered to  keep i t  fresh-looking, and perhaps partly covered 

with moss. T u r f  eventually came into general use, b u t since the flowery and colourful Fujiwara Period, 

this emphasis on form  has remained characteristic o f the Japanese house and garden. During the b rie f 

period at the end o f the sixteenth century, when the  Shoguns' power was usurped by Nobunaga and 

Hideyoshi, there was however an outbreak o f lavish ness in design which might have upset the whole 

tradition had there not been a powerful influence making fo r restra int; and the influence which stayed 

the hand o f Hideyoshi throughout all his essays in Baroque exuberance was, in a word, Tea.

For round the practice o f tea drinking there had grown up a whole system o f aesthetics, and one 

of the most honoured men in the country was now the so-called Tea Master. Versed above all in the 

art o f the Tea Ceremonial, the Tea Master was also the Shogun's adviser on all aesthetic matters. 

Painting, pottery, architecture, garden design, on all these subjects his word was law, and i t  is hardly 

necessary to  add that he was generally a Zen priest. Most characteristic o f the Tea aesthetic is of 

course the Tea Ceremony itse lf as formulated by the great Tea Master Rikkyu in the sixteenth century. 

W hen the victorious general drove in full m ilitary triumph through the streets o f Rome, a slave stood 

behind him who whispered in his ear a healthy rem inder that he was mortal, and something o f the same 

idea seems to  have been behind the Tea Ceremony. It  served to remind the successful man that, according 

to Zen ideas at any rate, he only played a small part in the whole Creation. The Tea Ceremony itse lf 

takes place in a small hut, sometimes placed in its  own compound and sometimes attached to  the house. 

In i t  the host seats himself in a special corner with the kettle boiling on a brazier sunk in the floor. The 

guests wait on a bench in an outside enclosure and, on a given signal, file  through a little  wild garden 

into the tea house. In the old days the Samaurai must leave his sword outside, a real symbol th is o f his 

humility in approaching the Tea Ceremony, as the Japanese warrior hates to be parted from his sword 

and, in the late war, even figh te r pilots liked to take their swords a loft with them. Further to emphasize 

his humility he has to  creep on his hands and knees through a small door some 2 ft. 6ins. square into the 

tea room. Once there he goes f irs t  to  the Tokonoma and examines the flower display. Rower arrange-

132



menf was another branch of the Tea Master's art on which volumes could be written (and in fact one or two 

actually have been). He then sits down facing his host, the guest o f honour taking the place next to  

the Tokonoma. Taking some tea leaves from a container, the host grinds them to a powder, places 

them in the First cup, and pours water on them. Then with a bamboo whisk he whips the tea up until 

he has put a sort of "head" on it. Th is is the way the Japanese like the ir tea. The f irs t guest drinks 

his tea, examines the design of his cup and hands i; back to the host: and so on fo r the other guests. 

The design and use of the utensils, every gesture and every sequence of movements has been laid down 

by the Tea Masters to gain the maximum of aesthetic effect from  the Ceremony. Rules also govern the 

form  o f conversation which follows, which must be on suitable subjects, preferably aesthetic matters, and 

must not involve anything in the way o f the Stock Exchange or politics.

Both the architecture and the garden which went with the Tea Ceremony developed a certain 

rustic wildness under the guidance of the Tea Masters, and some Tea features passed into the design 

of the house proper. A  rough, twisted post is considered essential fo r the host's corner and great care 

is paid to the ceiling design, the greater part o f which is generally le ft open with dressed rafters, but 

with perhaps a more formal ceiling o f reeds used fo r certain parts o f the room. The little  tea-house 

garden is generally fa irly  thickly planted, the aim being to  give the effect o f a cool glade secluded 

from the world. Glossy-leaved evergreens are o fte n  used here, perhaps as a tribute to  the tea bush, 

and the whole has to be kept scrupulously clean and tidy, even the fallen leaves being removed by hand 

from  the centre o f the bushes. The most tangible result o f th is Tea aesthetic seems to be the great 

textural richness which results when these carefully tended bushes and plants are seen against the 

mossy floor o f the garden and the walls o f the tea house. Nature is not brought into the in terior to 

the same extent that it  is in the house itself, but the re  is often a little  skylight, giving a view o f waving 

branches above.

The Tea aesthetic also plays an important part in the design o f more modern gardens, in which it  

combines with the type of design introduced by the so-called Lite ra ry Men. These were the supporters 

of the Emperor during the later Shogunate, whose gardens showed a visible contempt fo r the rigid

The garden of a house in Kyoto, showing the 
transplanting o f fu lly  grown trees. The garden 
was oniy a few months old when it  was photo­
graphed. (Photo: Okamoto, Toyo.) Above, a 
qroup of rocks and planting making use o f the 
five basic shapes of rock used in Japanese 
gardens.

133



The Tea Ceremony in progress. The illustration shows 
one of the formal gestures made by the host in the 
early stages o f the Ceremony. Notice the refined 
design of the utensils, the flower display and inscription 
in the Tokonoma and the rough character of the fram­
ing to the recess. The photograph was taken in the 
home of M r. Miyazoki, a famous Tea Master in Nagoya.

rules which had come to be applied in garden design. Their ideas come to the fore with the Restor­

ation o f I 868.

W ith  the Restoration there came a tremendous upheaval in the cultural life of the Japanese. 

The country had been humiliated by the pressure brought to bear on it  by the W estern Powers and 

considered that the only way o f restoring its  prestige (and ultimately o f obtaining its revenge on the 

W est) lay in assimilating the whole technique o f W este rn  materialism. European architecture and gar­

dening were accordingly swallowed along with industrial technique. As this imitation o f the W e st was 

linked with an intense national revival, architects and garden designers found themselves in something 

of a dilemma. W hich was the more patriotic, an all-out W estern design or one that was wholeheartedly 

Japanese? One solution was to build the house in two parts, half a Japanese design, complete with 

landscape garden, and the other half a mansion in W estern style, furnished with tables and chairs 

and looking out over a hundred per cent. Renaissance garden. Many houses adopted a less obvious 

compromise, with part o f the house furnished with Tatami and part with European furniture . Some 

Japanese o f course have gone bald-headed fo r a European type house. W h a t the solution to this 

problem will be fo r the Japanese and how fa r the ir recent national humiliation will affect the ir outlook 

I won't presume to guess, but I don't think that anything so ingrained as is the splendid tradition of 

Japanese house and garden design can disappear overnight, and I feel that there will always be 

something worth watching in the development o f architecture in Japan.

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T  The m ajority of illustrations fo r th is lecture were taken from "Das Japanisch 
W ohnhaus" by Tetsuro Yoshida, (Ernst Wasmuth Verlag, Berlin). O ther books 
from which reproductions have been made here are "Japanese A rchitecture" by 
Prof. H ideto Kish ida. (Maruzen Company, Ltd., Tokyo); "A  Short H isto ry  of 
Japanese Architecture" by A . L. Sadler, (Angus & Robertson, Ltd., Sydney and 
London); "Th e  Lesson of Japanese Architecture by J iro  Harada, (The Studio, 
Ltd., London); "Th e  A rt  of Japanese Gardens" by Loraine E. Kuck, (The John 
Day Company, New York) and " A r t  o f the Landscape Garden in Japan" by 
Tsuyoshi Tarnura, (Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai, Tokyo) . The illustration fo r the front­
ispiece has been kindly lent fo r reproduction by M r. Steffan Ahrends.

J3f



T H E  C 4 P E  P R O V I N C I A L  I N S T I T U T E  O F  A R C H I T E C T S

M E M B ER SH IP
The membership at the close of the year consisted of 

164 Practising, 46 Salaried, 16 Retired, 2 Absentee and I 
L ife  member, making a total o f 229. The deaths are recorded, 
with deep regret, of the following members: M essrs. J. 
Jackman, Gurth H . Cox, E. Goyen Hart, R. I. Stewart, H . J. 
Brownlee, W . Forbes, Norman Harvey and T . Moore.

M E E T IN G S
The Annual General Meeting and twelve Provincial Com­

mittee meetings, besides numerous Sub-Committee meetings, 
were held during the year. A t the f irs t  meeting of the 
Committee, M r. E. Douglas Andrews and M r. R. F. Ohlsson 
were elected as President and Vice-President, respectively, 
fo r the year under review.

The following is the record of members' attendances at 
Provincial Committee meetings, showing actual attendances 
and possible attendances:

Attended Possib li
E. D. Andrews 12 12
K. V. Commin 8 12
R. F. R. Day 8 12
L. A . Elsworth 8 12
B. S t. C. Lightfoot 8 12
B. Mansergh 7 12
D. F. H . Naude 8 12
R. F. Ohlsson 12 12
H . L  Roberts 9 12
S. H . Todd 10 12

F IN A N C IA L
The audited accounts accompanying this Report show 

the financial position to be as follows:
Revenue fo r the year exceeded expendi­

ture by the sum of „.... £660 8 7
The Balance Sheet shows that Assets as at 

31/12/47 exceeded L ia b ilitie s at the
same date by the sum o f __  __  £1,768 I I

A s compared with the previous year all items of revenue 
show increases; the aggregate revenue (before deducting 
£640 15s. 6d. in respect of Central Council Levy) amounted 
to £2,030 7s. 4d.

Apart from increases in cost o f circulars, notices and 
typing, and grants to Local Committees (due to increased 
recoveries o f subscriptions at East London and Port Elizabeth) 
the expenditure side calls fo r no comment. The surplus of 
income over expenditure amounting to £660 8s. 7d. has been 
added to Capital Account, which now stands at £1,768 Is . Id.

A N N U A L  R E P O R T  1947 - 1948

It  will be noted from  the Balance Sheet that the National 
Housing Levy Account stands in credit to the extent of £249; 
th is amount is composed of Levies at the rate of £ l per 
house received from members who have executed work fo r 
the National Housing Commission. In terms of a Resolution 
of the Central Council 4 0 %  of the Levies w ill be retained 
by the Provincial Institute and the balance forwarded to the 
Central Council.

It w ill also be noted from the Balance Sheet that £500 
has been placed on Fixed Deposit with the Guardian Savings 
Bank: an additional Fixed Deposit of £500 was made early in 
the new financial year.

C E N TR A L  C O U N C IL

A s in the previous year, two ordinary meetings of the 
Central Council were held during the year; at both meetings 
the Cape Institute was represented by the President and 
Vice-President. The f irs t  meeting was held in Durban on 
May 12th, 15th and 16th, concurrently with the Architects 
and Quantity Surveyors' Congress. A t th is meeting M r. 
Norman L. Hanson was elected President-in-Chief and M r. 
E. Douglas Andrews, Vice-President-in-Chief. The second 
meeting was in Johannesburg on November 24th and 25th. 
Some of the most important items on the agenda have been 
under discussion fo r some considerable time, and it  is  
encouraging to report that many of these are very near fina lity 
—  I refer here to the revised Scales o f Fees (for normal 
architectural services, fo r housing schemes and fo r national 
housing), and the proposed amendments to the Regulations. 
Central Council has now established a Committee to examine 
the revision of the standard Contract Form, and although th is 
matter is likely to be a lengthy one, it  is  good to know that 
a start has been made.

A  Special meeting of Central Council, probably one of 
the most lengthy and exacting meetings of th is body, was 
held in Johannesburg from 17th to 23rd  September to hear 
the appeal o f three members who had been found gu ilty  of 
unprofessional conduct by the Transvaal Provincial Institute.

C O N G R E S S

The Congress held in Durban in May was a most in te r­
esting experience and the papers read covered a wide field.

LO C A L C O M M ITTE E S  O F  A R C H IT E C T S

In Port Elizabeth, M r. H . Pullen was elected Chairman of 
the Local Committee at the Annual Meeting, with M r. B. A. 
Simpson as Vice-Chairman; M r. H . J . Tanton acted as Ho n­
orary Secretary.

135



In East London, M r. C. W . B. Stocks was elected Chairman 
of that Local Committee with M r. C. G . Lane as Vice- 
Chairman, and the Honorary Secretary fo r the year under 
review was M r. R. D. Vos.

T H E  S C H O O L  O F  A R C H ITE C T U R E

The number of students attending the Architectural and 
Q uantity Surveying classes at the Un ive rsity  o f Cape Town 
during 1947 was 289; of these 64 were f irs t  year, 83 second 
year, 49 th ird  year, 22 fourth year and 33 were f if th  year 
students; and in addition, there were 12 f irs t  year, 12 second 
year, 7 th ird  year and 5 fourth year Q uantity Surveying 
students; 12 students qualified during the year.

C .P.I. P R IZ E S

The C .P.I. Prize offered to students of the U n ive rsity  of 
Cape Town School of Architecture fo r the best work done 
during the final year of the course was awarded to M r. R. V. 
Twentyman Jones.

Again the C .P.I. Prize fo r Measured Drawings does not 
seem to have attracted competition. Th is  is  a matter of 
disappointment to the Committee.

The C .P.I. Bronze Medal competition was again held in 
abeyance, pending a re-examination of the present conditions 
which, it  is  fe lt by some, need revision.

The Committee made a donation of £15 to the funds 
of the Architectural Students' Society of the Unive rsity.

N E W  B U ILD IN G  R E G U L A T IO N S  FO R  C A PE T O W N  

W h ile  the Committee is continuing to press fo r new 
Building Regulations, the C ity  Engineer has recently intimated 
that due to shortage of staff the compilation of these cannot 
be completed with the expedition which the Committee feel 
is  needed.

Q U A L IF IC A T IO N  O F  TE N D E R S

Members o f the Institute have experienced very grave 
d ifficulties in administering contracts due to the practice of 
endorsing qualifications on Tenders. The Master Builders'

Association has recently informed the Institute that they 
intend qualifying all future tenders, making all fluctuations i r  
the cost of materials or labour a responsib ility of the owner. 
Th is  was the subject of discussion at the Jo int Practice Com­
mittee in 1943 when the Master Builders' Association agreed 
to the abandoning of these Clauses. The second major d iff i­
culty is  the refusal o f suppliers o f materials and specialists to 
become sub-contractors to the general contractor. Th is  latter 
problem has been under discussion with the Master Builders 
fo r some time, it being fe lt that th is is a matter to be solved 
within that organisation. The Institute regrets that, as yet, 
agreement has not been reached.

N A T IO N A L  H O U S IN G

The Institute continued to co-operate with the Govern­
ment to assist in the solution of th is National matter. Members 
of the Institute are at present supervising work at Ste llen­
bosch, Paarl, Bellville, W orcester and Plumstead. The Regional 
Representative of the Directors has informed the Institute 
that it  is  the intention of the Commission to proceed with 
a large programme in the Cape Town area in the near future.

C O M P E T IT IO N  —  G O O D W O O D  T O W N  H A L L

A  competition fo r the design of Municipal Offices and 
Town Ha ll fo r Goodwood was held during the year; M r. R. F. R. 
Day was the Assessor and the successful competitors, in order 
of placing, M r. E. J. D’Anos, Messrs. Stucke, Ha rrison and 
Smail, M r. M. F. Stern and M r. J . M. W ilson , are heartily 
congratulated.

G E N E R A L

The Committee has dealt with a great number of the 
usual routine matters which must be attended to in the 
conduct of the affairs o f your Institute. Reference w ill be 
made to these at more length in my Presidentia l Address.

E. D O U G LA S  A N D R E W S,

President

A D D R E S S  O F  T H E  P R E S I D E N T ,  M R .

It  is  my privilege to preside at th is the 49th Annual 
General Meeting of the Cape Provincial Institute of Architects 
and to propose the adoption of the Report and Accounts of 
the past year.

M y predecessor in office referred in his address at our 
meeting a year ago, to the 50th Anniversary o f our Institute 
which we will celebrate next year. A s most of you know, the 
Cape Provincial Institute is the senior Provincial Institute in 
South Africa. W h ile  it  must be the duty of the incoming 
Committee to make what arrangements to mark the event 
it  deems f it , I have taken upon myself to suggest tentatively,

E .  D O U G L A S  A N D R E W S

to the other Members of the Central Council, that the 1949 
full meeting of that Council be held in Cape Town. ■ A s a 
Congress was held last year in Durban, it  would probably be 
impossible to organise another so soon and the arrangement 
of accommodation would present a grave problem.

I would like to add that my suggestion was most enthusi­
astically received by the Members to whom I mentioned the 
possib ility. I feel that the occasion offers an excellent 
opportunity fo r propaganda in Cape Town. A s I have said, 
th is suggestion is submitted to the incoming Committee for 
its consideration.

136



I propose f irs t ly  to deal with matters arising from  the 
Minutes of the last Annual Meeting which you have just 
authorised me to sign. Before doing so, there is one matter 
from the minutes of the previous annual meeting, viz., the 
meeting early in 1946 on which I should like to say something.

I refer to the instruction given to the then incoming 
Committee to examine the matter of recommendations being 
made by the Committee fo r remunerative appointments, a 
subject which was discussed at some length at that meeting. 
The Committee was then instructed to report back to the 
next annual meeting, i.e., the meeting held a year ago. Now 
th is matter was not discussed at the last annual meeting and 
I feel that I should make some explanation.

A fte r discussing the matter at great length, the 1946-47 
Committee resolved that it  would in future make no such 
appointments, th is is  o f course apart from the power given 
to the President of nominating assessors, In terms of the Regu­
lations governing architectural competitions. A t the same 
time, the Committee fe lt that th is was a matter where the 
Institute should establish a common policy, and it  was placed 
on the agenda of the Central Council, where your repre­
sentatives urged the Cape's viewpoint. Th is  matter was 
referred to a Sub-Committee of the Executive of Central 
Council, th is Sub-Committee found itse lf unable to make a 
recommendation and the matter was again placed on the 
agenda of the Central Council meeting in May, 1947. A fte r 
further discussion, a decision was made and I shall quote th is 
decision to you from the Minutes of that meeting.

"Th e  Central Council agreed on principle that
where the President-in-Chief or the President of a 
Provincial Institute be approached to submit a nomina­
tion o r nominations fo r appointment as Architect, and 
where the body concerned will not utilise  the Competi­
tion System, the Central Council or the Provincial
Institute concerned must not make such nomination until
after reference to the general membership: and in the 
case o f a Provincial Institute, the method of selection 
must receive the prio r consent o f the Central Council. 
The President of the T .P .I. undertook to advise the
Constituent Bodies, through the Registrar, of the methods 
used in the Transvaal in the past."

I must add that since the adoption by the Cape Com­
mittee in 1946 of the principle of making no remunerative 
appointments, it  has been rig id ly  applied.

Th is  is  the f ir s t  annual meeting since the Central Council's 
decision, and it  is  for that reason that I raise the matter now. 
It  may be that you may wish to re-open the subject in d is­
cussion at th is meeting in order to instruct the incoming 
Committee as you see fit . Referring now to the minutes of 
the last general meeting, the Committee was instructed tc 
fake active steps regarding the approval o f plans at the C ity  
Ha ll. Th is is a matter which I will warrant, has been before

the Members at every one of the forty-e ight previous annual 
meetings. The present Committee placed the matter in the 
hands of a Sub-Committee, and again members were asked 
to submit definite cases of dissatisfaction, with no response 
A letter was received from  the C ity  Engineer inform ing us 
(to quote the phrase the letter used) "tha t no effort would 
be spared in the production of the desired new regulations," 
and, the letter continued, to invite the Institute to furnish 
the Municipality with suggestions which could be incorporated 
in the new code.

A fte r careful consideration, and bearing in mind a 
previous occasion when certain members gave a considerable 
amount of time and labour to the matter of the redrafting 
of Cape Town's Build ing Regulations to no purpose, the 
Committee replied that it  would be glad to offer suggestions 
and critic ism s when the f irs t  d ra ft was completed, and when 
could we expect it? W e were then told that the work was 
proceeding only interm ittently and could be undertaken by 
officials only as and when they could be spared from their 
normal duties. W e  have lodged our protests at th is officia. 
attitude.

The remarks at the last meeting mainly concerned lack 
of decision regarding Town Planning Regulations. Th is  lack 
o f decision is being manifested in the matter of the Foreshore 
Scheme, and I personally share with many, the fear that the 
Council's present ineptitude, the blame fo r which must be 
shared with the Railways, may destroy the scheme and lose 
tc Cape Town the opportunity fo r planned progress which 
w ill not be offered again.

On th is subject of Town Planning Regulations, I am happy 
to say that We were consulted by the Town Engineer and 
the Town Planning Office, regarding certain proposed amend­
ments to the Central C ity  Town Planning Regulations. The 
Town Planning O fficer informed me that he found the 
recommendations drawn up by the Committee of great help.

The question of anomalies under the Factory A ct was 
raised by members at the last meeting. Th is  being a national 
matter, I had it  placed on the Agenda of Central Council, 
where I found that members in the other Provinces were 
experiencing sim ila r d ifficulties. I have undertaken, at the 
request of Central Council, the preparation of a d raft report 
on th is matter to the Executive Committee.

I am happy to report considerable progress regarding 
the proposed amendments to the regulations framed under 
the Act. These were submitted to the M in iste r last month 
and were approved by him. They are at present in the hands 
of the Government Printer and we hope w ill be tabled in 
both Houses th is  Session. The amendment which probably 
has most interest fo r members is that incorporating the 
revised scale of fees. Th is includes a ta riff fo r Housing 
Schemes, a much-needed provision. W hen the new regulations 
Come into force, every member w ill naturally receive a copy.



I did not refer to Building Control in the Report. The 
exigencies of printing necessitated the w riting  of that report 
ju st p rio r to the announcement of the partial lift in g  of control 
in domestic work. The majority o f your Committee was in 
favour o f th is partial removal of control; we found, however, 
that the Transvaal Institute fe lt that control should be imme­
diately and entire ly abolished. Briefly , the Transvaal's opinion 
was that they would tru st to the laws of supply and demand 
rather than to autocratic powers of the Government, very 
open to abuse. A s most o f you know, the Institu te’s represen­
tatives on the local advisory Committee of Building Control, 
withdrew nearly two years ago. No reason is apparent to 
the Committee at th is stage why they should return.

W ith  regard to National Housing, the new approved 
Scale of Fees fo r th is work has been received. Th is  is  the 
scale of fees proposed by the Central Council and has been 
accepted by the M in iste r in-toto. The work is now being 
allocated so that one firm  is given a whole scheme in one 
area. I am informed by the Regional Representative of the 
Director, that National Housing contemplates further extensive 
works nearer Cape Town.

The revision of the Standard Contract Form is now under 
discussion by Central Council and a Sub-Committee of the 
Executive has to report on th is matter. Th is is  a proposal 
which has long been supported by the Cape Provincial 
Institute.

The Jo int Practice Committee with the local members 
o f the Chapter and of the Master Builders' Association, has 
continued to function. The Institute has asked the M .B.A .

fo r a definition of its  policy regarding the satisfaction of the 
demands of its  Sub-Contractor Members, so fa r th is is  not 

forthcoming.
Recently, we have been notified that all future tenders 

from  Members o f the M .B.A . will carry endorsements making 
any rise in cost o f labour or materials fo r the account of the 
Building Owner. Th is  is  a matter which will doubtless receive 
the attention of the incoming Committee.

I am glad to announce that we have been successful in 
securing two offices fo r our Institute in the new building of 
the American Sw iss Watch Company. W e hope to be 
installed there on the f ir s t  day of A p ril, the date notwithstand­
ing, and I am confident that it  w ill be a great improvement 
on the single office we presently occupy.

I have been requested by the Ed ito r o f the S .A . 
Architectural Record to invite contributions from Members 
o f the C .P.I. on matters o f professional interest. I commend 
th is invitation to you.

* * * * *

And now I wish to thank my Committee fo r the ir most 
loyal support during my year of office. I must in particular 
thank our Vice-President, M r. Rae Ohlsson. Both in Cape 
Town and as one of your representatives on Central Council, 
Rae has been of great service to our Institute. To  me he has 
proved himself a very reliable friend.

I record my thanks to M r. Secretary and to his staff. 
M r. MacDowell has arranged the affairs of the Institute (I 
include the financial affairs) most satisfactorily during the 
last year.

P O R T  E L I Z A B E T H  L O C A L  C O M M I T T E E  OF  A R C H I T E C T S
C H A I R M A N ’ S R E P O R T  1947- 1948

The past year has been one of steady progress in the 
activities o f the building industry, and members o f the Pro­
fession have been busy in keeping pace with the progress 
or Port Elizabeth. Building Control is  s t ill with us and the 
shortages of certain materials are d ifficulties to be contended 

with.

M E E T IN G S

The Committee held regular meetings during the year 
and two general meetings at which much of interest to the 
profession was discussed. The President-in-Chief paid this 
centre a v is it  and a well attended informal meeting was held.

C E N TR A L  C O U N C IL

Yo ur delegates attended the meetings o f the Central 
Council which included an appeal in which a firm  of Architects 
in Johannesburg appealed against the findings of the Transvaal 
Provincial Institu te , in a case of unprofessional conduct.

E D U C A TIO N

During the year considerable progress has been made 
in th is connection, a sub-committee has been formed and 
there is every possib ility  that classes w ill be started in the 
very near future.

I would like to take th is opportunity of expressing my 
thanks to M r. Tanton fo r his keen interest and tremendous 
amount o f work he has done in the cause of education.

B U ILD IN G  C O N TR O L

A s previously stated we are s t ill restricted by Building 
Control. During the early part o f th is year houses o f certain 
area were released —  it  is  s t ill too early to say whether this 
relaxing will materially assist the profession.

O ur appreciation is due to M r. M errifie ld  who has con­
tinued to represent us on the Local A dvisory Committee of 
Building Control.

138



N A TIO N A L H O USIN G TO W N  PLANNING

Members are to be congratulated on the efforts put 
into National Housing, the original project is now practically 
completed. It  is  regrettable that the Technical Advisory 
Committee does not avail itse lf of the advice of the Institute 
members.

A  further large project fo r National Housing is proposed 
and it  is hoped that the work will be fa irly  allocated to the 
firm s practising in th is town and that the profession will have 
some control of the schemes.

J O IN T  P R A C T IC E  C O M M ITTE E

M r. B. A . Simpson and myself have continued to repre­
sent -the committee; regular well attended monthly meetings 
have been held and many problems affecting the industry 
have been satisfactorily adjusted.

I regret to report that no fu rther progress has been 
made in th is connection.

T E C H N IC A L  C O LLEG E

M r. Tanton has continued to represent th is Committee 
on the Council of the Technical College.

G E N E R A L

TKe meetings during the year were well attended and 
the amount of work has increased considerably. I wish to thank 
the Honorary Secretary fo r the services he rendered during 
the year and to thank the members of the committee fo r the 
able support they have given me during my year of office,

H . P U LLE N .

Chairman.

T H E  N A T A L  P R O V I N C I A L  I N S T I T U T E  OF  A R C H I T E C T S

Your Committee have pleasure in submitting the Annual 
Report of the Natal Provincial Institute of Architects together 
with the Balance Sheet and Accounts fo r the year ended 
31st December, 1947.

M E M B E R S H IP

A s at the 31st December, 1947, the membership of 88 
was as follows: Practising 62, Salaried 25, Absentee I.

The decease of M r. T .  Moore, a very prominent member 
of the Institute, during the past year, was noted with regret.

C O M M ITTE E

A t the last Annual General Meeting, Messrs. B. V. 
Bartholomew, J . Corrigall, C. R. Fridjhon, R. P. Hamlin, 
G . E. le Sueur, L. C. Lamber, D. C. McDonald, S. N . Tomkin 
and A. Woodrow, were elected to the Provincial Committee.

A t the Committee meeting following, M r. S. N. Tomkin 
was elected President and M r. L. C. Lambert Vice-President 
fo r the ensuing year.

M E E T IN G S

During the year ended 3 1 st December, 1947, the Annual 
General Meeting, one Special General Meeting and 18 
O rdinary and Special Committee Meetings were held in 
addition to numerous Sub-Committee meetings.

A N N U A L  R E P O R T  1947 - 1948

On account o f the Annual Congress being held in Durban 
in May and other factors, quarterly General Meetings were 
not held. Members were kept advised of what was taking 
place by numerous circulars.

The attendance record of the Committee members is
set out below:

Leave
Name Granted Attendance

B. V. Bartholomew 3 I2
J. Corriga ll 7 I0
C. Fridjhon 2 I4
R. P. Hamlin 5 I I
G . E. le Sueur 5 12
L. C. Lambert 4 I I
D. C. MacDonald I 16
S. N. Tomkin I 16
A. Woodrow 

C E N TR A L  C O U N C IL

~ 16

The Annual Meeting of Central Council was held
Durban in May. A ll members are fu lly  aware of the 
matters discussed at the Annual General Meeting and the 
Congress. M r. Tomkin attended the second meeting of 
Central Council and a report thereon w ill be given at the 
forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

M r. Hanson was elected President-in-Chief at the Annual 
General Meeting.

I T9



N A T A L  H O U S IN G  BO A RD
The fo rty  plans prepared by members of the Institute 

proved of great assistance to the Natal Housing Board and 
to date the sum of £886 has been received from the Natal 
Housing Board fo r the use of these plans.

F IN A N C E S
The audited accounts accompanying th is report showed 

that the revenue fo r the year exceeded the expenditure by 
the sum of £171 I Os. 9d. and that the accumulated funds of 
the Institute are now £49! 15s. 3d.

The Secretary's salary has been increased to £300 per 
annum as from  the 1st January, 1948, and a token payment 
of £60 has been made in respect of 1947 and has been shown 
in the accounts.

During the year, a filing  cabinet was purchased fo r 
£19 5s. and the furn iture  account after the addition of 
th is item and deduction o f depreciation now stands at the 

figure of £65.

A D D R E S S  O F  T H E  P R E S I

In moving the adoption of the Annual Report and 
Accounts, the opportunity presents itse lf of reviewing brie fly 
the past year's work and important events.

M atters not arising in th is report w ill be gladly answered 
under "G e ne ra l" by members of the Executive.

A s usual, we claim the past year to have been an 
extremely busy one, more particularly the f ir s t  half of the 
year in which the Fourth Congress o f the Institute of South 
African Architects was held. It  has been universally stated 
outside th is Province that th is Congress was an unqualified 
success in every sphere. Letters o f appreciation have been 
received from the Central Council and other Provinces ex­
pressing the opinion that it  was the finest Congress yet held, 
and that other centres would be hard pressed to measure 
up to the standard set by Natal.

Th is  success was due to all the members o f th is Institute, 
and in particular to your Executive who worked so hard to 
organize the Congress efficiently, and who held endless official 
and sub-committee meetings, the result of which is a proud 
record in th is Institu te 's h istory.

In addition to th is strenuous period, a great variety of 
matters have been handled during the year by your Executive. 
I shall enumerate b rie fly  the more important of these.

P R O F E S S IO N A L  PR A C TIC E, A R B ITR A T IO N , ETC .

Some ten items under th is heading have been satisfac­
to rily  settled during the year while one or two matters are 
s t ill pending.

L E C TU R E S  BY IN S T IT U T E

Lectures were given at the Summer School, Dundee, of 
the Federation of W om en's Institutes, at the Congress at 
Dundee of the Natal Teachers' Society and at a symposium

The cash at bank of £713 4s. 4d. includes the amount of 
£513 Is . 3d. received from the Natal Housing Board in
respect of plans used and which was not distributed as at 
3 1st December, 1947.

C O N G R E SS  E X P EN SES

Th is Provincial Institute spent the sum of £155 15s. Id. 
during Congress in respect o f the publication of a Brochure, 
the p rinting o f menu cards, costs of entertainment and pro­
viding fo r photographic service.

The income from advertisements in the brochure amounted 
to £187 I Os. so that the Institute showed a p ro fit of
£31 14s. Id.

The Institute is indebted to M r. C. R. Fridjhon fo r the
production of the Brochure, and to all the organisers fo r
the ir part in making the Congress a success.

E N T ,  M R .  S .  N .  T O M K I N

on Architecture and Town Planning of the Technical College, 
Pietermaritzburg, towards the cost of which the sum o f £10 
was granted by the Central Council.

The symposium, organized by the students in relation to 
the ir Exhibition at which members of th is Institute had under­
taken to speak, was so poorly attended particularly by 
members o f th is Institute that the series was abandoned. 
W h ile  th is was possibly due to lack of organization on the 
part o f the students, it  is fe lt that a good deal more 
encouragement should be forthcoming from the profession 
to the students and their work.

N E G O T IA T IO N S  W IT H  PU B L IC  BO D IES
A s a result of numerous meetings and correspondence, 

a Lia ison Committee has been established between the Master 
Builders, Quantity Surveyors and Architects fo r the discussion 
of matters of mutual interest. The most recent question for 
submission to th is Institute is the introduction of the Quantity 
Rule fo r any buildings over £4,000 in value.

The establishment of an Institute of Clerks of W orks in 
Natal is also in process o f examination by th is Institute.

Sub-Committees and representatives have been in contact 
with Building Control, Natal Society o f A rt is ts, The Greater 
Durban Town Planning Association, The Durban Architects 
Club, The S .A . Histo rica l Survey Commission, The National 
W a r Memorial Health Foundation, The Durban Slums Com­
mittee. Letters appearing in the Press on matters o f interest 
to th is Institute, have been dealt with either by direct 
negotiation or by correspondence. O ther public bodies with 
whom we have been in contact are the Durban C ity  Corpor­
ation, The Natal Provincial Adm inistration, and the Natal 
Housing Board from whom a request fo r new sets of plans 
will have to be handled by the incoming Executive.

140



I think special comment is necessary here on the question 
of work in competitions emanating from the C ity  Council 
and the Natal Provincial Adm inistration. It can be safely 
stated that in all cases the duties that had to be performed 
by the Institute in relation to these competitions, were done 
with the utmost dispatch, but the complex machinery within 
these two organizations and the innumerable outside public 
bodies that enter into the negotiations have bogged down 
the progress o f this work to an extent, which, in my opinion, 
is  a reflection on the administrative procedure within these 
organizations.

Competitions which should have been in hand long ago, 
have, in most cases, been held up fo r reasons which can 
only be considered petty in relation to the magnitude of the 
schemes and their importance in providing re lie f from almost 
chaotic accommodation conditions. I can only assure members 
that th is Institute 's part has at no time been a contributary 
factor to these delays.

In the case of the Durban Corporation competitions, 
certain committee approvals have to be obtained before 
conditions which are fu lly  completed can be issued. W h ile  
in the case of the Natal Provincial Adm inistration, a change 
of site has resulted in lengthening negotiations between the 
Adm inistration and the Union Government on the question 
of land. The W indermere Road Scheme carried out by 
members o f th is Institute is all but complete and can be thus 
fa r claimed to be a success.

A t th is point, I should like to correct an impression 
created by a statement in the Minutes of the last Annual 
General Meeting on page 3, namely, that the assurance 

of the C .T. Architect on certain matters had been given." 
Actually, certain classes of Corporation work in which nego­
tiation with public bodies is  entailed, is  so complex by virtue 
of these negotiations, that is is  practically impossible to hand 
out to private practitioners. W hat has been stated, however, 
is  that there is a strong likelihood of work, where these 
complications did not arise to the same degree, being handed 
out to the profession.

Generally, on the question of disposition of work from 
public bodies, I shall not be so bold as to say that such 
work is forthcoming within a predictable time. A ll I am able 
to say is that the principle of handing out work has been 
firm ly  established by the P. W . D. and the aforementioned 
bodies, but I am afraid that elements beyond your Executive's 
control prevent the prediction of exactly when.

S O C IA L

The Congress th is year provided the major social activity 
o f the Institute, but in addition th is Institute took part in the 
Three A rts  Ball which was agreat success, and fo r which 
success a hearty vote of thanks is due to M r. W oodrow and 
his indefatigable helpers.

The Durban Architects Club also provided an excellent 
function which members o f th is Institute and the Chapter 
found an excellent means of contact with each other outside 
of the stric tly  professional sphere.

C E N TR A L  C O U N C IL

A s your representative on the Central Council, I am 
now able to report items discussed by the Central Council 
since the holding of the Congress in Durban.

(1) Jo int Council o f the Building Industry.

(2) A rt  of Architecture —  Exhibition prepared by the 
W itwatersrand Un ive rsity  students to be made avail­
able to all Institutes.

(3) National Building Research Institute, o f which our 
President-in-Chief has been elected chairman.

(4) The New Scale of Fees.

(5) Amendments to Regulations which have been fo r­
warded to the M in iste r fo r tabling in the House.

(6) Investigation into the cost of Building and Build ing 
M aterials.

(7) Appeal case - -  against a decision of the Transvaal 
Provincial Institute.

(8) Appointment of a Professor of Architecture at the 
U n ive rsity  of the W itw atersrand.

(9) Establishment o f a Cha ir in Town Planning.

(10) Revision of the Standard Form of Building Contract.

(11) Repeal of W a r Measure 46 of 1945, to be repealed 
in June, 1948. (Vide Student Concessions.)

(12) The removal of Building Control.

(13) Natural Resources Development Bill.

(14) Control o f Immigrants in relation to profession.

(15) Sw iss Housing Exhibition.

(16) D ra ft B ill fo r the Registration of Builders in South 
Africa.

(17) Investigation into the possib ilitie s o f publishing a 
book on Architecture of South Africa.

(18) Re-design of the Institu te 's seal.

(19) Preparation of a Draft Pamphlet by the Public 
Relations Officer, on "A rchitecture as a Career."

(20) Membership of International Federation of Housing 
and Town Planning.

(21) Issue o f a standard booklet on "C ond itions under 
which Architects are Professionally Engaged."

(22) Student Membership of the Institute.

(23) Introduction of Elevationa! Control throughout the 
Union.

(24) Pension Scheme fo r Architectural A ssistants.
Once again, our sincere thanks are due to the Executive 

Committee of the Central Council fo r the ir tire less energy 
in promoting the welfare of our profession in th is country.

141



G E N E R A L

I should also like to thank our Secretary, M r. Ritchie, fo r 
his efficient help throughout the past year, which was com­
plicated by the holding of the Congress. Through his making 
a move of offices, we have acquired a Board Room which is 
rather bare at the moment, though it  is a great improvement 
on the one we have occupied fo r so many years. It  is  to 
be hoped that the incoming Executive will make use of the 
Central Council grant to furnish the room as befitting the 
Board Room of an Institute such as ours.

A  special vote of thanks is due to M r. D. C. McDonald 
who th is year has not offered himself fo r re-election to the 
Executive Committee, because he feels that younger men 
should be given an opportunity of serving our Institute. M r. 
McDonald's long and fa ith fu l service to this Institute is an 
example to us all, and sincerely hope that th is is  merely 
a temporary break in his services, as I feel sure that after

granting him a short rest he will be willing to re-assume the 
burdens which we are so willing to impose on him.

To  all the members o f the Executive, I would like to add 
my personal thanks to those of the whole membership of the 
Institute, in the work they have done. It has not only been 
a proud privilege to act as President fo r the past year but 
also as a result o f the complete co-operation of members of 
the Executive and the Institute it  has been a real pleasure.

The Institute work becomes daily increasingly complex. 
I am sure that much remains to be done that has as yet not 
even been started. Th is is in no way due to slackness on 
the part of the Executives but rather due to the increasing 
burdens which the position of Executive Member holds.

It  is  the often expressed opinion o f the outgoing Executive 
that the profession which already stands high in public opinion 
will be established firm ly, in its proper place in the administra­
tion of our country's affairs.

T H E  W O R L D  O F  A R C H I T E C T U R E

By  ANGUS S T E W A R T

E D U C A T IO N  O F  T H E  P U B L IC
W ith  two adventures into public education in mind —  

Ihe " A r t  o f A rchitecture" exhibition, which takes pride of 
place in last month's issue, and the "Sm all House Bureau" 
exhibit, which took a very small place at the recent Rand 
Show — , it seems fitt in g  to draw attention to an exhibition 
of a d ifferent kind, and on a very d ifferent scale, that has 
been presented in Philadelphia. It  is to be found in "The  
Architectural Fo rum ," December 1947, under the heading, 
"Philadelphia Plans A ga in ".

Philadelphia f ir s t  planned, as is  well known, when its 
founder, W illia m  Penn, laid out its original grid -iron. Although 
early Philadelphia lay between two rivers, and Johannesburg 
on a ridge, the cities have th is in common, a typical grid-iron 
plan. W illia m  Penn's, however, was conceived with breadth 
and vision; whereas the author of Johannesburg's seems to 
have thought that a chequer-board was in every way appro­
priate to  a mining camp, even to an approximation in scale. 
142

Nevertheless, both cities s t ill have much in common. They 
have, despite the firmness and possible openess of the g rid ­
iron form, allowed haphazard and congested development. 
Both are now at pains to alleviate the results of th is exuberant 
indulgence. A t th is juncture, common attributes cannot be 
found. Philadelphia has revived the tradition of breadth and 
vision; and Johannesburg, while being sensitive about its past, 
takes care not to show too much disrespect fo r the plans of 
its founders. Philadelphia presented its case fo r c ity planning 
in an exhibition that cost $340,000: Johannesburg confines 
its  presentation mostly to the "Provincial Gazette" and the 
columns of "O ffic ia l N otices" in the daily press. The cities 
have even less in common than might be thought; and their 
greatest difference does not lie in a d isparity in size or any 
other physical feature. Philadelphia has approached its  pro­
blems with gusto; Johannesburg with method, though hardly 
more methodically and certainly less vigorously that Phila­
delphia.



KAM P DOWN
ENTRANCE - (■'" f l  

C lP  PWit» <sr*£E T
f'UE< SPACE 

MACN-Nf BFDIONAi DIORAMAVO CATIO N S SCHC-C. M-;>El

8 A, M A R ? • I  r „ »  plan  ‘- p ia n n in g is
DOWNTOWN MODEL | HUMAN

6 \E A R  PU8UC IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

SCHOOL PARTICIPATION

■REOEVEIOPMENT »f*0 CL

View of the model of the Philadelphia Exhibition illustra­
ting the layout of exhibits. From the entrance, the 
visitors' circulation is directed past all exhibits and leads 
to the exit at far loft.

General view of the exhibition illustrating the curved display round 
"The Plan."

"Superimposed, edge-lighted plexiglas planes, illuminated one after the 
other, show the growth of Philadelphia from 1782 to 1947. Changing 
methods of transportation which have basically influenced the city's 
pattern are illustrated together with important buildings of their era. 
Final map reveals the speed up of decentralization caused by the airplane, 
thus present congested mid-town skyline with Girard Tru st and Philadelphia 
Savings Bank towering over earlier buildings."



Th is, according to "Th e  Architectural Fo rum ", is how it 
happened in Philadelphia: "N o t  until the past decade, when 
industry started moving away and the phrase 'C ity  of Beautiful 
Hom es' began to ring hollowly in Philadelphia's dingy streets, 
did a complacent c itizenry sta rt to worry. The c ity's present 
planning enthusiasm stems from the year 1940 when a few 
civic-minded young men formed 'The C ity  Policy Committee', 
an organization which has since snowballed into one of the 
most vigorous planning movements in the country." C ity  
planning organizations are common in America. The vigour 
that animates these organizations comes from private citizens. 
The small body of "c ivic-m inded" in Philadelphia set out to 
interest the "complacent c itize n ry ": or to give it  completely 
in the phraseology of the sub-heading: "W illia m  Penn's Greene 
Countrie Towne, now a gray, machine age city, diagnoses its 
i lls  in dramatic exhibition designed to capture citizen support 
fo r planning." It  was done to such good purpose that "385 ,000  
Philadelphians came to see one of the largest and most spec­
tacular displays ever designed to sell c ity planning to the 
c itize n ry ." That number of spectators means enthusiasm.

To  arouse th is enthusiasm all the arts o f American show­
manship were used. N ot only was the display lavish, but floor 
levels changed, colours changed, and the intensity of light 
changed, to heighten the drama of the display. On their 
way through the exhibition the public, as spectators, were 
confronted, among other things, with a Regional Diorama, a 
Time-Space machine, and a model that turned over in sections 
to show the sequence of city development. "Favourite  of 
the entire show, however, was the school exhibit, a display 
of neighbourhood replanning by children." Furthermore, to 
quote again: "Th e  fu ll-size  replica of a typical row house, 
showing what can be done by private citizens to improve 
the ir own backyards, also provided a human touch." By 
encouraging children's efforts, and by a device such as that 
illustrated, the promoters showed that Philadelphia's citizens 
o f to-morrow and to-day could be participants in c ity planning. 
That is an advance on the spectator's role. And therein lies

the real difference between the methods of Philidelphia and 
Johannesburg.

In Johannesburg the role of the ordinary citizen is 
restricted to that o f an objector; provided that he knows 
where to look fo r town planning amendments, and lodges his 
objection in time. A  rate-payer has the added privilege in 
certain circumstances of lodging a claim fo r compensation; 
but tenants, boarders, and rate-payers, can find litt le  to arouse 
their enthusiasm in the way civic planning is presented to them. 
If  there is to be a change of method, the Institute of 
Architects w ill have to bring it  about.

The Institute in the cause of public education sponsored 
the " A r t  of A rchitecture" and the "Sm all House Bureau" 
exhibitions. The cost of each was an equivalent of perhaps 
$500 as compared with the $340,000 of the Philadelphia exhi­
bition. The population of Philadelphia in 1933 was very nearly 
two m illion; so reduce the dollars proportionately to the 
population of Johannesburg, and convert to pounds, to get 
a fa ir comparison. On any reckoning the cost o f a sim ilar 
exhibition would be well beyond the resources of any body 
of architects. However, the question is whether architects as 
a body intend to pursue a policy of trying to educate the 
public in architectural appreciation? I f  they do, it  is possible 
that better results might be obtained with perhaps less outlay 
of the ir own lim ited funds by following the Philadelphia way. 
It  has th is to commend it. In fostering a scheme fo r civic 
development architects would not only be d irectly serving 
the interests o f the public, but would be associated in an 
undertaking that was on a grand enough scale to st ir  up the 
public's interest and, perhaps, enthusiasm.

* * * * * *

Town planning administered by regulation to an unenfhus- 
iastic public deteriorates into irksome restriction. "A  Civic 
Policy Com mittee", though it  might have any other name, 
would help to restore the balance. The idea, so far as I know, 
was introduced into th is country by M r. Monte Bryer. A  war 
has intervened since then. It  might well be reconsidered now.

Acknowledgements: The illustrations of the Philadelphia Exhibition and captions from "The Architectural Forum," December, 1947.

144



View of the "Downtown Model." As visitors approach H 
down the ramp they see the city as it  now is. Then. H 
synchronized with an explanatory dialogue and section- I  
by-section spot lighting, portions of the model flip  over a 
to show the proposed improvements. Eventually the 9 
entire model is reversed, showing the centre of Phila- jj 
delphia as it  could be if  all improvements were carried I  
through.

143



THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS 
OP J O H A N N E S B U R G

B Y  C Y R I L  A. S T O L O F F

C O N C L U S I O N

In th is concluding chapter, it is  possible to survey building? 
fhat it  has not been possible to place in any specific category, 
as well as some which have been omitted in the records of 
the past eighteen months that have appeared in th is journal. 
These buildings include the picturesque Castle Brewery, the 
famous old Park Station, the much-mourned Wanderers' 
Pavilion and the well-known Turffontein Grandstand at the 
Racecourse.

S ix ty  years ago the world's greatest goldfield was a 
treeless upland upon the coarse grass o f which grazed a few 
cattle. The 60 mile stretch of countryside now containing 
a million people, in the centre of which stands the great city 
o f Johannesburg, was occupied by only a handful o f im­
poverished farm ers. Nearly 6,000 feet above sea level and 
swept in winter by b itte r winds, it had not attracted the 
Voortrekkers. They used it  fo r pasture, but preferred to place 
the ir dwellings in more sheltered nooks and even then moved 
away to lower and warmer country in the cold months. The 
winter months appeared to have been marked by an intense 
cold not experienced here fo r some 30 years. In the '60 s

AFRIC A N  BAN KIN G  CO RPO RATIO N, the first building on the 
corner o f Fox and Simmonds Streets.

and '70 s of last century most of the men who owned a farm 
on the W itwatersrand would have exchanged it  fo r a few 
oxen, so small was the ir fa ith in the future of th is apparently 
barren land.

A ll South Africa was poverty stricken in the early '80 s 
of last century. The diamond industry at Kimberley, which had 
lifted the country out o f the depression of the '60 s was under 
a cloud. The two British  colonies and the two Boer Republics 
that divided what is now the Union of South Africa were 
in financial d ifficulties. The South African Republic, to give 
Ihe Transvaal its official name, had had its independence 
restored after the 1880-1881 war, but President Kruger was 
like the Chancellor whom Peel described as "seated on an 
empty chest by the side of bottomless deficiencies fishing 
fo r a Budget." Perhaps because a new source of income 
was so badly needed, there was a widespread belief that 
mineral wealth would ultimately be found in the Transvaal. 
There had been a few finds, especially in the north-eastern 
areas sufficient to keep hope alive, and a good deal of rather 
amateurish prospecting was carried on.

TH E  BANK OF: AFRICA, the first building on the corner of Com­
mission®'' and Harrison Streets.



C HAM BER O F M IN ES BU ILD ING . A ll Johannesburg's 
Victorian architecture is stamped with a certain amount 
of ostentation arising out of exuberant and excessive 
decoration. Once the early pioneers realised that 
Johannesburg was there to stay and was rapidly be­
coming a world metropolis, they built in the grand 
manner. In many cases their new-found wealth is 
reflected in the structures they built. The Chamber of 
Mines Building in Market Street, although not as pic­
turesque as the cast-iron fantasies, is representative of 
the early Johannesburg architecture that v/as an epoch 
in itself.

TH E  C A STLE BREW ERY, corner Fox and Kruis Streets.

14



PRITC HARD STREET, 1889, corner of Rissik Street, showing buildings on 
the present Stuttafords’ site. The tower of St. Mary's Hall is in the 
middle distance. "A  hive of industry and a nursery of great expectations."

PR ITC HARD STREET, 1889, corner of Eloff Street, showing, at left, the 
first Chudleigh's Building, site of the present O.K. Bazaars, and across 
the road the single-storey building on the present Cuthberts’ site.

ABOVE: C O M M ISSIO N ER STR€ET. A scene in the 1890 s looking East from 
the first Stock Exchange. R IG H T: FO RDSBURG  POST O FFIC E. One of the 
first branch post offices, and situated in the Ferreirastown district.

LEFT : TU R FFO N TE IN  RACECOURSE, showing the grandstands erected in the early nineties, after the Johannesburg Tu rf Club had been formed on 
August 17th, 1887. The course covered 166 morgen. R IG H T: W A N D ERERS CLUB, 1889. The club was formed in 1888. The name was adopted 
by the early pioneers and originated from a football team of that name which toured Pretoria. The Gymnasium was commenced in 1889 and later 
in the same year the Hall was begun.

1(8



LEFT: PARK STA TIO N , JO HA NN ESBURG . The railway came to Johannesburg in 1891, and some years later the famous station was constructed 
on the site of tall blue-gums, known as "M illionaire Row "  where Johannesburg s mining magnates lived until Doornfonfein and later Parktown became 
fashionable. Until the great period of expropriation set in, it was still possible to recognise among the single-storey shanties the g ilt Victorian 
'urrets and decayed billiard rooms upon which the wealthy of the early Rand lavished small fortunes. R IG H T: SHADES O F TH E  19th C EN TURY. 
The interior of Park Station, with its delicate traceried ironwork in every corner and even on the ends of the cantilevers. Beyond the plate glass 
doors overhung with g ilt tassels are the famous "Station Bar and Buffet," pleasant rendezvous of Johannesburg's citizens for many years.

LEFT: STANDARD TH EA TR E. Exterior view as it  appeared on completion in October, 1891. The theatre originally was situated in portion of the 
Market Square, and in 1911 major additions including the Joubert Street portico were effected. The illustration imparts some of the character 
of early Johannesburg with its picturesque charm. R IG H T: GLOBE TH EA TR E , 1891. on the corner o f Fox and Ferreira Streets. Home of the Lyric 
Opera Company for many years and scene of brilliant shows presented by British and Continental artists. Although constructed only four years after 
the founding of Johannesburg this iPustratiori has all the character of 18th Century engravings of Drury Lane Theatre, London.

Yet prospectors were slowly drawing nearer to the vast 
hidden treasure house that changed the h istory of South 
Africa. Then in 1886 came the great discovery. It  is  not 
within the scope of th is survey to discuss the now controversial 
subject of the Main Reef discovery, although the mass of 
evidence produced in M r. James G ray's book "Payable G o ld ," 
seems to point to George Harrison as the man who is the 
most justifiable claimant to th is honour.

Then came the great gold rush, and the establishment 
of Johannesburg, in 1886. "It was a mixed multitude thaJ 
broke the barriers of th is land of promise and turned the 
solitude of the veld into a hive of industry and a nursery 
of great expectations. One motive animated the majority

of them, and that was to get gold and more g o ld -  the 
poor, because they were convinced gold or its  equivalent 
would bring happiness; the rich, because to them enough 
meant always just a little  more than they had." A t  f irs t  
some people lived in reed shanties, then tents arrived, and 
afterwords tin  shanties were erected. The f irs t  brick house 
was erected in 1887. In July, 1886, there were about 20 
reed huts. The late S ir  Ju liu s Jeppe used to relate that as 
a young man he used to cross the then undiscovered goldfields 
three or four times a year on hunting trip s, and that, when 
he f ir s t  rode over from Pretoria to see the new town, he 
hunted all over the veld fo r it  in the dusk, until he found 
some camp fires!

149



The h isto ry  o f self-government in Johannesburg is one 
o f the most remarkable features o f the development of that 
extraordinary c ity  in the past 60 years. Sta rting  from an 
elective D iggers' Committee in 1887 and a Sanitary Board 
which became elective shortly  afterwards and was soon 
allowed even to elect its  own chairman, Johannesburg was 
granted a Stadsraad or Municipal Council in 1897, complete 
with a Burgemeester who was appointed from  Pretoria, and 
elective Aldermen, one of whom, S ir  H a rry  Graumann, has 
recently published in his memoirs a most interesting account 
of those early days. W h ile  the W a r was s t ill in progress, 
Lord M ilne r established in 1901, a new local governing 
authority in Johannesburg, with wider powers than Stadsraad 
o r Sanitary Board had ever possessed, though the leading 
Johannesburgers o f whom it  consisted were nominated by 
M ilner, instead of being elected by the citizens. In 1903 th is 
nominated Council gave place to an elective Council. W ith  
the expropriation of the land adjoining Kazerne, originally 
known as "the  insanitary area," came the acquisition by the 
Council o f monopoly rights fo r the running of electric trams. 

*  *  *  *  *

The h istory of street tramways in Johannesburg dates 
from  1889 when concessions fo r the construction and working, 
by animal power, o f lines in Johannesburg and Pretoria were 
acquired by the Johannesburg C ity  and Suburban Tramway 
Company, which forthw ith proceeded to install and operate 
a system in Johannesburg, the f irs t  cars being run on February 
24th, 1891. Track was of narrow gauge —  3ft. 6ins. and 
cars were o f the single deck type, drawn by three horses or 
mules. The electric service was inauguarated on February 14th, 
1906, the f ir s t  route to be opened being that along Market 
Street from Market Square to Siem ert Road.

*  *  *  *  ■st-

Included in th is chapter is a photograph of the well- 
known Grandstand at Turffontein Racecourse, the h istory of 
which is colourful indeed. The f ir s t  race meeting in Johannes­
burg was held at the end o f 1886 on a course laid out 
between Jeppe and Von Brandis Square. Colonel Ferreira and 
M r. G odfrey Lys were the leading owners. The next meeting 
was an ambitious affair, held in May, 1887, with £800 in 
stakes. Among the stewards were Jan Meyer and George 
Farrar. A  grandstand was erected at a cost o f £200. On 
August 17th, 1887, a Johannesburg T u rf  C lub was formed. 
In 1889 the T u r f  C lub leased 166 morgen at Turffontein from 
a M r. A . P. Rass. Later £20,000 was raised in debentures 
bearing interest at 15% , and a members' stand and dining 
room were built. The f ir s t  Johannesburg Handicap on the 
present course was won by "Th e  Tracker" belonging to a 
M r. Casey, and ridden by Charlie W oods. Th is  was a rank 
outsider and the owner was so overjoyed that he gave W oods 
the £2,000 cheque fo r the stakes, and later presented him 
on the stage of the Globe Theatre with gold watch and chain, 
and diamond pin!

S t. M ary's Church, which has recently celebrated its 
Diamond Jubilee, has a romantic story which is itse lf part 
o f the h istory o f Johannesburg. To-day its  centre is the great 
S t. M ary's Cathedral —  s ixty  years ago its  f ir s t  service was 
held by the Bishop of Pretoria in a shed that had neither 
door nor windows, only an iron roof and wooden supports. 
The shed, lent fo r the occasion, was situated in Commissioner 
Street, near the corner of Ha rrison Street. The seating 
accommodation consisted o f 20ft. planks erected on tem­
porary brick p illa rs. From that time onwards as the population 
increased, services were held in a succession of borrowed 
buildings. By 1889 land was acquired at the corner of E loff 
and Kerk Streets, and it  was here that the old St. M ary's 
was built. It  was a crude building of plain brick with an iron 
roof. Later a site  in Plein Square was chosen and on May 
23rd, 1905, Lord M ilner laid the foundation stone of St. 
M ary's Ha ll, which was used as the Cathedral. St. M ary's 
Ha ll was designed, however, only as an appendage to the 
Gothic Cathedral orig inally planned by the architect, G . H. 
Fellows Prynne. Later, when there was some agitation fo r 
M r. Prynne's design to be completed, it  was decided not to 
proceed with it, owing to its  unsuitability to the climate.

The designing of the New Cathedral was fina lly entrusted 
to S ir  Herb ert Baker and his partner, M r. F. L. H . Flemming. 
When the ir partnership was dissolved, and S ir  Herb ert went 
oversea, M r. Flemming produced the design according to 
which the Cathedral was fina lly built. The foundation stone 
was laid in 1926 by the Bishop o f Johannesburg. The organ 
was designed by M r. John Connell, the C ity  O rganist. The 
Canterbury stone that has been incorporated in the building 
is the unique g ift  o f S t. Augustine's College, Canterbury. The 
stone was orig inally part of the ancient Abbey of St. Peter 
and S t. Paul, built at the end of the 6th century. U n til the 
year 758 it  was used as the burial place of the K ings of Kent 
and the Archbishops of Canterbury.

In August, 1887, the f ir s t  Dutch Reformed Church was 
built in Von Brandis Street at a cost of £300, the ground 
being bought fo r £27. The second church was built in Von 
Brandis Square at a cost o f £2,000 and inaugurated on Good 
Friday, 4th A p ril, 1890. A  third  church was built in 1897 in 
Jeppestown at a cost of £7,000.

* * * * *

The h istory o f art in Johannesburg may be said to begin 
in 1903 with the establishment, by the Transvaal Education 
Department of art classes in the Market Street School, near 
the present site of the Library. Dr. A . A . Eisenfiofer (a 
form er curator of the present A rt  Gallery) was placed in 
charge o f the A rt  School, and was thus the f irs t  A rt  teacher 
in Johannesburg. It  is  quite remarkable to note that 100 
pupils were taking art lessons in a town that was nothing 
more than a mining camp. In 1905 there came to the fore, 
as patron of the arts, M rs. Lionel Phillips (later Lady Phillips) 
and a magnanimous patron she proved to be. " I t  is owing



ABOVE: SO U TH  A FRIC AN W A R M EM O RIAL (Rand Regiments) 
in Eckstein Park. S ir  Edwin Lutyens, Architect. LEFT, ABOVE: 
PARK SYNAG O G UE, 1892, near the present Park Station and 
Railway Headquarters, this building was formally opened by Paul 
Kruqer. LEFT, BELO W : ST. M ARY'S H A LL, the foundation stone 
of which was laid by Viscount Milner in 1904. For 25 years it 
served as a parish church and became the pro-Calhedral when 
the See of Johannesburg was created.

LEFT : ST. G EO RG E'S PRESBYTERIAN C H U RC H , 1905. Noord Street Johan 
nesburg s first Presbyterian Church was erected in Ker.k Street in 1889, while 
in 1890 a larger church known as the "Bree Street Presbyterian" was opened. 
In 1904 the name "S t. George's" was adopted, and in the following year the 
present church was constructed. Seating was provided for 950 and the organ 
was supplied by Messrs. Norman Beard of Norwich, England. ABOVE' 
DUTC H REFORMED C H URC H , Braamfontein. with the adjoining contemporary 
parsonagj.

151



TRA NSV A AL U N IV FR S ITY  COLLEGE. 1907. Th is building, with frontages on Eloff, De Villiers and Plein 
Streets, is probably the finest example in Johannesburg of the ’ neo-classic" movement prevalent in archi­
tecture at the beginning of the century. The building itse lf is important, fpr it  becamo in later years 
a criterion of Johannesburg's many "Classic Revivals.' The use of Classic columns artd pilasters, and'the 
introduction of Classic doors and windows, brought about an inflexibility of treatment in the exterior design 
to which the plan was fitted as best as possible, Elevational treatment predominated and balance had to 
be achieved a* all costs. The major features of this building are the sturdy Ionic columns, massive cornice 
and the Classic pediments and hey blocks over windows. Sculpture is included above the main entrance 
in Eloff Street.
In 1904 the South African School of Mines was transferred from Kimberley to Johannesburg, taking the 
name of the Transvaal Technical Institute. The premises occupied were the temporary buildings erected by 
the Council of Education, on the eastern half of Plein Square. The building included a museum, labora­
tories and lecture halls for students studying Mining. Geology, Engineering. Architecture and Building. 
In 1907 the present structure was completed, classes in Arts and Science were commenced, and the 
institution was renamed the Transvaal University College. In 1910 it  received the name of Scufh African 
School of Mines and Technology, wh;le in 1916. the Institution was made a constituent member of the 
University of South Africa. In 1920 it was called the. Johannesburg University College (in 1922 the College 
was transferred to Milner Park under the name of the University of the Witwatersrand) while in 1925 the 
Wirwatersrand Technical College was established in this building.

W O LM A RA N S STR EET SCHO O L 
From the original drawing by the 
Architects, Kallenbach and Kennedy.

152





ABOVE: "PALAC E OP TH E  M IN IN G  M AG NATE. ' Th is was typical of the 
ostentatious houses built by the wealthy in early Johannesburg. Th is fantasy pre­
sented a glistening white spectacle on a hilltop in Jeppestown. R IG H T: GO VERN­
M ENT SC HO O L, adjoining Park Synagogue in de Villie rs Street. It  was formal I v 
opened in 1897 by Chief Justice Kotze.

ABOVE: S ILE S IA  BU ILD IN G S, Main Street. R IG H T, 
ABOVE: BARNATO  W ARD. G ENERA L H O SPITA L. Ad­
joining the Main General Hospital, this building was 
mainly of wood and corrugated iron. R IG H T, BELOW : 
G LEN C A IRN  BU ILD IN G . Joubert Street.

154

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UN IO N  CLUB, Bree Street. S ir Horberi Baiter, Architect.

to her tire less efforts, in those days when Johannesburg had 
not yet emerged from the atmosphere of the mining camp, 
that the city to-day possessed the present A rt  Gallery in 
Joubert Park." M rs. Ph illips started and financed an art 
school in Johannesburg. She worked with untiring energy 
to enlist the interest of the Government and the Municipality. 
An exhibition of arts and crafts was held in the W anderers' 
Ha ll in 1909, and a section was allotted to South African 
artists.

That started the movement towards the establishment of 
an art gallery. Lady Phillips approached the leading mining 
men, among whom she exercised an enormous influence, and 
within a year she had formed a Committee which included 
S ir  Lionel Phillips, O tto Beit, Max Michael is, S ir  Hugh Lane, 
S ir  Ju lius W ernher, S. B. Joel and others, to buy pictures, 
statues and other works of art fo r the purposes o f an art 
gallery and museum.

Leading mining men guaranteed a certain sum of money, 
which they subsequently increased considerably, on condition 
that the Municipality provided the necessary accommodation.

IR IS H  CLUB, President Street. Th is later became the Catholic Club.

155



SO U TH  A FRIC AN IN S T IT U TE  FOR M EDICAL RESEARCH. S ir  Herbert Baler, Architect.

A ll th is was not achieved with ease. When Lady Phillips 
obtained the money and the backing fo r an art collection, 
she sought to obtain an art gallery and when that was agreed 
to, she fought fo r the site in Joubert Park, where it was at 
f ir s t  intended that the Rand Regiments' Memorial should 
stand. S ir  Lionel Ph illips' firm  presented a piece of land in 
the Saxonwold area (Hermann Eckstein Park, later the Zoo) 
to r the Memorial, and Joubert Park was secured for the 
gallery. When th is was arranged, Lady Phillips endeavoured to 
have S ir  Edwin (then Mr.) Lutyens, engaged as architect. 
There was much opposition to th is step, but in char