Lebbeus Woods’ quote, “In the spaces voided by destruction, new structures are injected. Complete in themselves, they do not make an exact fit but exist as spaces within spaces,” serves as a foundation for a design project centered around the transformative events that shaped contemporary Johannesburg.
This project focuses on two historical events that significantly impacted the city’s landscape and its geological, environmental, political, economic, and social aspects.
The first act explores the choreographies of collision, specifically the Vredefort meteor impact that occurred 2.2 billion years ago. Through material studies and drawings, the project aims to recreate the intensity and trauma inflicted by the meteor impact. The second act, titled “Chronicles of Extraction,” delves into the Witwatersrand Gold Fields, mapping out the region’s history of mineral wealth exploitation and its consequences on indigenous communities and the environment.
Act three, “Structures of Power,” examines two significant sites: the Carlton Centre and the language developed within the mining industry. The Carlton Centre, a towering architectural achievement commissioned by Anglo American, is juxtaposed with the negative impact of the mining industry’s language, Fanagalo, on miners and their communities. The oppressive aspects of both physical and spoken language are spatialized through text and cartographic drawings.
The final act, “Surgeries of Reparation,” focuses on the Carlton Centre site and proposes a healing intervention. Drawing inspiration from the National Peace Accord and Nelson Mandela’s speech, the project envisions an inverted territorial intervention that aims to repair the damaged landscape caused by mining. Through surgical sections and interactive design, the public becomes engaged in the healing process, fostering community participation and creating an educational space to raise awareness about the negative impact of mining.
Ultimately, this design project seeks to restore balance to Johannesburg’s landscape by healing and repairing it instead of further extracting its resources. By addressing the consequences of the mining industry and involving the public in the process, the project aims to educate and create a sustainable future for the city.
