Heritage Architecture
FREEDOM PARK
MUSEUM AND PAN AFRICAN ARCHIVE
SOUTH AFRICA, 2006 - 2012
FREEDOM PARK
MUSEUM AND PAN AFRICAN ARCHIVE
SOUTH AFRICA, 2006 - 2012
In 2006, Dieter Brandt took up the position of Project Architect for Freedom Park, South Africa, as a member of the Office Of Collaborative Architects (Mashabane Rose Associates, MMA Architects, GAPP Architects Urban Designers) that gained recognition in several publications.
"Freedom Park is unique in South Africa because it reflects a political will by the government to redefine the sphere of public identity without de-historicizing our past. The World Architecture Festival is an ideal forum to review architectures of divergent realities. It is here where one can learn what is common amongst countries and what it is that differentiates one from the other."
~ Dieter Brandt
South Africa’s Freedom Park can be described as an immense garden of healing and remembrance. Its design pays homage to the rocky landscape and reflects the spirit of traditional, indigenous knowledge systems. //hapo (the dream), an interpretive centre and Pan-African Archive in Freedom Park, is to be completed in September 2011. Housed together as a centre of knowledge that captures South African history from as far as 3.6 billion years ago up to the present day, the project's primary objectives are to create a deeper understanding of South Africa and its people, to create new knowledge of South African history, culture, and spirituality, and to place the country's entire history in a context of integrity that will be respected nationally and internationally. This "garden of healing and remembrance" interprets the history of South Africa's political and social change in the context of a longer historical narrative. The boulder motif relates to the surrounding boulder landscape and provides an enclave for contemplation.
Freedom Park was a joint collaboration by the Office of Collaborative Architects (GAPP Architects
and Urban Designers, Mashabane Rose Associates and MMA Architects).
“In spite of its irregular form and spaces there is nothing wilful in the design of the Freedom Park Museum. The architects demonstrated not only an ability to respond pragmatically to the brief, but also have a deep intellectual understanding of South Africa’s exciting but at times troubled past. The adjudicators agreed that the unfolding of the boulders as analogy into an efficient setting for a museum is totally convincing. The extremely competent fusing of context, programme and symbolism, and the resulting form and materiality produced a remarkably beautiful, nuanced and complex building.
In conclusion: FPM is absolutely appropriate for its purpose – both as a museum and as an expression of “humanity and freedom”. Truly world class architecture!”
Freedom Park Museum, Phase 2a, South Africa, Dieter Brandt (project architect) for Mashabane Rose Associates, MMA Architects, GAPP Architects Urban Designers
Awards
Award of Excellence, for Freedom Park Museum & Pan African Archive, South African Institute
of Architects, 2014
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SAPOA Innovation Award for Heritage, for Freedom Park Museum & Pan African Archive, South
African Property Owners Association, Sun City, 2013
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Saint-Gobain Gyproc National Trophy Award, for Freedom Park Museum & Pan African, South
Africa, 2010
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Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) Award, for Freedom Park Museum &
Pan African Archive, Architectural Category, 2010
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World Architecture Festival Barcelona, Completed Buildings cultural category nomination for
Freedom Park Museum & Pan African Archive, 2010
Freedom Park Pan African Archive, Archive & Administrative building, Phase 2b, South Africa, Dieter Brandt (project architect), 2010-2012
Mandela’s Cell (GIFA_PPC), pavilion by the late Jeremy Rose for Nirox Winter Sculpture Show, JHB, SA, 2014
Initiative, Direction and Fundraising by Dieter Brandt (GIFA committee member)
TRANSITION DESIGN
AEDI STUDIO BERLIN, JOHANNESBURG.
AEDI STUDIO BERLIN, JOHANNESBURG.