African project
Khayelitsha Youth & Community Centre – South Africa
Can you give us a short
background on the practice?
The architecture was a collaboration
between GAPP Architects & Urban
Designers and Platform Architecture
& Design. While GAPP took a leading
role in the design and implementation
of the building, Platform were mainly
responsible for the tenant layouts and the
interior architecture.
became clear that there was a general
need for office space for other NGOs
operating within the area. The brief
was to develop a building complex that
could become a hub for social justice
organizations, while offering a number of
much needed facilities to the community.
The centre, owned by the Khayelitsha
Youth and Community Centre Trust, has
been namely Isivivana. The word refers to
a cairn or pile of stones and is symbolic of
the safe passage of people into the future.
GAPP Architects was established in 1993 The construction of the building cost
– the result of a merger between two
approximately R50 million and funds for
established architectural firms, GAPS in
the project were provided by the Atlantic
Johanesburg and Prinsloo, Parker, van
Philanthropies, a New York-based group
den Heever, Elliot, and Flint in Cape Town. committed to laying foundations for
Today GAPP is a thriving and productive
change by helping organizations working
national practice, serving local and
to protect people’s human rights. The
international clients in both Architectural project was driven by a group of inspired
and Urban Design spheres. Our firm
trustees all committed to improving
works on projects in all sectors of the
the lives of the community. Additional
economy, on buildings of all scales and
support was provided from the Harry
levels of complexity. Platform Architects
Crossley Foundation and the Bertha
are a Cape-based firm who specialise in
Foundation.
custom-made/bespoke design.
What was the brief?
The primary intention of the centre was
to assist in transforming Khayelitsha from
an isolated dormitory township into a
thriving place of opportunity afforded by
facilities for the community. The project
was initiated by the organization Equal
Education who were anxious to establish
a permanent presence in the centre of
Khayelitsha. As the project evolved, it
What was the full scope of work?
For many years the design of the building
was delayed by a frustrating search for
a suitable site. In an effort to move the
project forward, a number of design
proposals were put forward on less
suitable sites. By the time the current site
was found, the brief had grown from a
small building to house Equal Education,
to one that housed nine different public
benefit organisations.