GILLIAN VAN DER KLASHORST
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Urban Observatory - Re-introducing Observation and Measurement to reveal the invisible city
The Johannesburg Observatory site, situated on
the highest point of the Witwatersrand, exhibits a
history of the application of different types of viewing.
It is not used as the night sky has been obscured by
the city’s artificial radiance and pollution. The site is
analysed with the aim of re-interpreting a weather
station and astronomical observatory paying tribute
to the historic value.
The proposed new function utilises the typology
of the ‘observatory’, manifested as an independent
Urban Observatory that ‘reads’ the city to create a
better understanding of the environment, with the
Student Awards
aim to facilitate informed strategy and policy making.
This can be described as a research and interpretation
centre to collect, map and measure observations,
statistics, and data concerning the tangible and
intangible conditions of the city.
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