Community Curtain_
Location: Nyanga, Cape Town
Client: Ulwazi Information & Arts Centre
The ‘Community Curtain’ project addresses the need for more meaningful community engagement in the process of designing and building public infrastructure. As a means to breath new life into an existing facility, large scale curtains (quilted in collaboration with community members) are used to define a new pop-up / pop-down performing arts venue in the heart of an under-utilised community centre in Nyanga. This unique approach to public architecture was also used as an innovative way to help finance the project and cover other necessary maintenance costs included in the scheme.
more after the break ↓
The Ulwazi Community Centre, built in the 1990’s, is an existing building in Nyanga, Cape Town. Within this high density neighbourhood, the building is a prime space for community functions and activity, but due to a lack of regular maintenance, is in need of refurbishment. This project aims to balance a small budget with valuable alterations/upgrades that create a more flexible and functional building asset. At the core of the project is a desire to work from within the community, rather than looking outwards for solutions.
The building’s layout is such that there is an internal hall space, surrounded by various break out rooms. The hall was initially constructed with floor to ceiling ‘dry walls’ and very few openings. By replacing these internal dry walls with an operable curtain feature, the facility is opened up to much needed natural daylight as well as the dynamic possibilities of a more flexible space.
This curtain feature was quilted as a means to create an opportunity to include many community members in the building process/ infrastructure upgrade. Each 30 x 30cm square represents a commitment to the building: an ownership of its identity and context. New skills learnt through the process and valuable time spent together are further value adds of this attitude towards making.
With the project's limited budget, additional project finances were needed to complete the full building refurbishment. The total construction were therefore ‘divided’ cost into 1200 portions, to align with the amount of squares required to the main quilted curtain feature. Channelled through crowd-funding platforms, donors could choose how many squares they wanted to donate at a cost of only R300 ($18) per square.
The curtain is a patchwork of many hands, much colour and uncountable hours. Its current form is 3 x 9m. Unfortunately due to internal politics within the management systems of the building, the project has been paused.
We are continuously looking for new spaces to display the curtain, to share the story of the project and this community. Get in touch if you have a relevant space/ idea!
Special thanks to ↓
