The Africa Centre in London has reopened at last. In its new location, this iconic meeting place for diasporans is a wonderful showcase of some of the finest creativity our continent and country have to offer.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously described the Africa Centre, in its original location in Covent Garden, as a hub for “all who are Africans, and all those who have a care for the interests of the continent and its people.” It was opened by Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda, in 1964, and for decades was an important place to meet, party and talk politics for people a long way from their homes dotted across our vast continent. Many South Africans in exile, including former president Thabo Mbeki, were among them.

So you can imagine the dismay when it closed its doors in 2013. But, almost 10 years later and at a new address – a revamped office block across the Thames, in Southwark – the cultural centre has opened its doors again. This new iteration is the design brainchild of London’s Freehaus architects and interior designer Tola Ojuolape. The welcoming spaces they’ve fashioned include the Malangatana Lounge, named for the acclaimed Mozambican artist and a mural of his that was removed off the stairwell wall in the old centre, and now has pride of place here. The Mandela exhibition space and Tatale – a pan-African restaurant – are also part of the first phase of the centre’s development.

When VISI chatted to Tola Ojuolape, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Ireland, she put particular emphasis on how intentional she was in making sure the space represented a variety of African aesthetics and designers, but in a contemporary way. “I really struggle with the term ‘African design’,” she explains. “It’s difficult to say such a thing exists because, essentially, you’re trying to marinate 55 or so countries and create this aesthetic.” So for the Africa Centre, she concentrated on African design unifiers such as texture, colour, and creating by hand and the sensibilities that come with it. She wanted to celebrate African craftsmanship across the continent.

Tola, who has a background in food and beverage services design, has travelled across Africa, and finds it amazing how “collecting these trips as part of my own memories” has dovetailed so well with her career. For the centre, she worked to represent countries that are hugely disparate geographically and culturally, and teamed up with Tapiwa Matsinde of Atelier 55 to handle the complex logistics of importing items from far and wide.

Their dedication has paid off – and these interiors will immediately feel familiar to fans of local design. Mash.T Design Studio pendants hang above barstools by Dokter and Misses and stools from Phases Africa. There are pieces by Vogel and David Krynauw, Wiid Design and Modern Gesture. But these are deftly mixed with design from Senegal, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, and even from well-known international brands like Moroso (specifically from its M’afrique collection) and Ghanian-British starchitect David Adjaye’s Djenne collection of fabrics for Knoll. “We wanted it to feel familiar, irrespective of where people are from,” says Tola.

The layered use of wood, pattern, beadwork, textured plaster, and even instantly relatable materials like breeze block does the job in that respect. Add in a sophisticated but prominent colour palette, and you have a memorable space that is at once modern and an homage to the centre’s roots.

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On 7 October 2017, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s 86th birthday, the newly completed Arch For Arch monument was unveiled in his honour.

The project, commissioned by Design Indaba and sponsored by Liberty, was first announced at this year’s Design Indaba Conference.

The architectural sculpture was designed by renowned Norwegian firm Snøhetta, which we previously featured here, in collaboration with Johannesburg-based architecture and urban design firm Local Studio. Measuring nine metres high, the Arch for Arch consists of 14 wooden arcs, the wood bent locally by Swissline Design Timber Engineers. Structural engineers The Structural Workshop (Pty) Ltd, foundation engineers Hatch and contractor Smart Civils also formed part of the team that made the Arch for Arch a reality.

For Design Indaba CEO Ravi Naidoo, the project was never about simply building a commemorative structure. “Design needs a concept; it needs to stand for something,” he says on the Design Indaba website. The monument aims to reflect Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s values of peace and reconciliation, as well as the significance of the South African Constitution.

Says Design Indaba, “The Constitution of South Africa is a remarkably progressive document upon which much of our democracy hinges. Similar to how an arch relies upon a keystone to avoid collapse, so too does our democratic society and innumerable freedoms rely upon the Constitution in order to remain intact.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 86th birthday was officially celebrated with the @designindaba-commissioned Arch for Arch monument, an architectural sculpture created by @snohetta and @local_studio. #archforarch #capetown #architecture #design #arch

A post shared by VISI Magazine (@visi_mag) on Oct 7, 2017 at 4:21am PDT

Haven’t visited this important new Cape Town landmark yet? You’ll find it at the end of Government Avenue in Cape Town.

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From trendy shoes that make a difference and a campaign to provide school children with desks to Nike’s female-only fitness club and a new local furniture range, here are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 19.

1. Vosk Shoes

It’s taken two years for Wesley Vos to launch his proudly South African brand Vosk Shoes. “We may love the simplicity of his designs, but what we really love is the fact that with every pair purchased Vosk Shoes gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need. Pretty awesome if you ask me,” says online editor Lindi Brownell Meiring.

Image credit: indigogo.com Video via Vosk Shoes on Vimeo

2. Nike’s 45 Grand

Special projects manager Cecilia du Plessis loves this stylish gym in New York City. “Pink sofas!” she exclaims.

Image credit: wallpaper.com

3. Chair Crazy Shelves

“These mini shelves are just the perfect storage solution,” says managing editor Lise Avis.

Image credit: chaircrazy.co.za

4. Zana Steel Side Table

Features editor Tracy Greenwood loves buying local, and thinks this Scandi-inspired furniture range from Zana is clean and sophisticated.

Image credit: zanaproducts.co.za

5. The #TutuDesk Campaign

Editor-in-chief Sumien Brink urges you to swipe your MySchool, MyVillage or My Planet card this week to help provide desks to 2 500 kids at under-resourced schools.

Image credit: myschool.co.za

6. Nando’s Central Kitchen Recognised As Finalised in International Shaw Group Competition

“I’m really glad that our great South African designers are internationally recognised,” says editor-at-large Malibongwe Tyilo. The Nando’s Central Kitchen is one of the eight finalists chosen out of 377 international submissions.

Image credit: Dook

Find more like VISI Picks of the Week Series – Week 19 on picks of the week.

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Next year is going to be huge for South African design and architecture: Cape Town will be showing off its World Design Capital 2014, Pretoria challenging preconceptions with Cool Capital and Durban hosting the world congress of the International Union of Architects. The what? Georgia Chennells brings us the lowdown on the 6 000 architects due to descend on Durbs next year.

About the UIA congress

The International Union of Architects (UIA) has been organising a world congress every three years since the event was started in Lausanne in 1948. The UIA is a non-governmental organisation accredited by the United Nations, and it represents professional associations of architects in 124 countries. Further to conference speakers and workshops, this meeting of global networks is also a time where the UIA task teams meet to make to commission studies, make awards, assess workings and plan further. 

The congress itself is expected to bring over 6 000 architecturally-affiliated delegates to Durban from around the world. Beyond the physical visitor numbers the international exposure that this congress brings through UIA and further media channels is significant, considering over 1.3-million architects worldwide are plugged in to the UIA.

UIA Durban 2014 is thus a unique opportunity for South Africa to showcase the development of its built environment in the 20 years since democracy. Karen Eicker, who is at the helm of the event’s planning as commissary general, is excited about the opportunities that this brings, not only for showcasing South Africa but for implementing change locally as well.

“We see this Congress as a platform for initiatives that engage the city and its communities on many levels, thus opening up a much broader public awareness of the intrinsic value of design in the built environment,” she says.

“As a visitor to the city, I am always impressed by Durban’s energy, enthusiasm and strong sense of community. Working here is an absolute pleasure – people need very little encouragement to make things happen and create solutions out of nothing. It’s inspiring, and I think this is what makes Durban the perfect host for ‘Architecture Otherwhere’.”

Architecture Otherwhere

“Architecture Otherwhere” is the congress theme with the intention to acknowledge the built environment as a major force that can be harnessed towards a better life for all. The theme will celebrate diversity by exploring other communities, other regions, other disciplines, other ways of engagement with the city, other viable design approaches and other ways of thinking about, practising and teaching architecture.

There are three sub-themes of the conference: ecology, resilience and values, which will each be explored, delving into South African problems and solutions, but with global significance.

Desmond Tutu as patron

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has recently been announced as the congress patron. The celebrated Nobel Prize-winning social activist and icon for peace, tolerance and diversity is a fitting partner to the event.

Says Karen: “Archbishop Tutu is one of the greatest living moral icons of our time, and it is anticipated that his presence will lend significant weight to congress PR and communications efforts over the coming 18 months.” 

International Student Competition

The UIA’s International Student Competition invites architecture students of all levels to submit their solutions for short, medium and long-term interventions based on a site in Durban. The site has been announced as Warwick Junction, a unique area in Durban well known for its multiculturalism and successful co-existence of groups of people using the historic space. This competition is conceived as a legacy project that will foster a long-term relationship between the profession, government and communities.

This is certainly an exciting opportunity for South Africa on so many levels. Watch this space for more, or keep an eye on the UIA Durban 2014 website at www.uia2014durban.org

Read VISI’s guide to Durban architecture here.

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