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House Cobbledick : By BeattyVermeiren featured in full in the upcoming VISI 73, on sale 7 July. -
Moyo's urban farming : By Tsai -
SEED library : By Architects of Justice
WORDS Debbie Loots
Five of South Africa’s talented young architects are currently showing their projects at the Young Architects in Africa exhibition, part of the 14th Venice Architectural Biennale that runs until 30 August.
The exhibition is an initiative of France’s AS Architecture-Studio’s Italy-based CA’ASI project to drive conversation between architecture, contemporary art and the public. Following the success of their New Chinese Architecture in 2010 and New Arab Architecture in 2012 projects, Young Architects in Africa shows the results of a competition launched to find the continent’s most innovative and talented architects, and help them achieve international recognition. In their view, African architecture’s dynamic qualities and sustainable possibilities present many lessons and challenges to the rest of the world.
The five shortlisted South African architects were selected after a panel of international experts reviewed 194 projects from 26 Africa countries. Making us proud super proud was Jozi’s Architects of Justice (see our article about their SEED Library here), which tied as overall winners with Namibia’s Wasserfall Munting Architects and Urko Sanchez from Kenya. BeattyVermeiren (see their latest project in the upcoming VISI 73), Tsai Design Studio (see his Moyo’s project here), Jack Olwethu from CORC and Dan MacGregor complete the local contingent.
After its Venice stint, the Young Architects from Africa exhibition will move on to France’s Arc en Rêve Centre for Architecture in Bordeaux and the Academy of Architecture in Paris, before touring certain cultural establishments in Africa.
