City to city block: Report on a 2016 heritage mission to Pretoria

This publication reports on a working visit to Pretoria, where a number of heritage experts and architects explored options to revitalize the historical town centre.

Repurposing Pretoria town centre

Since the architecture around Pretoria’s Church Square was largely designed by Dutch architects, it classifies as ‘shared cultural heritage’. Iconic buildings in central Pretoria (Tshwane, South Africa) include the former Transvaal Province Administration (TPA) building, a distinctive modernist office complex from the 1960s which has been vacant since 1996. Another example is the former Capitol Theatre (1931); its richly decorated, neo-Renaissance interior is currently being used as a car park. During workshops, various design strategies were presented, and options were discussed to assign new functions to buildings in this part of town.

Colophon

Text: Jean-Paul Corten, Marieke Kuipers and Annette Marx
Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, 2016