A celebration of African diversity through architecture: The Wivine towers

University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Architecture, Planning and Housing, Durban

Project idea

Africa is well known for being one of the most Diverse continents in the world.
With over 1.216 billion people speaking over 500 languages; sharing an array of cultures, beliefs and divided into various ethnicities and races.

For centuries this diversity has been seen as a doom and the reason to the continent's misery, leading to events such as constant wars, genocides, xenophobia or apartheid.

The proposed project is located in South Africa, a country known for its diverse background which rose above racism to be dubbed the rainbow nation.
The Wivine towers, which is the name of the project is precisely located in the Warwick junction area in Durban. Its main aim is to challenge this idea of diversity as an issue and embrace it as a form of identity and an opportunity to express the complexity of African identity using architecture as a platform.

Project description

The Wivine towers are a mixed income high rise that seeks to represent what's Africa is about. In other words, a mix of both complexity and simplicity, a meeting between built form and nature.

In order to achieve that, the design looked at 6 Architectural aspects:

1. Social diversity:

Each level of the building is design based on this idea of inclusive place making:

• The residential levels are mixed income as they range from low cost to luxurious mezzanine units.
• Universal accessible units at each level ensure that disability isn’t barrier to this idea of a diverse community at each level
• A Prayer room on the last level is a key feature that ensures a concrete response to the on-growing Muslim community to which prayer is an important part of their lifestyles
• Themed outdoor spaces targeting different categories of people ensure social interaction is as diverse as possible

2. Economic diversity:

The site is mostly characterized by the controversial relationship between formal and informal trading.

The promotion of both formal and informal trading in the proposal was achieved through understanding of existing movement patterns and transitional spaces.

The informal market between the revamped taxi rank and the remaining retail areas is a key element to that.

3. Materiality:

A mix of Tectonic experiences that expresses the connection between a variety of materials, is contrasted with smooth and colorful finishes internally.

The aim is to emphasize the idea of diversity as richness and not a problem

4. Built form and context:

The building form is designed to reinterpret the ideas of verticality which is conventionally seen as a straight line growth upwards.

The final result was inspired by the natural growth of a plant which grows verticality in a non-rectilinear way. The language gets carried way on a horizontal level giving it the surrounding pitch roofs appearance.

5. Movement:

The urban proposal set around the Wivine towers focused on a harmonious relationship between vehicles and people.
This was achieved from understanding the existing movement patterns around the site.

The revamping of the existing taxi rank and a pedestrian route leading to the early morning market contributed to it.

6. Sustainability:

The two towers have two roof areas.

The smaller roof top is public spaces for residents of the building while the other bigger one is dedicated to urban farming which feed the market box on the ground floor.

The space between the roofs has solar panels that contribute to minor back up electricity.

The market box on the ground floor collects water from the roof and reuses it for public ablutions and external taps.

Hence, as shown above this Design tries to look at different aspects of architecture which are Social diversity, Economic diversity, Materiality, Built form and context, Movement and Sustainability to achieve what we consider as an architecture of diversity and authenticity in a continent that represent these values.

Technical information

The project combines concrete’s strength and flexibly with steel‘s Span ability to achieve its dynamic composition. Bricks and other materials are also expressed in harmony with the main load bearing structures, emphasizing this idea of diversity of a structural level.