By Daniëlle Gerber
Stellenbosch is a dynamic town. Whether it is the shops or the appearance – there is always something new, something being upgraded, and something to see. The recent trend to be witnessed is buildings being repainted to shades of white and grey. While this might be seen as a stylistic choice in alignment with recent universal modern and industrial styles, it begs the question: whose eyes is it designed for?
As Stellenbosch, alongside the rest of South Africa, has a history of colonisation, this specific execution of renovation seems to blindly follow Western trends without acknowledging the broader South African culture and, therefore, the culture of many university students and residents of the Stellenbosch area.
While resources are consistently exerted to upgrade the Stellenbosch space, there is no external representation of diversity in Stellenbosch – all that can be seen are the colonial architecture and the modernisation of these specific traditions. If there is a continuation of such exclusionary modernisation, what will be left of the other South African traditions, if anything?
Could this hint at a greater social problem? Brown, from the Christian Science Monitor, shares that four out of five architects in South Africa are white[1], despite the fact that white South Africans make up only nine percent of the population. This shows the great disparity between who designs our living spaces and who actually inhibits them.
That is not to say that there are no attempts at inclusivity in Stellenbosch. For example, the Jan Mouton Learning Centre exhibits a large Shweshwe tapestry alongside beaded jewellery within its corridors. However, the visibility of this is quite limited to students within this specific vicinity. What could be beneficial, is bringing more perspectives into the renovation discussion.
Additionally, reconsidering industrialisation and the look of modernisation could also be beneficial. It does not always have to omit the African worldview but could rather enhance it – equal to how Western design is enhanced by technology. It is not a unique thought; in 2019 Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town, as Team Mahali, designed a modern living space inspired by a traditional Moroccan riad for the Solar Decathlon Africa competition.
Seeing as there is already interest from Stellenbosch University in African design, what is restricting the design of Stellenbosch to represent more cultures? Instead of white and grey washing all buildings, why do these resources not rather help Stellenbosch become progressive and representative of its population?
[1] Ryan Lenora Brown. In South African architecture, women build on social justice. [Online: Christian Science Monitor]
