OLD FORT COMPLEX ENTRANCE

Address: Archie Gumede Place, Old Fort, Durban Ward: 26 Client: City Architects, for Procurement & Infrastructure Cluster Contract Period: Jan 2010 - July 2011 Contract Value: R1,5 million

The realignment of Archie Gumede Place to include

a traffic circle necessitated the relocation of the

entrance to the Old Fort Municipal Complex.

An opportunity arose to present a ‘new face’ to the

1957 entrance area which would convey the

function of ‘The City Engineers’, a diverse team

tasked with providing infrastructure to residents and

business, and building services to Council

management.

An articulated concrete mass tethers two crisp

canopies twisting upward. Robust finishes and

materials compliment neighbouring buildings, and

indigenous planting extends the Old Fort Gardens’

biodiversity. Stormwater run-off is minimised with

permeable kerbing and bio-swales.

The intervention heartens employees on arrival at

work, and has revived appreciation of the precinct’s

fine modernist architecture.