RIVONIA
THE POLICE AERIAL PHOTOS WERE USED BY THE NATIONAL MUSEUM ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO FIND THE ACTUAL REMAINS OF THE OLD FARM STRUCTURES. THIS WAS A LONG PROCESS OF CAREFUL DEMOLITION WORK TO UNCOVER THE ACTUAL WALLS AND FOOTINGS THAT HAD BEEN INCORPORATED INTO HOUSES AS THE FARM PORTION WAS BROKEN UP INTO SUBURBAN LOTS. IN ADDITION, THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS WERE LOOKING FOR THE GUN GIVEN TO MANDELA ON ONE OF HIS TRIPS IN AFRICA WHICH HE BURIED SOMEWHERE ON THE PLOT.
AFTER A YEAR, WE MANAGED TO FIND THE SEVERAL EXISTING ELEMENTS OF THE HOUSE AND FARM OUTBUILDINGS AT THE TIME OF THE POLICE RAID. THESE STRUCTURES WERE THEN ADDED TO, USING CONCRETE WALLS TO REPLACE THE MISSING ELEMENTS TO FORM A SENSE OF THE VOLUME OF THESE STRUCTURES.
THE MAIN HOUSE WAS USED BY THE WHITE FAMILY OF COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBER ARTHUR GOLDREICH, WHILE THE OUTBUILDING WAS WHERE THE ACTIVISTS LARGELY WORKED AND STAYED, WITH MANDELA POSING AS THE GARDENER DAVID MOTSOMAI. THE RAID WAS DEVASTATING FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ANC AND SACP AT THE TIME, AS MOST OF THE LEADERS WERE ARRESTED (NELSON MANDELA WAS LATER APPREHENDED AT A ROADBLOCK NEAR HOWICK).
THESE STORIES AND THE WORK THAT TOOK PLACE ON SITE IS DISCUSSED EXTENSIVELY IN THE EXHIBITION, AND IS CONTINUOUSLY RESEARCHED AND ADDED TO. TWO NEW BUILDINGS WERE PLACED ON THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE, A VISITOR CENTRE WITH AN AUDITORIUM SIZED FOR A BUS GROUP, AN EXHIBITION SPACE, A TEA GARDEN AND A SHOP, WHILE THE SECOND BUILDING COMPRISES OFFICES, A LIBRARY AND THE ARCHIVES FOR THE LILIESLEAF TRUST.
THE CONCRETE ENTRANCE CANOPY IS FORMED AROUND EXISTING TALL TREES THAT SPLITS THE BUILDING INTO TWO ELEMENTS AND FORMS A COMFORTABLE UNDER-SHADE ARRIVAL. THE ROOFS ARE PLANTED SLABS USING INDIGENOUS GRASS TYPICAL OF THE FARM AT THE TIME. THE ROOFS ARE ACCESSIBLE WITH RAMPS AND STAIRS TO ALLOW VISITORS TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS WHERE THIS UNIQUE HISTORY PLAYED OUT. THE PLANTING OF THE ROOFS CAMOUFLAGES THE NEW BUILDINGS IN RELATION TO THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, MAKING THE OLD DISTINCT FROM THE NEW.
RED-BRICK STAIRS AND RAMPS ALLOW VISITORS TO COMFORTABLY NAVIGATE AROUND THE OLD STRUCTURES AND LARGE PANELS OF SHAPED LAWN CALM THE ENVIRONMENT DOWN VISUALLY, MAKING THE VISITOR MORE ACUTELY AWARE OF THE EXHIBITS IN EACH OF THE OUTBUILDINGS. THE OLD STEEL WINDOW OPENINGS ARE FILLED WITH BRICK TO SYMBOLICALLY SILENCE THESE OPENINGS AND MARK THEIR PREVIOUS PRESENCE.
RATED AS THE #3 MUSEUM TO SEE IN GAUTENG BY TRIPADVISOR
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