Mashabane Rose Architects and Arc Architects teamed up for the submission of a scheme that was ultimately selected as the winning design. The project was completed on the 5th October 2005.

The complex consists of two buildings, a theatre and an art gallery, linked by a gathering courtyard, which acts as forecourt to the new buildings and allows the University space to spill gently down the soft terraced lawns to a noise-protected environment where the arts flourish.

A water feature, designed by artist, Marco Cianfanelli, subtly furnishes the forecourt alongside the gallery, a space which acts as a gathering space not only to be used by visitors attending specific functions, but also by students on a daily basis.

The theatre building is entered through a dramatic voluminous foyer, which welcomes the public into the world of performance. The two tiered, 435-seat auditorium, complete with state of the art backstage rigging, fly tower, and orchestra pit has very good acoustics, and is situated at the heart of the building, with public circulation routes on either side. Each seat in the auditorium enjoys an intimate relationship with the stage; an atmosphere further enhanced by the black walls and timber acoustic panels and concrete floor.

A series of dance and choir rehearsal rooms project from the building toward the road creating a dialogue with passing commuters - particularly noticeable in the evenings.

The second building is a tall, linear art gallery, with art curator’s office and workshop space. It is topped with a grassed roof sculpture garden with dramatic views of the city, across the city towards the Hillbrow tower. The serene interior with views out across the fountain and courtyard acts as a versatile and flexible home for the temporary exhibitions every few weeks and has secured this gallery as a much-desired venue for artists in Johannesburg.

Off-shutter concrete and red face-brick and glass panels in two colours of glass form the minimalist palette of external finishes for the scheme, the attitude of which is carried through into the detailing of the appropriately calm interiors. Bouncing light from high level windows and skylights uplift the volumes, adding a dramatic playfulness to the sleek, polished interiors.

Concrete window boxes in the main foyer and dance rehearsal rooms not only frame views into the surrounding urban landscape, but also provide pedestrians with glimpses of the buildings’ activity, thereby activating the urban edge and allowing the boundary between private institution and public realm to be relaxed and accessible.

To complete the scheme, a sleek, contemporary concrete pedestrian bridge over Kingsway Road, was designed to link the University with a car park, delivering pedestrians onto the lush lawn that sweeps down into the central courtyard of the scheme.
Mashabane Rose Architects I ARC Architects