JEFF STACEY

Architect

Freedom Park

Competition, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa

With Jeremy Rose

The park and museum are located on a hill facing the Union Buildings, the seat of government, across the capital city of  Tshwane. 

The museum is a narrative journey across the historical landscape of South Africa from precolonial times, through the colonial era and into post 1994 liberation. The path along which visitors journey leaves the museum and continues up the hill, zigzaging to climax at a paved drum shaped meeting place overlooked by a great basket of woven steel, timber and fibre optic light cables. 

The museum buildings are tunnels, constructed as terraces, aligned to the contours of the hillside, from which visitors emerge to climb to the crest of the hill. The path is cut into the hillside with the retaining edge a stone wall on which the names of heroes of the South African struggle to liberation, both sung and unsung, are inscribed.

The basket of light at the summit will be visible at night from the surrounding city, as will the head lamps of night time visitors, following the path upwards. The headlamps them selves evoke memories of the countless gold mine workers whose labour built the economy of South Africa. 

2003  Unbuilt

Museum at night

Museum and administration blocks