Urban Design in a Wilderness Setting: The Case of Agulhas Bay, South Africa

Abstract

This article presents an urban design framework for the development of the existing lighthouse precinct within the national park at Cape Agulhas on the dramatic southern tip of Africa, which lies in the Cape region of South Africa. It demonstrates that the discipline of urban design is not only relevant to the urban context, but to any place where spatial development is contemplated, in this case, a unique wilderness setting.

About the Authors

The award-winning practice of Louw and Dewar has operated for over 30 years, offering design services rooted in environmentalism and humanism principles. Piet Louw, an architect, urban designer and city planner with degrees in these fields from the University of Cape Town, has lectured and completed numerous built projects in the public arena. Emeritus Professor Dave Dewar, a senior scholar at the same university, is a renowned international speaker and author of numerous books and papers. Contact: piet.plarchud@telkomsa.net

Preface

Piet Louw and Dave Dewar are at the forefront of urban design and planning teaching and practice in South Africa.  I have asked them to write an article on their Agulhas National Park design project, for which they received a prestigious international architecture award from the Chicago Atheneum in 2019, in the category of urban planning/landscape architecture. This sensitive piece of work, beautifully presented, develops a conceptual design, sets a framework for continued detailed design by which the concept can be implemented, brings clarity to what ‘urban’ design is and demonstrates that it equally applies to making places in settings that are not urban. Implementation of this project will surely require that not only is each specialist design brief met, but there is sufficient oversight to ensure that the intended integrated whole results from the architectural beginnings.

Raeburn Chapman, Editor, Urban Design Review

Introduction

The central theme of this paper is that the discipline of urban design is not only relevant in urban contexts: it has relevance in any place where spatial development is contemplated. It illustrates this by describing an urban design framework, designed by the authors in 2013, for a precinct within a National Park in the Southern Cape region of South Africa: it is a wilderness context. 

The design response is in four inter-related parts:

• the formulation of heritage-related design indicators;

• the generation of an urban design concept;

• the formulation of a detailed urban design layout and design briefs;  

• architectural beginnings.                

Background

Cape Agulhas is a National Park located on the southern coastline of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is managed by the South African National Parks agency (SANParks) and is also a declared Provincial Heritage site: any proposed development on the site requires the permission of Heritage Western Cape, the relevant provincial heritage agency. The park is relatively small (some 21 000) hectares), mainly covered by pristine fynbos: the most bio-diverse of the twelve floral kingdoms of the world.

The name Agulhas is derived from the Portuguese word for ‘needles’, so called by the early Portuguese explorers to describe the coastline’s razor-sharp rocks – “The Bay of Needles”. Shipwrecks abound along the coast, many caused by ships’ captains who misread Agulhas Bay for the Cape Peninsula – the turning point on the voyage from the east to Europe.

The park has two main tourist attractions: the lighthouse site (it is the second oldest lighthouse in South Africa and one with a rich history), which is the primary gateway into the park and the Point, which is the southern-most tip of Africa: the nearest landfall south of this is the coast of South America. However, the park also contains a rich and diverse range of fynbos, as well as a number of interesting archeological sites, such as a stone-age fish traps and shell middens.

It is the intension of SANParks to increase the tourist attraction of the lighthouse precinct by creating new facilities including improved parking for cars and buses, a tourist office, a cultural centre, including a small museum and teaching spaces, a restaurant, shop and expanded ablution facilities. An architectural competition was held but produced no clear winner: most submissions sought to create a number of iconic buildings. Eventually, a proposal was submitted but was rejected by Heritage Western Cape on the grounds that the proposal failed to take adequate account of heritage resources. 

At this point, the authors were commissioned by SANParks to develop heritage indicators and an urban design framework for the site.

Field Survey

The site in its broader context is shown on the aerial photograph in Figure 1. Figures 2, 3 and 4 show closer views from different viewpoints.  The two main attractions, the lighthouse gateway site and the Southern Point of Africa, are highlighted.

The initial field survey revealed a number of serious problems:

• The iconic dimension of the site lies in nature, not in buildings: the challenge is to create background buildings which celebrate the natural setting; 

• There is no dignified gateway or sense of arrival into the park; 

• The distinction between the town and the park is blurred: the edges of are undefined and unclear; 

• The main approach to the site terminates in a car park: indeed, the overall impression is one of car dominance over the pedestrian;

• There are potentially superb views but none of these are celebrated;

• There is very little attention paid to the significant shaft of space between the lighthouse and the Point;

• The spatial experience is poor: the complex is largely made up of a random grouping of buildings with little relationship to each other or to the lighthouse. Historically, in the location of buildings, there has been very little recognition of the cultural and historical significance of the site;  

• There is also little recognition in the existing development of a structured zonality, or zonal organisation, of the site.

Many of these points are illustrated in the photographs.

Understanding the site    

Figure 5 shows the site in the context of the entire park. A number of character zones are clearly revealed. To the north is the sprawling village of Agulhas which is spatially very poor. To the south of this is a disturbed intermediate zone between pristine fynbos to the west and the bay in the east. The lighthouse and related facilities (the only tourist facility is a tiny coffee-shop within the lighthouse itself) is neither ‘of’ the town’ nor ‘of the park’. To the south of this is the area which is visually exposed from the lighthouse precinct. The most important visual connection, which should remain visually uninterrupted, is the zone between the lighthouse precinct and the Point. This zone has been referred to as Africa’s ‘foot of isolation’ (Diemont, 2012) and is central to its sense of place. It is capturing and retaining this quality of isolation which needs to inform any concept for the precinct. It is this zone, together with the jagged coastline, which is central to the sense of place of the area.

Figure 6 shows composite constraints and informants at the scale of the site and environs. Shown here is the topographic arc of enclosure defining the ‘foot of isolation’ zone; important view cones including the central axis from the town to the lighthouse; the ridge-line upon which is located both the lighthouse and the lighthouse-keepers residence (a building which is visually obtrusive but, since it is over sixty years old, which requires heritage approval before it can be demolished); the primary access route into the park; and long-views over the bay.

Figure 7 shows composite constraints and informants at the scale of the lighthouse precinct. Shown here is the lighthouse complex; the obtrusive lighthouse-keeper’s accommodation; the caves and the rock features to the west; two important milkwood groves to the north; the existing SANParks offices and information centre; the grave of the daughter of one of the lighthouse-keepers; two shell-middens zones (one to the north and one to the south); the original well to the east which made human habitation possible; and the fish traps which are of considerable archaeological significance. Also shown are the four main visual and physical links; the geological types which influence character; prevailing winds; the main pedestrian approach to the lighthouse; and the dominant ridgeline which impacts on visual permeability.  

Figure 8 shows a zonal interpretation of the constraints and informants. These need to be respected in the concept.

Heritage Indicators

From this information, a number of heritage indicators were formulated. These indicators can be summarized as follows:

• Respect the zonality of the site. There needs to be a clear gradation between settlement and nature, expressed as a gateway;

• The gateway should be made as an integrated complex, with buildings and other elements being used to defined dignified public open space as opposed to them being free-standing objects;

• Views should be celebrated by viewing platforms and minimum visual blockage;

• The milkwoods should be protected, while allowing low-key pedestrian access;

• The grave, well, fish-traps, shell middens, lighthouse and other heritage objects and places should be conserved;

* Vehicular movement and parking should not penetrate beyond the entrance to the park;

• Where appropriate, new buildings should respect the principle of horizontality;

• All buildings should be background buildings and should not compete with the lighthouse or with nature.

 

The character of the site is shown through a series of sectional elevations (Figure 9). These sections hint strongly at the importance of the principle of horizontally in site-making, to parallel the planes of beach and sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Concept

Figure 10 shows the planning and organizational diagram and Figure 11 the urban design concept. The complex is entered from the north via the existing approach road from the town. The geometry of this creates two important visual axes. The first view of the complex is focused on the lighthouse itself. As the road bends, the visual focus is on the cultural centre.

 

Low walls define a pronounced gateway into the complex. To the west, the existing SANParks offices and related facilities are used to ‘finish-off’ the town. A new building, containing sleeping quarters, is inserted to make the internal park operation into a small compound in its own right, clustered around an internal courtyard.  In this way the private component of the park’s operation is seen as being ‘of the town’ as opposed to more public exposed functions being ‘of the park’.

To the west and east of the gateway, low walls are used to define a system of parking courts. The courts to the west have a capacity of 55 bays. To the west of the courts is the Transnet complex, with a private parking court containing 6 bays.

To the east, the narrow parking court contains 22 bays. 7 of these are reserved for cars with trailers. This court can also be used by inhabitants of Agulhas who wish to access the beach. The narrow court is consciously used to ‘finish-off’ the town. The court has been deliberately truncated in the east, in order not to interfere with the views of existing neighbours.

In this way, private vehicular traffic is kept entirely to the edge of the complex, the complex is pedestrian dominated.  Having parked the car, the visitor is faced with a number of alternatives. The one is to follow the boardwalk to the east, which leads to the fish-traps. The use of wooden boardwalks not only protects the fynbos but has the effect of drawing nature right into the complex.

Alternatively, a pedestrian path sweeps to the west, leading to the information centre and restaurant to the east.

The main complex is made as a series of terraces. The highest order terrace is the summit itself, on which is located the lighthouse. This zone is cleaned up so that the lighthouse stands visually uninterrupted. The edges of the summit are defined by low walls, opening up superb views over the sea. The walls also provide informal seating. It can be seen that the lighthouse-keeper’s residence constitutes a problem: it is located directly on the ridge-line. It is proposed that this be demolished and alternative accommodation be found for the lighthouse-keeper.

A system of steps leads down from the summit to a large grassed forecourt space, which is a place for resting. It can also operate as a small amphitheater, for performance, display or other informal activities. The cultural centre, containing lecture and display spaces, is made as a background building with a floating roof to increase visual permeability. It is incorporated into a sequence of small terraces which also provide informal seating. This building offers a superb opportunity to create an unique, important public building which, nevertheless, is a background building. To the north and east of the forecourt space is another terrace accommodating the grave. The restaurant and information centre occur in the intermediate zone to the west of the main forecourt space. The terrace to the east is cleared of structures and is made as naturally as possible.  

To the east of the restaurant is a small, walled, look-out space which is the pick-up point for a shuttle-bus linking the complex to the point. As people wait, they can enjoy magnificent views over the eastern bay.

The Detailed Urban Design Layout

A more detailed overall design intent and urban design layout is illustrated in Figure 12 and shows the relationships between the different components of the precinct.  The forms are indicative and subject to the design development and detailed resolution of the components, each contributing to the totality of the overall project.  

In the design intent the emphasis is on place-making, public scale, robustness and generosity, transparency, safety, flexible space, shelter against the elements, continuity of ground surface, the ‘feeling of park’, pedestrian priority, preventing a feeling of clutter, the minimization of curbs, and ensuring functionality. 

Individual design layers are used to explain the main organization of the site and to structure the content of the design briefs for the different disciplines.  The layers include: vehicular circulation; dominant pedestrian circulation; pedestrian priority areas; surface treatment; cross-sections showing height restrictions; solidity and transparency; security zones and control points and security zones for the overall precinct.

Approach to the Design Briefs      

In order to facilitate the implementation process, design briefs were drafted for the architectural, engineering, landscape architectural and signage consultants.  These briefs are deliberately kept as minimalist as possible, in order not to restrict freedom of design expression unreasonably.  Rather, the briefs are seen as the starting point of the design process, in which an on-going and constructive interchange between the designers, the reviewers and the client.

Although the briefs are discipline-specific, there are a number of points which are common to all, including: the need to retain the wilderness quality of the ‘foot of isolation’; the need to ensure that all built and planted elements are background elements to quality public spaces; the importance of the skyline and the sea, promoting the principle of horizontality (this is reflected in height indicators and the roof silhouette typology for the buildings as a key indicator for the architecture); the memory of the typology of shipwrecks where the massing of the buildings reflects the groupings of planks washed up on the beach – the breaks between the planks are the generators of light into the building structures and offer subtle strategic views onto the lighthouse; the rigorous application of ‘green principles’ in building and site-making; and, particularly, the use of local stone to create the edges of platforms, low walls and stairs, making reference to the traditional elements of the local region.  

 Architectural Beginnings

To give meaning to the design intent and as an illustration of an interpretation of the design briefs, an indicative design response in the form of architectural beginnings was prepared, from an integrated urban design perspective.  This is captured in the photographs of a three-dimensional model (Figures 13 and 14) which show formal and spatial relationships between the elements of the precinct, as an example.  It is hoped that the different design disciplines will respect the indicators and design briefs in the implementation of the project. 

 

Conclusion

There is a tendency amongst the professions concerned with the built-environment to view the discipline of urban design as being all things to all people.  Thus, some see it as exclusively urban or ‘built’; others as architecture writ large; others as any project larger than individual buildings or as a definably landscape area. 

In this case urban design has been applied as a way of thinking about the totality of environments, both natural and built, at a series of inter-related scales of consideration.  It is argued here that the discipline of urban design is the only discipline that focusses on the integrated three-dimensional structure and form of landscape and settlement, even in a wilderness context characterized by a strong sense of place. 

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Riaan Louw architect, urban designer and spatial planner as well as Anton Roux architect, who collaborated in the evolution of the project.