City skin : a cultural hub in Pretoria

Abstract

Within the contemporary urban renaissance, culture and visual arts act as catalysts for change. Art and culture-led approaches, working across disciplines, provide wide social and economic benefits that affect people, places and communities. The proposed design develops a synthesis between the arts, culture, economy and urban vitality by creating a platform for artists. The goal of the project is to connect Pretoria's multicultural richness and strengthen the network of creativity and cultural regeneration. The project is shaped and informed by the living urban surface in which it is set. It is specific to its site and program, rather than the product of a formal and aesthetically driven vision. The building is allowed to transform into a living connective skin that transforms between the fragments of unforeseen future programs, becoming part of the city skin.