Abstract:
The Meat Board building is an icon of Modern Movement heritage with Brazilian influences in Pretoria. The building claims cultural and heritage value due to its association with renowned architect Helmut Stauch, its contextual influence on the Pretoria regionalist style and finally, to its national architectural contribution.
The current condition of the interior of the building contributes to an outdated, lifeless and dull working environment that directly contrasts the intended vision of a friendly, light-hearted working environment as originally described by the architect (Stauch 1951:3). The current interior is unresponsive to user needs and this results in a disconnection between the building and the user. Subsequently, there is an apparent dissociation between the heritage value and the use value of the building.
This dissertation explores the operation of a service office facility in a collaborative working environment as a programme in which the Meat Board building can be reused. The proposed typology caters for temporary and/or short-term office space needs. The interior of the proposed serviced office facility aims to be more adaptable to the needs of the contemporary office user. The analogy of a hotel is used to guide the operation and aesthetics of the facility.
Abercrombie (1990) compares entering an interior to the intimate experience of becoming human in the womb. The womb is fundamentally the first association we have of residential space. Irrespective of the character or scale of the space we may experience when we enter this world, Abercrombie states that we tend to associate an interior space subconsciously with this first sense of belonging. By understanding the habits, rituals and comfort zone of our personal room, we are able to engage with an interior space (Abercrombie 1990: 5). The dissertation further deals with the theme of inhabitation in the public sphere.
The capability of the interior design discipline of improving human well-being by design is explored. Issues such as the claiming of personal space, customization of space, sense of belonging and self-expression are addressed. The overall aim of the dissertation is to determine a viable reuse strategy for the Meat Board building by drawing inspiration from the original intent of the architect and from the existing (original) fabric.
