Urban church, re-developing space within Pretoria's Schubart Park complex

Abstract

The study investigates the development of church infrastructure within the urban environment. A symbiotic interaction between church form and urban conditions is proposed and contextualised through analysis of existing church models and current spatial concerns within Pretoria’s inner-city. The potential of church as agent for urban renewal and community development is identified and the study generates a spatial and programmatic model aligned with the inner-city’s need for meaningful and integrated interventions. A systemic definition of church proposes a multi-layered programme based on partnership and interaction while alternative church positioning suggests the concept of re-claiming inner-city spaces, applied through the re-development of the Schubart Park housing complex. AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie ondersoek die ontwikkeling van kerk infrastruktuur in die stedelike omgewing. ‘n Simbiotiese interaksie tussen kerkvorm en stedelike kondisies word voorgestel en gekontekstualiseer deur analise van bestaande kerk modelle en ruimtelike kwessies in die middestad van Pretoria. studie identifiseer die potensiaal van kerk as agent vir stedelike hernuwing en gemeenskapsontwikkeling en vervolgens word n ruimtelike en programmatiese model in lyn gestel met die middestad se tekort aan betekenisvolle en geintegreerde ingrypings. Sistemiese definisie van kerk stel n gelaagde program voor gebasseer op vennootskap en interaksie terwyl alternatiewe plasing van die hergebruik van stedelike ruimtes voorstel wat toegepas word deur die herontwikkeling van die Schubart Park behuisings kompleks.