Abstract:
Heritage places and architecture in the city of Tshwane are notoriously undervalued and
misused. These buildings are at risk of being lost due to a lack of public knowledge and
legislative protection. Losing these places to degradation and mismanagement has a major
negative impact on the city and the identity and memory of its people. This study contributes
to the documentation and valuation of a critically underrepresented historical part of the city,
hospitals. The study focuses on whether public hospitals have cultural value, what would be
the best way to document this value and importance and how this can be communicated to
improve further research. By utilizing various informed methods of valuation and hybrid styles
of documentation, the study unearths critical values hidden in multiple hospitals throughout
Tshwane. Various themes are identified that connect these public buildings and tell the history
of the development of the city, the local narrative of medical practice and technology and the
political conflict in the city and its impact on people past and present. The study concludes with
extensive findings of heritage value in public hospitals and multiple narratives drawn between
buildings, eras, and contexts.
