Re-imagining the Urban Ruin through Landscape Intervention

Abstract

A ruined castle sits forgotten and in disarray on the southern fringe of Johannesburg’s inner-city. The gaping cracks worn on the stone and brick façade are partially obscured by layers of graffiti and soot, while nature has reclaimed the interior of the ruin - beginning to form a beautiful garden. Once a towering symbol of The Three Castles Cigarettes company, the disused factory is now dwarfed by abandoned apartment blocks and office skyscrapers as it has become a forgotten place of the city’s cultural and historical landscape. The interior walls continue to crumble as the possibility of architectural restoration or adaptive reuse dwindle and social issues in the area escalate. The aim of this dissertation is to generate a landscape design proposal for The Three Castles building that reactivates the site, introducing plant-based microindustrial activities. A successful economic model for the site can be established, which will benefit the surrounding community. The project investigates the potential of landscape architecture to regenerate the ruined building into a productive site, which prevents further decay, celebrates its alluring heritage and is accessible to the public. Landscape architecture is therefore presented as a medium for heritage conservation and as a catalyst for urban regeneration in the post-industrial neighbourhood of City and Suburban, Johannesburg.