Information node : converting Pretoria’s old fire station into public space

Abstract

In an urban context, architecture and landscape architecture co-exist as part of the structure of the city. In the same manner, interior architecture exists as part of an architectural envelope, and product design as an integral part of the interior. This study explores the relationship between these design disciplines and their interdependence; none of them can be practiced optimally in isolation. As this thesis deals with interior architecture, the influence of and the response to other fields of design are considered and investigated, setting the parameters for the resolution of the design framework. The objective of the thesis is to design a tourism and information centre for Tshwane. The shortcomings of the tourism industry in the city are identified in Chapter Two, and the tourism field studied in depth in Chapter Three. The conclusions from these chapters serve as generators for the functional design process. The site of the Old Fire Station Building was chosen for both its potential and its inadequacies. Its physical attributes, historical importance and its critical role in the urban context of the CBD and the Museum Park District are discussed in Chapter Four. Chapter Five deals with the design philosophy and approach to creating a successful public space. Precedents are analytically examined in Chapter Six and alternatives are explored, setting up requirements and guidelines for the design intervention. In Chapter Seven, design strategies are defined and consequently employed. The progression of the design from general concept to specific end product is illustrated visually. Attention is focused on two parts of the building: the information area (Portion A) and the café (Portion B). In Chapter Eight, Portion A is further developed on a technical and tectonic level, zooming in on the construction of the information reception box. The study concludes with the technical documentation contained in Chapter Nine. The study relies throughout on the application of the concepts of placemaking through the layering, defining and containing of space, and contrast the existing with the proposed intervention.