Bonang : a centre for the African girl child in the old Pretoria fire station : an investigation into the role of interior design as an agent in the empowerment of the African girl child

Abstract

At the root of this dissertation is the African girl child, abundant in innate potential but lacking in affirmative girl friendly spaces that are suited to her African heritage. The study considers the design of an interface that will empower the African girl child in a traditionally patriarchal African culture. A theoretical review is conducted on the current state of African feminism and how it is realised within its African context being both dynamic and relevant. The discourse links the theoretical findings with the chosen context, the Old Pretoria Fire Station, which stands in contrast to the proposed progressive feminine intervention. The intervention is defined as being a Centre for the African girl child, incorporating activities such as teaching life skills, facilitating workshops, which centre on arts and culture while at the same time reestablishing the building's relevance to its immediate context by including functions such as an African hair salon, fashion designer and tailor and a restaurant. The inquiry into the physical expression of African feminism into a building that represented a colonial patriarchal society presents design challenges with regards to respecting the existing heritage fabric while introducing a new function. The architectural and spatial resolution of how these two issues integrate with one each other ultimately contribute to the empowerment of the African girl child.