WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL CAPE TOWN 2014
Co-design workshops
Wards
51, 52, 53 and 55
What?
Public Space. Public Art.
When and where?
At the Langa Civic Centre on 3 December 2013
Why?
This workshop focused on the topic of public art in Langa and Ward 55. Public art is part of
beautifying a neighbourhood and can also provide an opportunity to tell stories and celebrate culture
in public spaces.
Who?
More than 100 people were present at the workshop, of which 45 were community members, 41 were
City of Cape Town representatives and 16 were designers.
What emerged?
Design principles
Many exciting things are taking place in Langa, which bodes well for ongoing community
development. Among these is a strong focus on arts and culture.
In Ward 55, three parks were identified in which functional public art would add value. When
designing, locating and installing public art, there are some guidelines which can help to ensure that it
will be well-received by the community, and have a lasting impact.
Importantly, public art should be used to tell the story of an area's history, geography and people. The
design process would need to understand, be sensitive to, and seek to stimulate, the diverse culture
of the city. The outcomes should promote understanding, respect and celebration of different people
groups, and represent the values of the community in which the art is placed.
In order to get community buy-in and grow ownership, local residents should be engaged and
educated through consultation, participation and co-creation. Local artists should be involved in the
work, and the final designs should be the outcome of communication and collaboration, and should
enhance community life. By including communities in planning and implementation, it is likely to be a
more sustainable installation which will be cared for by residents. Clear communication throughout the
design process would help to secure success.
Final proposals would need to be attractive, colourful and vibrant, incorporating all the senses –
touch, smell, hearing – and evoking emotion. There should be a sense of ‘magic’, wonder and fun,
and at least some level of interactivity. It should also be appropriate and simple enough to be
understood by members of the public from different cultures, age groups, genders, and backgrounds.
Specifically, public artworks should be constructed of materials which are strong, hard-wearing, and
durable. They should also be eco-considerate, low maintenance and contribute to sustainability (i.e.
treated wood, plastic, rubber). They would need to discourage graffiti, vandalism and abuse, be
context-specific, child-friendly, multi-functional, and address health and safety concerns. Appropriate
maintenance plans would be required to retain the value of the art.
Vision
The proposal for Ward 55 is a 'light tree' which provides shade for users of the park. It draws
inspiration from the flowers in the area - dandelion and agapanthus - and uses upcycled plastic
bottles, clustered around a standard pedestrian lamp. This will be combined with 'gaming' benches
and mosaic/decorative/gaming pathways depending on the space.
Two proposals for Langa addressed different scales:
 framework: a 'pyramid' of intervention with 'Art as Infrastructure' at the bottom, Community Art
Initiatives, Active Node Artworks and finally Iconic gateway artworks at the top. It proposes a
combination of colour-coding, infographics and wayfinding markers to help locals and visitors
to explore on foot
 object: proposes an iconic functional sculpture close to the N2 entrance to Langa, a
perforated domed structure which provides shade and wayfinding information and includes a
viewing deck and integrated seating.
What next?
The proposals were presented to the subcouncil. A follow-up meeting to prioritise spending in Langa
and align with all other initiatives will take place.