| Johannesburg
Zoo
FORT
RANCHERO STYLE
OUTRAGE or
OUTCOME?
THE
JOHANNESBURG ZOO PERIMETER WALL CRISIS
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| "Experts
fazed by zoo wall", cries out the
headline in this week's community throw-away.
Writing in the Rosebank Killarney Gazette,
Kennedy Mudzuli reports that "architect Johann
Slee and Flo Bird, a heritage
activist, are not amused by the new perimeter
wall replacing the palisade fencing at Joburg
Zoo."
"They
have labelled it a revolting, cheaper
alternative", continues the article.
Architect Slee is quoted as saying that the
wall is an architectural eyesore and that it
resembled a piece out of a comic strip.
Flo Bird,
chairman of the Parktown & Westcliff
Heritage Trust, pointed out that the grounds
were the Zoo are located - the Herman Eckstein
Park - were donated to the people of
Johannesburg and should not be treated as
private property. |
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| The
Zoo people had this to say;
Elmarie
Loubser (Zoo Spokesperson)
"The wall
was built after a number of break-ins and will
ensure appropriate security. It is viewed as
long term protection and ultimately for the
benefit of the public. Residents are welcome
to log on to our web site and give us feed
back." ( http://www.jhbzoo.org.za
)
Thembi
Mogoai (CEO of Zoo)
"The wall
will attract visitors and thereby boost our
coffers" |
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| It
is indeed a great pity that the Zoo could not
afford to build an appropriate wall. Claims by
officials that the style of the wall is in
keeping with the architectural language of the
zoo is complete nonsense, of course.
The wall is a
fake representation of something that could
easily have been built in its honest and
original form if two things were to happen;
- Funding
was made available.
- Whoever approved
the construction of the wall was replaced
by someone who knows a little about urban
social and economic responsibility.
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| One
simply does not erect a work of major urban
social and economic impact without due and
proper consideration - it is irresponsible, it
is ignorant and it is wrong.
It is not for
the Zoo People to understand these issues and
they are quite right in proposing an urgent
solution to serious security issues. God knows
they have enough problems just staying afloat
... The question
that should be asked is this;
Which City
Council Department APPROVED the plans
for the construction of the wall and what was ELEVATION
CONTROL doing that day?
So don't go to
the ZOO website to give them negative feedback
- they are nice people. Rather, thank them for taking such
good care of our animals and send them a cash
donation to boost their coffers. They
obviously need it!
Then go to the
Joburg Building Inspectorate and ask them why
they did not advise the Zoo People that the
proposal was not acceptable on architectural
and town planning grounds?
That is the
real issue: where the hell was Elevation
Control and why are Johannesburg's Architects
not running it?
Or
are they ..... ? |
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The original mild steel palisade fencing was
unobtrusive and "see through".
Security issues led to the use of pre-cast
concrete palisade solutions (below). |
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Then came this ... looks like hell when you
drive past it but the neighbourhood residents
generally liked it because it provided the
needed security whilst remaining
"see-through". |
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The view through the pre cast concrete fencing
retained a high degree of visibility into the
zoo grounds. |
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And
this is what the Zoo People though was a good
idea....
A brick wall
with imitation rock face plastered on to piers
and arches and a panel for the local misfits
to spray graffiti or glue on illegal posters.
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Men at work building the wall. A genuine
solution would have hired ten times more
labour, transferred skills and instilled a
sense of professionalism and good taste into a
sector that needs it. |
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It both unfair and unwise to comment on
building works before they are complete. And
credit must be given for the manner in which
the wall is being built - the builders have
done a good job and the construction itself
cannot be faulted at casual glance.
The issue
is simply that the wall is a bad
design decision. It is a very bad
design decision.
Like all
design decisions it can be corrected - work on
the wall MUST STOP once the Jan Smuts stretch
is complete. The damage can still be contained
and covered with lots of foliage and planting
in that sector.
The real
crime would be to continue it any further...
YECH!  OUTRAGE
FORT
RANCHERO
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