Browsing by Subject "Conservation of the Built Environment"

Now showing 1 - 19 of 19
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    Authenticity and the perceptions of significance : examining Rust-en-Vrede in Durbanville, South Africa
    (2014) De Waal, Janine; Townsend, Stephen S; Van Graan, André
    This dissertation examines the heritage significance of Rust-en-Vrede as a structure with little surviving building fabric from its earliest years, but a rich history of four diverse uses since circa 1808. It is located in Durbanville to the north of Cape Town, an area which has changed over the years from farmland to suburban/urban fabric. The building is styled with a combination of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architectural elements. The building is not “pure” or mono-stylistic from an architectural point of view. However, its significance is found in its layers of associated meanings. This paper seeks to understand the shifting notions regarding authenticity in conservation. It identifies how a dominant prevailing idea of authenticity was challenged in heritage debates, particularly since the Nara Conference on Authenticity (1994). My intention is to confirm a hypothesis that a building with multiple layers of meaning can be perceived by many to have sufficient heritage significance to satisfy the assertion that it has heritage value. This heritage value can reside in the design, material and workmanship of such a building, with context providing a lesser, but also not insignificant contribution. As Stovel has pointed out, authenticity does not automatically on its own provide the best marker of heritage value.1 Rather, authenticity can be unpacked and qualified in a particular instance to arrive at a composite, nuanced understanding of value that looks beyond the “completeness” of a building.
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    Between memory and history: the restoration of Tulbagh as cultural signifier
    (2017) Augustyn-Clark, Jayson; Steenkamp, Alta; Van Graan, André
    This dissertation examines heritage as a social construct by way of critically accessing the precursors, proponents and processes of the Tulbagh restoration. This research is focused on understanding the reasons why and how, after the earthquake of 1969, Church Street was reinstated to its 'historic' 18/19th century appearance. This reconstructive restoration is unpacked within its South African socio-political, 20th-century situation to examine the motivations of the proponents behind the restoration as well as their conservation philosophies that underpinned the stylistic reconstruction of Tulbagh back to what was regarded as its Cape Dutch 'best'. The study comprises of an examination of both the theoretical development and practical application of reconstructions. Research traces the development of conservation in South Africa, first under the Union government and then under the Afrikaner Nationalist government to understand how Afrikaner Nationalism was superseded by the creation of a white South African identity. Pierre Nora's theories around memory and identity are explored and applied in order to contextualise the Tulbagh case study in a theoretical framework to highlight similarities and differences. The proponents of the Tulbagh restoration consisted of a wide and varied selection of the South African conservation fraternity and included the National Society, the Cape Institute of Architects, historian Dr Mary Cook, the Simon van der Stel Foundation, Anton Rupert and his Historic Homes Company, Gawie and Gwen Fagan and Dr Hans Fransen, as well as the National Monuments Commission/Council. These same role players came together in the decade before the earthquake to formalise their association, conservation resolve and philosophies. The findings of the study suggest that although united with a common vision, philosophy and determination, these conservation advocates all had their own agenda and differing motivations for their involvement in Tulbagh's restoration. Motivations ranged from straightforward conservation concern and a response to the threat of cultural devastation on one hand to ideological nation-building ideals and Afrikaner nationalism on the other. Although politics impacted early on and all three levels of government funded the bulk of the restoration costs, the diversity of the proponents suggests that this project was more complex than being motivated primarily by nationalism.
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    Contemporary interventions in historic fabric: context and authenticity in the work of Gabriel Fagan
    (2011) Scurr, Michael John; Townsend, Stephen S
    This study focuses on three projects by Gabriel Fagan, one of South Africa’s most respected and awarded architects, namely The Dias Museum in Mossel Bay, the SA Breweries Visitor’s Centre in Newlands and the University of Cape Town’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. These projects are all essentially contemporary interventions in historic fabric and each contains easily identifiable and iconic new portions – the sail-like roof of the Dias Museum, the glass lift shaft at SAB and the circular glazed pavilion at UCT’s Medical School.
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    Declaring urban conservation areas: the Art Deco townscape of Vredehoek, Cape Town
    (2017) Jongens, Nicoline; Townsend, Stephen S; Van Graan, André
    The research question posed in this study asks what qualities, characteristics and cultural significance need to be embodied within an urban environment that make the area worthy of conservation-oriented protection through laws and policies. The research question was explored through an assessment of the townscape of Vredehoek, an informally(1) proposed conservation area in Cape Town where there is a relatively high concentration of Art Deco buildings. The selection of Vredehoek as a laboratory within which to ask this question is due to the presence of contested opinions amongst various stakeholders and heritage-claimants about the cultural significance embodied within the built fabric of this place. This study aimed to identify what elements of the built environment of Vredehoek are of special interest, what qualities and characteristics these elements of special interest embody, to understand and articulate the values that inform these qualities, and to identify to whom these elements are valuable and why. Criteria were established with which to determine whether the identified qualities and values are special enough that when synthesised, the resultant significance of the place warrants protection through heritage area designation. The criteria developed with which to assess and evaluate proposed urban conservation areas, including Vredehoek, require that such environments need to embody cultural significance and characteristics informed by an urban history reflected in its authentic manifestations developed over time through continuity of use with a high townscape quality established primarily through the aesthetic unity of its component parts. Through historical research, the studying, mapping and analysis of the area's urban morphology, built environment and natural landscape, and the identification and evaluation of values held by heritage-claimants and views held by those critical of Vredehoek's proposed designation, evidence regarding the conservation-worthiness of Vredehoek has been assembled and assessed within the framework of criteria developed to evaluate heritage area designation. It has been found that the environment of Vredehoek does not embody high townscape quality nor does a strong aesthetic unity of its components exist. Furthermore, the area is not a richly layered environment reflecting continuity of use, the existence of cultural significance within the place is limited to a relatively small part of the townscape - a collection of Art Deco buildings demonstrating a moderate degree of architectural merit. Thus the environment of Vredehoek does not meet the criteria required for heritage area conservation.
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    The (dis)continuity of the Johannesburg West Dutch Reformed Church: a study of the impact and significance of the conversion of a former Dutch Reformed Church into a mosque
    (2013) Hart, Brendan; Townsend, Stephen; Munro, Katherine
    This dissertation examines how cultural significance has changed through the reuse (conversion) of an existing religious building to perform a new religious function. The conversion of the former Johannesburg West Nederduitsche Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) to become the Masjid-ul-Islam is used as a vehicle for this study. The history of the Afrikaner and South African Muslim communities and their architecture is explored as well as the history of the changes to the building. The post-colonial concept of hybridity is used to understand the new identity of the building. This new identity determined as being hybrid. Concepts of memory and its use in the construction of identity are further examined with the former church being understood as a site of memory. Through the personal perceptions of significance expressed by both the mosque and church communities the change in significance is explored. It is determined that the building is the site of hybrid memory, with multiple layers of significance which have created a sense of continuity for both communities creating a sense of place and continuity in the post- Apartheid city. The building has come to be a symbol of the changes that have occurred in post-Apartheid South Africa through its layering of history, sense of inclusivity and regeneration.
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    The effects of commodification on cultural significance: two African fortifications
    (2017) Aggenbach, Adré; Van Graan, André; Steenkamp, Alta
    This study is specifically concerned with the impact of cultural tourism on the valorisation of two African fortifications; Castelo São Jorge da Mina (Elmina Castle) in Elmina, Ghana and Casteel de Goede Hoop (Castle of Good Hope) in Cape Town, South Africa. The commodification of national and world heritage, primarily within the context of cultural tourism, is the process by which tangible and intangible heritage are transformed into cultural commodities to be bought, sold and profited from in the heritage and tourism industry. The perception, however, that these commodified heritage sites are contaminated, and less authentic, is based on an outmoded discourse. The South African government has placed a fair amount of focus on redressing highly emotive colonial or dissonant heritage sites with the intent of correcting misinterpreted Eurocentric histories or present non-represented pre-colonial history. The study is structured around addressing the issue of commodification and its impact on the understanding and interpretation of heritage both as an emotive commodity and as a means of providing economic benefit to a community. The literature review locates the research in Marx's theories on commodities together with Urry's tourist gaze. It furthermore includes an analysis on valorisation, with the focus on associative value, in the context of national and world heritage. Fortifications as fortified military architecture in an African context are considered; as is the European influence on African culture and fortifications as colonial structures. Elmina Castle, as a much-researched heritage site, is explored in detail. It includes a legislative analysis; the perspectives and interpretations of the two largest stakeholders groups, the Akan-speaking Fanti population and the African American Diaspora tourists is key to the analysis of the impact of commodification. A detailed history of Europeans on the Gold Coast, the development of Elmina Castle and the impact of trans-Atlantic slavery on the consumption of heritage is studied. The commodification of the Castle of Good Hope is written within the context of the prevailing South African heritage discourse. Much has been written on the commodification of Elmina Castle, while very little has been said about the Castle of Good Hope as a commodity. The prevailing authorised commodification of the Castle of Good Hope necessitated the analysis and comparison of the Castle with the selected comparative case and the study draws comparisons between the powerful emotive significance and contestations attached to Elmina and the contrast that this poses to the Castle of God Hope as a place of heritage significance despite the fact that it has been seen to symbolise the introduction of repressive European influence and control in South Africa. The research supports the notion that cultural tourism and events have impacted on the valorisation of cultural heritage and, in particular, the associative and emotive values. However, the cultural significance of the two African fortifications as important heritage sites are not at risk.
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    Exploration of community perspectives towards Georgenholtz mission station as a heritage resource
    Nemaheni, Tshimangadzo Israel; Steenkamp, Alta
    The turn of this century has been characterised by a flurry of research activities taking place around the history of Mission stations and missionaries in South Africa (SA). In Venda, in the Limpopo Province of SA, research about the Berlin Missionary Society (BMS) also gained momentum. Most of the researchers working in the area relied mainly on diaries, letters, annual reports, and limited published materials written by the BMS missionaries who worked at various mission stations in the area. These researchers focused on historical, educational, and religious developments, as captured by the Berlin missionaries. Of these historical accounts, the voices of the local communities have been hushed. Most of the stories available in written sources are from the viewpoints of the missionaries. At the same time, the focus of researchers in the heritage conservation fields has been on the physical condition of heritage properties, where the intention was to arrest deterioration of material. While there is a change in thinking in the heritage field to take into consideration the involvement of relevant stakeholders, the focus is still on the challenges related to the physical condition of heritage properties. Researchers in the heritage field have come to realise that conservation cannot unify or advance with any real innovation or vision if there is a continuation to concentrate the bulk of conservation discourse on issues of physical condition. This study addresses the issue of community participation in research by responding to the following question: What is the impact of community attitudes and perspectives towards Georgenholtz Mission Station (GHMS) as a heritage resource? Various community groupings were given the responsibility of airing their views regarding the Mission station as a heritage resource. In doing so, they were able to identify and articulate the values they associate with the mission station. Without an understanding of these values, practitioners, managers, and communities would be unable to act in respect of the gradual but rapid deterioration of the same heritage resource. Because of these values, communities were able to recommend what actions would be to the benefit of all of them. The research question of this study is answered through one-on-one oral interviews the researcher conducted with respondents. These respondents are divided into four categories of communities namely the youth, Lutheran Church leadership, Ha-Luvhimbi community leaders and members of families with historic ties with the Berlin Missionary Society. Individual respondents from these community categories were asked to comment upon the history of the Berlin Missionary Society and the development of Georgenholtz Mission Station from 1877 to the present times. They were also asked to broadly identify and explain the heritage significance of Georgenholtz Mission Station. The last question they were asked relates to what communities would like to see happening with Georgenholtz moving forward. The responses that came from these respondents show that Georgenholtz Mission Station has extensive connections to Mission history in rural South Africa which assists in conveying the significance of this Mission station beyond its importance to Ha-Luvhimbi village. Communities could identify various values attached to the Mission station, including amongst others, historical, aesthetic and architectural, social and economic values that should be preserved for the benefit of current and future generations. The results from this study indicate that communities interviewed regard Georgenholtz Mission Station as their heritage resource that should be taken care of and that there are economic benefits that could be derived from the adaptive reuse of the Mission station. The study concludes by outlining recommendations for further and extended research on the subject by other researchers.
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    Fordsburg's urban memory - cultural significance and its embodiment in the ordinary landscape
    (2013) Mayat, Yasmin; Silverman, Melinda; Townsend, Stephen
    The vibrant suburb of Fordsburg has a rich history of diverse working class communities. It has long been associated with the Indian community and more recently a new immigrant population from the Indian subcontinent. Transitory communities have left their mark on the suburb and have resulted in changing significances and heritage resources. The study's main aim was to identify what constants have gained significance to become anchors for memory and identity in Fordsburg's landscape of rapid urban and social change. An exploration of Fordsburg's history and evolution was undertaken so as to reflect on multiple interpretations and insights into unacknowledged histories of the area. Themes of identity, urban memory, hybridity and the everyday landscape were examined within the context of Fordsburg. It concluded that there are constants of cultural significance which anchor memory and identity. These constants are located in the ordinary urban landscape of public spaces created in Fordsburg's main roads, public amenities and Fordsburg Square.
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    Heritage, identity and value: Ida's Valley, Stellenbosch
    (2017) Ontong, Tyrone Gregory; Townsend, Stephen S
    Heritage sites, inclusive of cultural landscapes, are understood to derive their significance from perceptions of beauty, sense of place and, when it has been impacted by humans, its genius loci and tangible qualities and the overlay of their intangible associations. In order for a site to be recognized concurrence of an Authorised Heritage Discourse whose content is constructed by academics and professionally trained heritage experts and an Autochthonous Discourse defined and expressed by laypersons, occupying or having an association with the site or sites. When Ida's Valley Cultural Landscape underwent processes of identification and declaration (formal process) as a National Heritage Site in 2008 the assumption was that there was consensus between the two views, the Authorized Heritage Discourse and the Autochthonous Discourse. The hypothesis, then, in the case of Ida's Valley Cultural Landscape which lies just beyond the limits of the town, Stellenbosch, was that there was agreement between the AHD and the AD. The question that arose was whether the two readings of heritage value aligned and whether there really was agreement in terms of the significance of the site and the values it represented. This is found not to be the case. Concerns were raised regarding the manner in which the public participation process was handled, the content of the statement of significance around issues of identification, identity and, consequently, its impact on the idea of value. In addition, the issues of land for development, the locus of land ownership and the subsequent value and universal acceptance were placed under scrutiny and severely criticized by the local public and community groups. The conclusion was that there was no agreement between the two positions. The dissertation describes the exploration of these tensions.
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    The historic built environment and a sense of place : Jagersfontein : a mining town in the Free State , South Africa
    (2014) Philip, Loudine; Townsend, Stephen S
    The primary purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which the historic built environment plays a role in the establishment of a Sense of Place in the South African context with its diverse population and complex political history. The underlying rationale for this focus is that a strong connection between a Sense of Place and the historic built environment has the potential to translate to a strong motivation for its preservation. The focus in this research is on a single case, a historic diamond mining town in the Free State Province of South Africa, dating to 1869, with a rich and diverse history. The research was conducted employing a multi-paradigmatic approach grounded in Phenomenology and Psychometrics.
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    Inside Out - The Iziko Slave Lodge as Witness to Slavery
    (2023) Weinberg, Jonathan; Odendaal, Nancy
    The thesis investigates how the Iziko Slave Lodge has witnessed slavery from when it was erected as the VOC SL in 1679 to its current configuration as the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum. It traverses the story of the Lodge both historically and critically through its various iterations over time, in order to understand how the Slave Lodge has occluded, witnessed, and borne witness to the history of slavery in Cape Town. Although the study is framed by the underpinnings of the act of witnessing, it has also been about uncovering and acknowledging the layers of patina of the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum itself as a witness to slavery over time. The modalities of witnessing, testimony, memory, memorialisation and museumization are explored as they pertain to the building and museum. The outcomes of the research are augmented by my own reflexive analysis, having worked at the Slave Lodge in its earlier museum iteration as the South African Cultural History Museum and having witnessed its transformation into the Iziko Slave Lodge in the 1990s. Despite the apparent resilience of the architecture and the Slave Lodge building, I suggest that witnessing should not only be confined to the built environment but should form part of a greater public heritage complex, embracing identity, memory, and socio-political resonance. The practices of witnessing drawn on in this thesis are established as a complex, multidirectional processes. Acts of witnessing, bearing witness, occlusion and illumination may serve as useful frameworks for reflecting on and representing histories and spaces of atrocity beyond this case study example.
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    Kolmanskop : an industrial heritage resource or only a tourist attraction? : the assessment of value with regard to Kolmanskop Ghost Town and the industrial landscape of the Sperrgebiet National Park, Namibia
    (2010) Alexander, Nicola; Townsend, Stephen S
    Kolmanskop Ghost Town is situated within the Sperrgebiet National Park on the South-West Coast of Namibia. The diamond-mining town was established in 1908 and abandoned in 1956. Kolmanskop's status as a tourist attraction has been readily established and it is regarded as an important economic resource by the nearby community of Lüderitz. The key question of this research project is whether the site is also able to fulfil the criteria of an industrial heritage resource? The principal method employed is that of values-based conservation. The study relies principally on the survey of a broad range of individuals and stakeholders in order to establish present values as they pertain to Kolmanskop.
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    Montagu : urban conservation in a small town : the role of voluntary conservation groups and planning law in heritage resource management
    (2011) Vermeulen, Frederik Saaiman; Townsend, Stephen S
    Conservation in Montagu started in the early 1970s, with the rescuing and restoration of significant buildings and the declaration of 21 National Monuments (now called Provincial Heritage Sites), which safeguarded those buildings when no other heritage protections were in place. This was followed by a conservation study by Todeschini and Japha in 1990, identifying heritage resources, delineating conservation areas and providing guidelines. This case study has found that, with a few exceptions, the conservation endeavours in Montagu during the past 40 years have been successful.
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    Perceptions of heritage and conservation control in lower-income communities : the case of Mamre
    (2010) De Bruyn, Cecilia; Townsend, Stephen S
    This study investigates the appropriateness of conservation controls in low-income communities. The imposition of development controls is a limitation on the private rights of individuals in the interest of the public good. This is essential in order to preserve heritage resources for future generations. However, questions arise around this practice when such limitations have a direct negative effect on the daily struggle for survival that many people face. Many poor people cannot bear the cost associated with maintenance and restoration of old buildings, and this puts many heritage resources at risk. Actors within bureaucracies also have their own goals to achieve, and this also influences the way that heritage is managed in low-income areas. The central research question of this study is: Are conservation controls in lowincome communities appropriate? This question was explored within the context of Mamre, a historical mission station approximately 50 km north of Cape Town. Firstly, several descriptive scenarios around which the research question could be explored were constructed, and this was followed by an investigation of the relevant literature. A contextual analysis of Mamre was also completed in order to gain an understanding of the character and functioning of the village. The case study then focused on two incidents where heritage-related building applications were made. Several instances where values conflict emerged from the study, and these enabled the researcher to draw some conclusions on conservation in low-income communities. The study found that the concept of significance is not well understood by officials, and its application differs widely. It was also clear that the law is often applied in a well-intended but incorrect, and in fact at times illegal, manner. This study also found that mechanisms of financial support should be available in certain cases. In order to ensure effective conservation of heritage resources, the correct legal mechanisms and strong policy must be in place. This must be based on a thorough assessment of significance and it is essential that this is done with a good understanding of the context.
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    The relativity of authenticity: Notions of authenticity in the Cape Winelands cultural landscape and the impact of wine tourism on cultural heritage
    (2015) Joubert, Elize; Townsend, Stephen S
    This study explores various notions of authenticity in tourism experience and seeks to establish if these notions are compatible with the concept of authenticity in conservation of the built environment. Three wine farms in the Cape Winelands cultural landscape, a proposed serial World Heritage Site, have been studied. The study suggests that object-related or material authenticity is being replaced with alternative notions of authenticity in tourism and that the toured object, for the purpose of winelands tourism in the Western Cape during this period, no longer needs to be authentic.
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    Social housing as heritage : case study : Langa hostels : whose values and what significance?
    (2014) Smith, Raymond; Shepherd, Nick; Townsend, Stephen S
    This study examines the first identification and assignment of heritage values and significance undertaken by the “establishment”, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and the City of Cape Town (CCT) in the Township of Langa in the Cape Province a decade ago. In brief, this is the story of Langa migrant labour hostels reviewed for its meaning as heritage to the diverse communities within Langa, compared with an earlier 2001/2 official evaluation by the state-led heritage management institutions. It is within a broader socio-political, cultural and heritage discourse context that this research project explores what the residents of Langa find significant. This is done with particular reference to the migrant labour hostel schemes since the intention was to establish to what extent conservation and heritage management is an appropriate response in an environment of material, economic and social difficulties; and, if so, to what degree the inhabitants of the hostels’ sense of value correspond to that articulated in the “official statement of significance” of 2004. This study questions the validity of nominating migrant labour hostels as “Grade I” national heritage resources.
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    The Absence Of The Wellington Dutch Reformed Mission Church On Erf 794: A Symbol Of Tangible And Intangible Heritage, Destroyed And Found
    (2023) Gerber, Pierre-Jeanne; Roux, N
    This dissertation investigates whether the absence of the Wellington Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) on Erf 794 in Wellington is a heritage-lacuna. It answers the question by setting out, firstly, how the tangible heritage of the DRMC was embodied in the physical church-building (the process of building and the resulting structure); and secondly, how the DRMC church-building was lost by demolition, including the events that led to the demolition and, specifically, the role that racial discrimination played in this process. Finally, the dissertation sets out how these aspects created intangible heritage and confirms how the intangible heritage is held and preserved in the community today. The dissertation examines the history and context of the DRMC, and why it was formed separately from the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), which plays a significant role in the tangible and intangible heritage of Wellington DRMC. This is explored to contextualise why the tangible heritage of the demolished DRMC building is so significant compared to the objectively more impressive DRC building which still stands. The study confirms that the DRMC of South Africa, as a racially segregated church denomination, was officially founded on 5 October 1881 by the DRC of South Africa. This historic event happened in a church which had been built in 1845 on the corner of Church and Main Street in the well-preserved 19th -century town of Wellington in the Boland region of the Western Cape province. This church with its Coloured congregation became the first DRMC in South Africa. The impressive DRC building (built by its white congregation in 1840) is located directly opposite the site in question. In 1941 the church building of the DRMC was purchased by the DRC. A condition of the sale was that the DRMC had to demolish the church and clean the plot. As stipulated, the DRMC congregation demolished its church after building a new church building, also as stipulated, at least 500 yards away from the white DRC and not on Church Street. What made this event especially significant was that it occurred nine years before the enactment of the Group Areas Act of 1950 (although there were many removals and attempted urban segregation before the act was implemented). Uniquely, in this case, it was the DRC which stipulated and enforced the physical segregation and demolition and not, as in most other cases, the state. This event had been preceded by 13 years of negotiations between these two churches, which further polarised the community.
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    Township churches as heritage: The case of Langa, Cape Town
    (2015) Irrgang, Berendine; Townsend, Stephen S
    This study investigates the perceived heritage significance of township churches. This is done by means of a case study which focuses on early churches in Langa, particularly the Wesleyan Methodist and the African Methodist Episcopal churches. The hypothesis is that heritage values are attached to certain churches of Langa and that these are regarded as heritage resources as a result of a particular character or built form. In support of this hypothesis, the intellectual realm of churches and heritage values was explored and the historical and spatial context which informed the development of the churches, investigated. A strong emphasis was placed on ascertaining the heritage values of the Langa community in a series of interviews. To understand the values attached to churches, views have been solicited from community members residing in the neighbourhood of the identified churches, members of the clergy and congregants and a number of 'experts’ - people who have been involved in the study of heritage in Langa, either from an academic or community perspective. Sixteen interviews, which took the form of focused, semistructured discussions, were conducted.
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    Understanding the relationships between tourism, and heritage conservation at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
    (2023) Mokobane, Mack Michael; Roux, Naomi
    The aim of this thesis is to investigate Jetty 1 Museum, a heritage site at the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront, in order to understand how it is shaped by tourism and heritage imperatives and to discover how they interact against the backdrop of commercial waterfront development and the City of Cape Town's vision. Jetty 1 Museum holds immense cultural, historical, and social significance, serving as a repository of collective memory and a symbol of past struggles. Tourism is increasingly recognized as a dominant economic sector in South Africa. However, the rise of tourism at V&A Waterfront has introduced new dynamics and challenges. The influx of tourists could potentially threaten the very heritage aspects that make these sites valuable, through wear and tear, overcrowding, and the commodification of cultural narratives. According to Rahman (2012), even though the development and exploitation of cultural sites for tourism can be advantageous, visiting cultural sites can also harm cultural heritage. I was guided by Rahman's argument and wished to see if it was applicable to the Jetty 1 site at the V&A Waterfront. This thesis employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative interviews with heritage managers responsible for the preservation of Jetty 1 Museum, as well as an analysis of relevant secondary sources. The need to continuously balance waterfront tourism and heritage conservation has been well established and documented internationally. However, in South Africa, that balance has not yet been well established, and to date, there have been very few studies focusing on establishing the balance between waterfront tourism and heritage conservation approaches. This thesis will address issues regarding waterfront development, heritage conservation and management, tourism, sustainability, and gentrification. This thesis establishes that striking a balance between commercial viability and cultural authenticity remains a persistent challenge, necessitating thoughtful strategies and collaboration between stakeholders, including museums, tourism bodies, heritage organizations, and local governments like the City of Cape Town. Only through such harmonious coordination can museums effectively contribute to both the economic and cultural vibrancy of their surroundings.