On World Aids Day, (December 1, 2004), the jury, which included, Paola Antonelli, curator of the Design Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, award-winning designer Yves Behar and Survivor: Africa winner and former pro-footballer Ethan Zohn, selected nine finalists and sixteen honorable mentions.
Finalists included established architects as well as young emerging
designers from across the globe. Austria, Chile, England, France,
Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United States were all represented.
The finalists’ schemes were displayed in schools and health centers
throughout the area. Somkhele community members, including students,
youth football players, nurses and teachers, then selected the scheme
by Mr. Swee Hong Ng as the winning design. (The team of David Mathias and Tim Denis of Basildon, England placed second and the Swiss based team of Guy Lafranchi and Dietmar Panzenbock placed third.)
Swee Hong Ng, 29, is an emerging architect completing his licensing with EDGE studio
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. “The design utilizes the natural
asset of earth to create terraces that emulate the gentle flow of the
area’s landscape,” explained the Singapore-born designer. “The pair of
“V” shaped terraces create a focal point similar to an outdoor
amphitheatre, where performances, talks and other events may be
hosted.” The terraces are constructed from earth and adobe brick and
paved with concrete for seats.
In June, Mr. Ng
traveled to South Africa and collaborated with the young women from the
newly formed Siyathemba football club, community members, health care
providers, teachers and others to further refine and develop his
scheme. The facility will be built in collaboration with architect
Steve Kinsler of East Coast Architects, who will be acting as site
architect on the project, and community members. Construction is
scheduled to begin later in the year.
HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in South Africa according to
studies released by the South African Medical Research Council. In
Kwa-Zulu Natal, the hardest hit province according to the report,
studies show that the pandemic accounts for 42 percent of all deaths.
At the center of this crisis are the region’s youth, and in particular,
its future mothers—girls ages 9-14.
Siyathemba offers a unique opportunity to bring together the positive
aspects of sports with an innovative health outreach program in a
setting designed with and for the youth of Somkhele. Football, already
the nation’s most popular sport, will only gain in popularity and
interest when the World Cup comes to South Africa in 2010. By
emphasizing a team approach, it is hoped that Siyathemba will be a
field of hope, a place where the area’s health care professionals and
its future leaders can come together.
About the design:
The
Siyathemba Football Pitch is envisioned as a stage for sports and
outreach events. The design aspires to create a space that will bring
the community together in participation and celebration. The proposed
utilizes the natural asset of earth to create terraces that emulate the
gentle flow of the area’s landscape. These terraces provide a spatial
enclosure and emphasize the ambience of the pitch. The openness at both
ends facilitates a visual engagement with the community, while the
seating terrace acts as a “billboard,” inviting onlookers to
participate.
The
pair of “V” shaped earth terraces is designed to create focal point
similar to an outdoor amphitheatre, where talks and information
dissemination may be conducted. They are constructed from earth and
adobe brick and paved with concrete for seats.
The
provision of a shade canopy with timber frame and textile fabric
contributed by local community further reinforces the communal nature
and identity of the pitch. It is hoped that the community will
participate in the production and continued renewal of these fabric
canopies to bring changing color and vibrancy to the space.
About the designer:
Swee
Hong Ng was born in Singapore in 1976. In 2000, he earned his Bachelor
of Arts in Architecture at the National University of Singapore. A one
year exchange program to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania (USA), in 2001 opened up an opportunity to purse his
architectural interests in the United States. Upon graduation from the
National University of Singapore with a Masters degree in Architecture
in 2003, he began his career at EDGE studio,
an architectural firm in Pittsburgh, where he is currently working. He
has been actively involved in numerous award-winning commercial and
public projects.
Community Contact:
Rhana Naicker - Project Coordinator
Siyathemba Consultants
+27 82 341 7900
rnaicker(at)africacentre(dot)ac(dot)za
Design Contact:
Architecture for Humanity
+1 646 765-0906
staff(at)architectureforhumanity(dot)org
