In May 2021, Sol Plaatje University (SPU) invited architectural practices to participate in an architectural design competition endorsed by the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA).
The competition was made up of two stages. In the first stage, architects submitted spatial ideas and concepts relating to memory, city integration, transformation, sustainability and celebratory spaces. A total of nine architectural firms proceeded to stage two.
Architects designed the first new building on the North Campus, SPU’s graduation hall, in the second stage. The jury who made the selections comprised SPU’s Chief Operating Officer, David Kanguwe, Nomonde Kesiamang from the City of Kimberley, and three professional architects, Sithabile Mathe, Boni Makwe, and Karlien Thomashoff.
Professor Nnamdi Elleh, Head of the School of Architecture and Planning from the University of the Witwatersrand, chaired the Stage 1 and 2 adjudications.
The event on Saturday, 20 November 2021, is a culmination of this process. The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of SPU, Professor Andrew Crouch, will announce the two prize winners in this competition.
Attendance is by invitation only. However, the public is encouraged to watch the livestream on Sol Plaatje University’s YouTube Channel.
Click here to download the event programme.