Special Report: CIRCA

SPECIAL REPORT: CIRCA

CIRCA ON JELLICOE

By Bev Hermanson

It’s a Saturday morning and the residents of Rosebank, one of Johannesburg’s elite northern suburbs, are flocking to the art precinct on the corner of Jellicoe and Jan Smuts Avenues to enjoy a coffee, browse through the book store and view the artworks on display. This is the vision of Mark Read of the Everard Read Gallery, whose brief to Pierre Swanepoel of StudioMAS architecture & urban design was to create a multifunctional space on what once was a narrow parking lot.

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Top row: The Circa building commands the corner while the Everard Read Gallery forms a demure backdrop.

Left: A walkway connects the Circa building with the fire escape.

SPECIAL REPORT > Photo by Russell Cleaver

The Everard Read Gallery was started back in 1912 in the central business district of Johannesburg. In a bid to escape the crime ridden inner city, the Read family chose to relocate the gallery to Jellicoe Avenue in Rosebank, where a domestic residence was converted into a flowing, bright viewing space for various artworks, sketches, sculptures and artifacts. Then in the 80s, the Reads purchased the property facing Jan Smuts Avenue, across the road from the gallery. For the next 15 years the land was utilised as extra parking for the gallery, however, during this interval, the seed was sown to do something more meaningful with the site. Mark Read set about finding an architect that could share his vision and eventually settled on the award winning practice of StudioMAS. He briefed Pierre Swanepoel, the senior partner, to come up with a concept that would become a dynamic multi-functional building that would complement the existing gallery.

“It was very challenging to conceptualise a building that would take best advantage of what was essentially a long narrow utility area. We came up with a triple storey building that is an elliptical shape, transparent, yet selfcontained,” says architect Pierre Swanepoel. Known as Circa, which means ‘thereabouts’ or ‘approximately at that time’, the new building occupies the north western corner of the Rosebank precinct. It is within walking distance of the various malls, craft market, banks and the many hotels and restaurants in the district. With the building of a Gautrain station in the suburb, it is expected that this area will become a vibrant node and an attractive destination for visitors and residents of Gauteng to visit.

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“Mark had initially wanted to extend the gallery across the street, but as the project unfolded he decided to leave the existing gallery as it was, merely paving the road between the two sites to create more of an ‘art in the street’ atmosphere,” Swanepoel continues.

“The new building is a very theatrical space that has been split into three levels with a circular staircase

The concrete stairs which encircles the central structure

that ascends around the perimeter. It’s a place where people can meet and interact in a highly inspirational environment.”

The aluminium fins that clad the exterior of the structure

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It was extremely difficult to piece the building together to achieve the elliptical shape, says Swanepoel. Much of the structure had to be constructed virtually ‘by hand’ to achieve the uniformity desired. The central structure is made from concrete, which is encircled by concrete stairs. To ensure a level of privacy, this was then clad with aluminium fins that allow natural light to filter in during the day and artificial light to splash on to the surrounding pavement area at night. “The fins resemble the structures used for a Zulu kraal, shielding the interiors from the bright African sun.”

The structure was conceptualised to become an integral part of the public spaces with a coffee shop and book store that will spill out on to the paving. The streetscape lends itself to the showing of large sculptures and two large glass sliding doors are the perfect answer to the need for security, while offering transparency and a feeling of openness to the space.

The ingenuity of the design has given this landmark a triple storey structure with a top level lounge and deck that takes in 270 degree views clear across to Northcliff hill. The lounge, designed by Christine Read, and adjoining kitchen area is large enough to cater comfortably for gatherings of 50 or so people and the west facing deck is perfect for sundowners. The first floor, covering around 177 sq m is a multipurpose exhibition space with seven movable screens that can be dropped through the floor to the level below should the need arise for more exhibition space on the ground floor.

SPECIAL REPORT > Named Speke, after John Speke, the pioneer who sought the source of the Nile, this ground floor space is ideal for displaying treasures of contemporary art and artefacts, all things passionately collected by Mark and Christine from Africa and around the world. The top level, known as the Darwin Room, is linked to a fire escape via a walkway. This metal structure will eventually be covered by a vertical garden, allowing visitors the experience of descending through a green world of foliage, should they wish to do so.

The top level lounge, known as the Darwin Room, designed by Christine Read.

The top level deck that takes in 270 degree views clear across to Northcliff Hill.

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In addition to displays of artworks and crafts, Circa will be used for a variety of cultural events that will encourage gallery supporters to rethink the definitions of art and other cultural pursuits. “One can say that Circa is a small building with a big attitude,” says Swanepoel.

“One that is inspired by a new world economy, where commercial gain is tempered by a concern for urban and natural environments.” <

Circa’s multipurpose exhibition space.

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