Johannesburg: The Big Surprise

I couldn’t find a guidebook before I arrived in Johannesburg.  In fact, I couldn’t find one after I arrived either.  And the attractions listed in the (very good) hotel directory had only five listings, including a Lion Park and the Zoo. Not exactly what this urbanist had in mind.

But this afternoon, Neil Fraser saved me.  Neil founded Central Johannesburg Partnership and now runs Urban Inc.  He invited me to join a previously planned tour of the city’s CBD, and he showed me spots of great glory.

Easily, the most impressive part of downtown was the plaza that connects two Art Deco buildings serving the mining industry. The plaza extends into a mining themed street with other handsome Art Deco buildings along the way. The landscaping was lush and the plaza was immaculate.  However, on Saturday afternoon, the street was deserted.  Neil assured me that if this were a weekday, the street would be filled with cafes and people.  But there was no sign of that vibrancy today.  There is also little retailing, other than the markets (not such a bad thing, really).

Neil says people are moving downtown again, and it is just a matter of time before retail follows.  That’s the pattern in most downtowns and there is no reason to believe that it won’t be the case in Johannesburg, too.  But Neil is a glass is half full kind of guy.  Every vandalized building is “just a couple of years” from rehab, in Neil’s eyes.  (He is also instrumental on the historic trust.)

Neil saved the best for last when he took us to Constitution Hill. It is the site of South Africa’s highest court on the site of three historic jails and an historic fort.  The complex was designed by Urban Solutions and OMM Design Workshop, and it is among the best public buildings I’ve ever seen.  It is full of art and meaning, and combines the old and new beautifully.

  

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