VASSA Workshop Proceedings 2004
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VERNACULAR ACHITECTURE SOCIETY OF SA: WORKSHOP II STUDIES AND DEBATES IN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN THE WESTERN CAPE Durbanville, 20 November 2004 Convenor & Editor: Antonia Malan Transcriber: Pat Kramer Editorial Assistance: Sally Titlestad Contents Page Preface 1 Session 1: Views of Vernacular Architecture & Landscapes 1. The Cape house rules! Palladian principles in Cape architecture: Andrew Berman 2 2. Authenticity, imitation and the popularization of heritage: its impact on vernacular architecture: Melanie Attwell 9 3. Cape Town / Bo-Kaap: the architecture of identity: Tariq Toffa (with Quahnita Samie) 16 4. The harmonius vernacular: Hans Fransen 36 5. Vernacular settlement formation, predominantly in the Western and Southern Cape, 1813-1912: Fabio Todeschini 41 Session 2: Approaches & Applications - Resources & Recording 6. Forgotten histories revealed by spatial study of subdivision of two estates in Claremont: Felhausen and Sans Souci: Sally Titlestad 57 7. The Hugenote-Gedenkskool, Kleinbosch, Dal Josaphat: Marthinus van Bart 67 8. Recording and comparing buildings: the material evidence: Len Raymond 73 9. The material world of Hendrik Cloete’s Groot Constantia: Yvonne Brink 80 10. Slave accommodation at the Cape: questions of time, place and attitude: Antonia Malan 88 Session 3: Approaches & Applications - Heritage Conservation 11. Towards a sustainable rural vernacular: André van Graan 99 12. Restoration of mills: Joanna Marx 102 13. Project ‘Restoration Genadendal’: a Best Practice Model and Work in Progress: Wendy Arendse 104 14. On the horns of a dilemma: Housing versus heritage: Sarah Winter, Nicolas Baumann & Henry Aikman 117 15. Protecting special buildings, sites and environs: the role of NGOs: Stephen Townsend 131 Presenters 141 PREFACE The Vernacular Architecture Society of SA is 40 years old. It was founded in 1964 with the express purpose to record and understand folk buildings of South Africa. Throughout 2004 we celebrated the contributions of past and current vernackers and revisited some of the most significant places - and memories. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made in vernacular architecture appreciation, recording and research in the Western Cape and to consider what the future holds. Today the Society flourishes, but serious threats to our regional architecture remain and losses of unique settlements and buildings occur daily. Why? We opened the year with a talk at Iziko Museums' Summer School in February 2004. It was a reflection on the successes and failures of the Society in fulfilling its purpose, and the broader political, institutional and academic contexts in which these cultural resources were, and are, perceived and valued. An exhibit on the work of the Society ran from 4 to 30 October 2004 at the Irma Stern Museum at the University of Cape Town, and is currently on loan to regional museums. We also believe that the future of the Society and vernacular studies would benefit from some vigorous discussion and debate. A Workshop took place on 20 November 2004, in Durbanville. Some issues that arose included the definition of 'vernacular' architecture, and the role of the Society in sticking to its original purpose - recording. Is there such a thing as a 'vernacular landscape'? What are the major contributions to our understanding of the regional architecture of the Cape and elsewhere, and the people who made it? How do we capture and pass on traditional knowledge of builders and conservation architects? How has half a century of changing political and academic contexts affected architectural history teaching and practice? What impact have the media and tourism had on our perceptions of vernacular architecture? Who is interested in and capable of doing systematic research? What's happening in the country and in our ‘dorps’? Does vernacular architecture have a place in tomorrow's heritage? In his welcome to the workshop, André van Graan (VASSA chairman) said: “It is encouraging to see the number of people who have shown an interest in the workshop and in the activities around it. Some debates in architectural studies are not sufficiently aired, particularly those dealing with issues around vernacular architecture and architectural history. Much is happening today without people asking what is going on, and without a suitable forum where people can pose questions and generate discussion. We’d like to ensure that the debates and problems are clearly articulated and understood so that we can find a way of dealing with them in the future. Today we are examining a series of related issues ranging from broad views of vernacular architecture to specifics of particular problems. There are wider environmental perspectives and case studies, for example, a need to review the way that we examine our historical fabric and suggestions for ways of dealing with legislative problems.” Acknowledgements We would particularly like to thank those who presented papers for their patience and resilience during the preparations for the workshop and publication of the proceedings. Thulani Nxumalo from the District Six Museum very kindly organized the recording and edited the results. One of the aims of the workshops is to archive information and discussions. We very, very seldom get the opportunity to meet together and discuss things, and then we just talk about it and the information is lost. The workshop proceedings are therefore part of our sound archive and a minimally edited written version is published in this volume of collected papers. This volume is based on papers that were submitted before the workshop, or written from transcripts of recordings of the spoken presentations and discussions. Sincere and appreciative thanks are due to Pat Kramer, a relatively new VASSA member who innocently volunteered to transcribe the tapes. This meant that after a full day’s work she spent many evenings toiling away with laptop and audio files. The Workshop occasion was organized as a group effort, but mostly by Nigel Amschwand, Maureen Archer, Helen Binckes, Marion Ellis (and Dish caterers), Val Taylor, Collette van Niftrik and Jenny Viotti. Many thanks to you all, the staff of Durbanville Library and some willing helpers co-opted on the day, for a successful event. 1 SESSION ONE: VIEWS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPES The Cape house rules! Palladian principles in Cape architecture Andrew Berman Introduction From Roman times a villa was a working farm. So too was the sixteenth century Venetian villa (Fig. 1). It was also an impressive status symbol - just like our Cape farmhouses today. Figure 1. Book cover. A number of authors have noted the classical (in general) and Palladian (in particular) influences on Cape architecture, from the academic - notably Barrie Biermann and Hans Fransen - to the popular - such as a House & Garden article by Roderica van der Byl. Her piece, entitled ‘Imported Palladian Pleasures of the Dutch Cape Farmhouses’, is illustrated with examples such as Morgenster, Stellenberg, Libertas and Groot Constantia. In this paper I investigate the connections between the principles underlying classical architecture and those of the Cape Farmhouse complex. These principles are clearly stated in Palladio’s Quatro Libri, the definitive sixteenth century architectural pattern book. Principles governing the architecture of the villa are quoted from this book and compared to local examples. In this way it can be shown that the Cape Farmhouse complex should not be considered as being folk or vernacular architecture, but as part of the classical western architectural tradition. These principles include the use of rules, visual dominance, the use of avenues as an architectural device, planning conventions, bi-lateral symmetry, central axis, and appropriate decoration. Classical art emphasises the ideal, exhibits the power of reason, and shows restraint and moderation in its clarity and simplicity. It respects tradition. It is stately, ordered, stable, solemn, dignified, frugal, and refined. It is also conservative, authoritarian and is a show of power. Palladio (1508 to 1580), the famous Renaissance architect, is probably the only architect to have a style named after him (Fig. 2). Witold Rybczynski in his recent book on Palladio, The Perfect House (2002), claims that he was the first architect in history to be interested in domestic architecture, and that the language that had been confined to palaces and temples was extended to residential buildings. Domestic architecture, he claims, begins with Palladio. His work provided models for the Palladian Style which had a massive effect on western 2 architecture, and spread from Italy to the rest of Europe, England, the Americas, Asia and here at the Cape. Palladio Palladio interpreted the text of Vitruvius, the only early architectural theorist whose work has survived. He also studied the ruins in Rome. He explored the potential of symmetry, the use of classical forms and harmonic proportions. He was influenced by earlier Italian architects such as Bramante, Raphael, Serlio, Romano and Sanmicheli. He was born Andrea di Pietro della Gondola in Padua, beginning his career as a stonemason. His patron Count Trissino of Vicenza gave him the opportunity to study the surviving architecture in Rome and encouraged him to appreciate classical literature, the arts and sciences. He named him Palladio from Pallas Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Besides being a prolific architect, Palladio was also a successful author and publicist.