Redefining the wall

Abstract

The Castle of Good Hope, situated in Cape Town, South Africa, is a 17th-century star fort that has recently been restored with new programs and exhibitions to connect the public with the castle. However, its restored condition seems alienated from the community due to its association with colonialism from 1666. This thesis investigates the castle’s isolated language despite its new functions. It explores a design method to connect the castle with the community to preserve a heritage grounded in a deeper meaning and context to add a layer that redefines the castle’s heritage in relation to its current context. Research on the tangible qualities of the castle is extensive. However, its intangible qualities seem to be neglected in its current adaptive reuse form. Its intangible values become the centre point to create a connection between the current community and the castle. Approaching the adaptive reuse process from an atmospheric perspective shifts the focus from the tangible to the intangible and from the concrete history to a poetic notion. A conceptual design proposal for the Castle of Good Hope explains the theories developed in the thesis through a poetic intervention grounded in the lost waters of Cape Town. The notion of water as a poetic element alters the atmospheric quality of the castle, resulting in redefining the language of the fortified wall and creating a point of connection for the community.