Activating Landscapes Through Memory: A Journey Through the Fragments of Cape Town's Strand Street Quarries

Abstract

South Africa is a country rich in history, culture, and resources, each of these elements shaping its built environment and heritage today. The government and other significant bodies have defined laws and guidelines on treating and protecting this heritage. However, they are still a long way from reaching the intended goal. Not all methods are pragmatic, and many heritage sites are still at risk or undervalued. Its long history of mining and quarrying has shaped and deeply affected its landscapes. However, much emphasis is placed on the physically built fabric or heritage buildings, and not enough is placed on its affected landscapes. These landscapes are much more than industrial sites. They hold immense significance because they symbolise the genesis of a culture, city, or town. They have ephemeral qualities that cannot be easily replicated elsewhere. Analysing the case of the Strand Street quarries in Cape Town, this research aims to investigate the extent to which adaptive reuse can be used as a strategy, along with memory, to reclaim or reactive these affected landscapes.