African diaspora: a place of integration in Yeoville

• Main Author: Kimoto, Kalonda Marcel
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10539/8459

This dissertation, is sited in suburb called Yeoville, in South Africa where mostly lower income immigrants live. It discusses issues around the non integration of immigrants in South Africa. This lack of integration manifests itself spatially by voluntary segregation and place creation. Place creation can be the physical and emotional relations with space that occurs along with a person or a group occupying and personalising it. Integration at a certain level would alleviate social problems (like the infamous xenophobia attacks) and create a platform where people can interact. The proposed architectural project is a multi cultural centre for immigrant communities. The principal aim is to provide them with spaces that support the integration of immigrants and their cultures, make a place of gathering and interaction, create a platform for enlightenment campaigns against xenophobia and create a space that promote business opportunities. The African civilisation is grounded in the maxim” umuntu ngumuntu nga bantu”, which may be construed to mean that “ to be a human being is to affirm one’s humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish humane relations with them” (Ramose 2002:231)