Braamfontein Crises and Events

The Jameson Raid

The early growth and development of Johannesburg was not without its periods of turbulence and violence. One of the earliest such crises was the Jameson Raid. This was the culmination of the activities of the Reform Movement started by a number of successful mining and business personalities in protest against what they felt to be the government's discriminatory attitude to the Uitlanders in Johannesburg, who had contributed in no small measure to the growth of the town. There appeared to be no attempt to solve these grievances by peaceful discussion or negotiations.

Finally the Reform Movement decided to attempt to over-throw the government by taking up arms. All this happened under the leadership of Dr Leander Starr Jameson, and became know as the Jameson Raid. It was launched on 29 December 1895 when Jameson and armed forces crossed the border from Bechuanaland. Jameson, however, had been too hasty, due to lack of communication and all telegraph lines were not cut as planned. AS a result the Boers received warning of the attack, and Jameson was forced to surrender on 2 January 1896 in Doornkop near Krugersdorp.

Braamfontein Dynamite Explosion

The dynamite explosion in the railway yards at the Braamfontein station, on the afternoon of 19 February 1896 was a tragedy that still ranks as the worst accident in the History of South Africa. Ten railway trucks loaded with more than 3 000 cases of blasting gelignite exploded with roar that was heard ten kilometres away. It carved a crater 75m long, 18m wide and 9m deep in the ground. Fragments of the trucks and other goods were blown over an area of 13 square kilometres. There is no certainty as to hown many were killed: reports vary from 78 to 130 and a few boxes of human remains. At least 300 people were injured, many of them seriously. The area around Newtown where old Johannesburg Market stands today, then known as the Brickfields, and a large area of Vrededorp were flattened and between two and three thousand people lost their homes. The explosion is said to have shattered every window in the centre of Johannesburg. The unidentified bodies were laid out at the Wanderers Club, and President Kruger, who came from Pretoria at the first new of the disaster, looked at the bodies of the children and wept.

The explosion crater with work commencing on the edge - 19 February 1896

The Great Strike on the Rand

The years between the Union of South Africa and the First World War were ones of moderate prosperity. They were also years during which organised labour began to find its feet in the Union. The first trade unionists in South Africa were Uitlanders who came from overseas with long established traditions of trade union activities. By 1910 the trade unions had gained ground and were beginning to attract the uprooted Afrikaaners - the younger ones and those who failed on the land. These trade unions established among the men were, however, not recognised by their employers. Dissatisfaction grew among the miners on the Reef and culminated in an incident which arose from a little strike on the New Kleinfontein mine on the East Rand in May 1913.

The management refused to recognise this mining trade union and took on other men. This lead to a sympathetic strike in other mines. The government not realising the severity of the situation, took no steps to deal with the strikers' grievances, or to restrain them from violence until 4 July when a crowd of rioters set fire to the Park Station in Johannesburg, and 'The Star' offices there. Looting began almost immediately especially in jewellery and gunsmith shops, where the rioters were looking for firearm. The police opened fire which sparked further rioting and shooting in the town.

The angry mob proceeded to set fire the 'The Star' offices

The dramatic strike climax, outside Rand Club when the mob refused to disperse, when shots were fired at the military. One of the ring-leaders, J.L. Labuschagne, walked twice into the street, throwing his arms into the air cried 'Shoot Me'. The second time, when the crowd behind him began to move forward, he was shot through the heart.

Johannesburg's Demand for the Internment of Germans

Feelings against the Germans were running high during the First World War, especially after the sinking of the 'Lusitania' with the subsequent loss of many lives, and many German businesses and residences were being burnt. According to the records of the fire brigade, 65 fires were fought between 15h25 and 12h45 on 12 and 13 May 1915. Main Street, Johannesburg was reported to have been flowing with burning whisky from a nearby alcohol depot and in Newtown the large fodder warehouses smouldered for up to three weeks as a result of these anti-German riots.

Gundlefinger's was an early business owned by a German Pioneer of the same name

History Braamfontein

According to Anna Smith, in her book 'Johannesburg Street Names', there is no township Braamfontein - but rather an area of Johannesburg popularly known by that name. It is named after the original Braamfontein Farm, which formed part of the western boundary of the government owned Randjieslaagte, proclaimed in 1886 to become Johannesburg. It occupied approximately an area between the Braamfontein the Braamfontein Cemetery in the West and the Civic Centre in the east - between Wolmarans and Hoofd Streets, but excluding Wanderers View, Argyle and towards the west a rather vague area now known as Clifton.

J.J. Lindeque purchased the south-west portion of the Braamfontein from a Mr F. van Dyk in 1884. Part of Lindeque's area was bought by the government in order to to increase Johannesburg's water supply. A further protion was bought by H. Ecksten & Co. but when no minerals were found, they decided to establish a plantation to supply the timber for the mines. This plantation was known as the Braamfontein forest. In 1892 the Braamfontein Co. connected with H. Eckstein & Co. resolved to establish the township of Parktown.

Braamfontein Cemtery

In 1887 a block of twelve stands were set aside for Johannesburg's first cemetery in the north-west corner of Bree and Harrison Streets, where the Traffic Department offices had been since 1968. By September 1887 a cemetery had been established in Braamfontein as the first official burial ground. A crematorium was only opened in the south-east corner in, although a Hindu crematorium had been established in the Brixton cemetery as early as 1918.

Originally the major area of Braamfontein was occupied by small dwellings many of whcich were semi-detached, thus establidshing a middle-class suburb. With the rapid growth of the town and the addition of the University of the Witwatersrand to the west, and the first Collage of Education in Hoofd Street, the population increased. Like Parktown this suburb was not far enough north and west from the grwoing centre of Johannesburg to allow it to continue as a purely residential area. Thus within the last few decades it has been converted into a commercial zone with many high-rise buildings for the growing financial and business enterprises of Johannesburg. This, in turn, attracted several new hotels and restaurants.

Historical Postcards

Here are some Historical Postcards of Braamfontein, which I scanned and uploaded from 'A Johannesburg Album' by Oscar I. Norwich:

Melle and de Korte Streets

De Korte Street

De Korte Street looking towards Bertha Street

Braamfontein from the Cemetery

Smit Street

Juta Street

Harrison Street

Horse Shoe Bar after Mob Attack

Burning furniture and fittings in the Pavilion Beer Hall

The 5 July Massacre

Dead Horse outside Corner House

A sad incident Come on shoot me

The Star Office - Gutted

The Luggage and Booking Office at Park Station

After Dynamite Explosion Disaster - 1986

Dynamite Explosion Disaster - 1986

The Post Office adjacent to the Dutch Reformed Church

Gundlefinger's after the Great Conflagration

Dutch Reformed Church on de Korte

Remains of Rolfes, Nebel's Liquor Warehouse after the fire

Myths of Johannesburg

On the savannah plains of Africa, there is no greater collection of myths than those about the city, specifically Johannesburg, known as Jozi, Jubheki and Egoli.

“I was told there is a helicopter that hovers over the N1. If you are going below 120kph, it airlifts you for slowing down traffic,” said one bemused Zimbabwean visitor. “I was told,” another chipped in, “that if anyone says to you ‘eita’, know that you are in real trouble.”A Zimbabwean national, a PhD student at Wits, was woken from his reverie about making tons of money in Gauteng by his professor. “I am sure you have realised that the streets of Johannesburg are not paved with gold.”

As has been written about New York or the United States, opportunities are supposed to abound here more than anywhere else in the whole of Africa. Everybody comes with the hope of making a quick buck and going back home as the tycoon with ship-loads of money.Makaya, a Zimbabwean student previously based in Botswana, was told that Jo’burg was the most dangerous city in the world. “Jozi is very rough,” his brother warned.

“I was given this horrible picture of this place. People carrying guns everywhere,” he said. When he came to Johannesburg in 2003, a taxi driver charged him R70 from Park Station to Wits university — a journey of less than 5km that would normally cost R30.“Of course, I thought that was a lot of money for the short distance, but I could not argue. I was afraid,” he confessed.

When a friend asked him to accompany him to Hillbrow, he balked at the suggestion. “I told him I did not want to get killed.” When he eventually got used to being in the city he was surprised, when he went out one night, to see that there were people who actually went out at night.

In yet another instance, an immigrant from Malawi was at once dazzled by the fabled lights of Jozi and terrified of its guns. “I had heard about the guns and I saw them here. I have witnessed a number of armed robberies.” Yet he found the malls, the roads, the tall buildings, all the glass and steel irresistibly fabulous. “It was more beautiful than I thought. I thought it was a little London,” he enthused.

A Kenyan national, who has been living in Johannesburg for almost a decade, went back to Nairobi for the December holidays. “Where is the gold I heard is to be found in Johannesburg,” one of his countrymen asked him in Nairobi over a drink. When his cellphone rang, another helpfully suggested: “You can pick up your phone, this is not Johannesburg. You can speak on your phone, our thugs are not as dangerous as those in Johannesburg.”

“The folks at home are usually excited that you are coming to the city of gold but they are also fearful that there is a lot of drugs, alcohol abuse and crime,” said a colleague from the Eastern Cape.

From Mail & Guardian

Intervention Location

Within the Juta Street, Braamfontein area I have selected my intervention location/site on the block surrounded by de Korte, Bertha, Juta and de Beer Streets.

On the South-West block of the site are the Pikitup Offices, on the South-East corner of the block 'The Milner Park' - which is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Braamfontein, and 'Kitchener’s Carvery Bar' on the ground floor is officially recognised as the second oldest bar in Johannesburg. There is a high-rise student accommodation building in the North-West quadrant of the block, Pikitup rents out the parking under this building for its staff and has the parking East of its offices for visitors.

My specific intervention location can be seen by the hatched area on the image below.

Intervention Location

Keret House

Weekend House Alley

Recent History of Braamfontein

As of 2002 Braamfontein was in desperate need of attention. It had problems ranging from street level - such as broken and filthy pavements and inadequate refuse removal - to rife homelessness/informal traders to massive traffic congestion and unauthorised taxi ranks. In 2004 the City Improvement District (CID) was established as the most viable intervention to reverse the downward spiral.

Liberty Group, Sappi and Nedbank Safety Initiative started the project along Ameshoff and Simmonds streets. Sappi, the JD Group, Liberty Group and Apex-Hi decided to upgrade the entire Hoofd Street area and the Civic Precinct in a joint venture with the Johannesburg Development Agency. Plans for future improvements in Braamfontein include a gateway feature to the university campus, pedestrian linkages through to Constitution Hill, upgrading the alleyways between buildings, providing public art, re-opening of the historic Alexander Theatre and new pavement coffee shops.

The Braamfontein Management District (BMD) is bounded by Hoofd, Bertha, Loveday and Juta streets, and the services undertaken by the BMD are supplementary to those provided by local council. The initial step for BMD is securing the improvement district and creating a clean, well-managed environment. The squad comprises 39 patrol officers and one controller, co-ordination is done from the control room situated in Leebram Building, 42 Biccard Street, Braamfontein, which is in radio and telephone contact with the security force officers and the police.

The BMD marketing programme aims to improve the overall image of the business district through branding, collaborative promotional strategies, market research and a communications campaign.The BMD management team ensures that the quality of services provided and the vision of the area is implemented. If you have comments, questions or queries please contact them.

In 2004 the City Improvement District (CID) was established as the most viable intervention to reverse the downward spiral. Liberty Group, Sappi and Nedbank Safety Initiative started the project along Ameshoff and Simmonds streets. Sappi, the JD Group, Liberty Group and Apex-Hi decided to upgrade the entire Hoofd Street area and the Civic Precinct in a joint venture with the Johannesburg Development Agency.
Plans for future improvements in Braamfontein include a gateway feature to the university campus, pedestrian linkages through to Constitution Hill, upgrading the alleyways between buildings, providing public art, re-opening of the historic Alexander Theatre and new pavement coffee shops.

The Braamfontein Management District (BMD) is bounded by Hoofd, Bertha, Loveday and Juta streets, and the services undertaken by the BMD are supplementary to those provided by local council. The initial step for BMD is securing the improvement district and creating a clean, well-managed environment. The squad comprises 39 patrol officers and one controller, co-ordination is done from the control room situated in Leebram Building, 42 Biccard Street, Braamfontein, which is in radio and telephone contact with the security force officers and the police.

The BMD marketing programme aims to improve the overall image of the business district through branding, collaborative promotional strategies, market research and a communications campaign.The BMD management team ensures that the quality of services provided and the vision of the area is implemented. If you have comments, questions or queries please contact them.

More information.

Concept

Serendicity

[ser-uhn-dis-i-tee]

Serendicity is a word I use to describe the serendipitous routes through the city. These are routes that: differ from person to person, could be planned or intuitive, well used or neglected and include any mode of transport/movement; but they are all experiential and engaging to the specific user, on either one or many levels.

If you were to take a random group of people and give them the task of making their way through the city to a specified destination on foot, what would they do? Some people would take out their cellphones and use them to navigate themselves, others would just take-off and 'wing it' and a few might know the way already.

If you took that same group of people but this time gave them the task of finding the most interesting place/object in the city, what would they do? Again some people would take out their cellphones and web search for something, some would just walk until they found something and the same few would know where something interesting is.

In both these situations above there were very different solutions to the task, but which was correct? One could say that, in the first situation, the person who reached the destination first won, but did he? Perhaps he walked right past the free coffee stand because he was so focused on getting to the destination first. In the second situation, how do you judge what the most interesting object or place is? Interest is a personal experience, that being said everyone would have found the most interesting object/place. However, what if they stopped looking as they found something mildly interesting, what are they missing out on?

This idea of engaging with a route/space in the city and coming across something that intrigues you, or something that you have never experienced before is an notion that, I feel, Braamfontein - around Juta Street - has begun to take on.

In Braamfontein there are alleys in the middle of city blocks, paved and lawn open spaces, avenues of trees, education institutes/offices, commercial offices, retail stores, exhibition spaces, coffee shops and markets. Some of these are open to the street with parking and a front door, well others are up a ramp, around the corner, through the alley or 'landlocked' by shops.

Mapping

Site

Road Names

Roads

The roads in Braamfontein are a rectangular grid of one-ways and two-ways, except for Smit and Bertha Streets, which borders acts as the border between Braamfontein and the train station. This grid is an efficient and effective layout for vehicular traffic, with Smit and Bertha Streets contrasting that with a more engaging route as a result of the train station.

Alleys

Braamfontein has a relatively unique aspect of alleys running sequentially in the middle of city blocks. This produces a path that is suited better to pedestrians, on foot is the best way to experience a city, and so this is a key to making a where experience is important.

Trees

Many cities around the world have special green belts in the city to bring in the much needed vegetation. However Braamfontein has scattered trees with a part of Juta Street being relatively dense.

Open Spaces

Apart from the alleys, there are a number of open spaces around the site. These open spaces include paved and lawn, and comprise of some public parks/paths and private areas that are open to the streets.

Places of Interest

The places of interest around the site are incredibly diverse: from transport stops to hotels and hardware stores to restaurants. Excluded from this map are the many education institutes/offices scattered around the site.

Site Selection

44 Stanley   vs   Juta Street   vs   Maboneng Precinct

The urban enclaves that engage with 44 Stanley seem to be the more 'Northern Suburb' type of people; they are there only to be entertained on a commercial level and not venture into the city more than they have to. Whilst there are a large amount of students and creative people that go to 44 Stanley, a lot of them appear to go there for convenience, proximity or the commerce.

Juta Street in Braamfontein is home to urban enclaves, yet these enclaves aren't independent of eachother  These enclaves mix and are mutually beneficial to different enclaves, which vary by the day/hour. They commercial side of Juta street is engaging to the vast quantity of people that 'pound the pavements' on a daily basis (not only on the weekends).

The Maboneng Precinct also has urban enclaves, but these seem to be a more tourist/weekend type of person, someone who only engages with the space intermittently and from a distance. The precinct appears to treat itself as an island, separating itself from its context, even though there have been attempts to break these boundaries.

Based on research and personal experience of each site, I came across exciting challenges and opportunities in all three. However, I decided to select Juta Street as my site due to its atrributes like alleys in the middle of city blocks, paved and lawn open spaces, avenues of trees, retail stores, exhibition spaces, coffee shops on the street and markets in garages being a way to improve cities in a way that I want to engage with.

History of Johannesburg

Timeline

1806 - Gold is indicated to be in the approximate vicinity of either the Witwatersrand or the Magaliesberge.

1852 - Gold is found near Krugersdorp.

1853 - Discovery alluvial gold in the Jukskei River.

1884 - The Struben brothers find the Confidence Reef north of present-day Roodepoort.

Langlaagte, the farm where gold was first discovered.
Wikipedia. History of Johannesburg.

1886 - Prospecting licenses are taken out. Gold is discovered on the Witwatersrand.
1887 - An official market is opened on Market Square.
1888 - The first telephones are installed on the Rand.
1889 - ZAR Government establish a tramway system network.
1890 - The first Hospital building is opened.
1891 - Six kilometres of tramway track are opened in Johannesburg with a terminus located in Fordsburg.
1892 - The first train from the Cape reaches Johannesburg.
1893 - An outbreak of a smallpox epidemic affects those living in Johannesburg.
1894 - A bye-law is passed prohibiting ‘Natives’ from using the Johannesburg city pavements.
1895 - The railway line linking Johannesburg to Durban is opened.
1896 - A shunting locomotive reverses into two railway trucks containing 1955 tons of dynamite on a siding in Braamfontein.
1897 - The first motorcar drives through Johannesburg.
1898 - The Rissik Street Post Office is opened.
1899 - Outbreak of hostilities between Britain and the ZAR.
1900 - Johannesburg is shaken by a large explosion, at the sabotaged Begbie's Iron Foundry.

Begbie's Foundry.
Johannesburg Heritage Plaques.

1901 - Town Council nominated under the interim British Military Administration takes office.
1902 - A peace treaty is signed in Pretoria, officially bringing hostilities to an end.
1903 - The Rand Water Board is established. The area of Johannesburg increases to 211 square kilometres.
1904 - Outbreak of bubonic plague at the Johannesburg Brickfields leads to the removal of its residents to a sanitary camp at Klipspruit.
1905 - The Native Affairs Commission criticises the living conditions that Johannesburg's Black citizens are forced to live under.
1906 - Pass Laws for Indians are promulgated in the Transvaal. Johannesburg's horse drawn trams are replaced by electrically powered units.
1907 - Elections are held for the first Transvaal Parliament.
1908 - The Indigency Commission criticises living conditions of Johannesburg's Black citizens.
1909 - The Johannesburg Municipal Commission urges that surveyed land be made available to 'natives' and other 'non-Europeans'.
1910 - The Union of South Africa comes into being despite the strong objections.
1911 - Johannesburg's tramway workers refuse to begin services, the first of many labour disputes which resulted in the General Strike of 1922.
1912 - The South African Native National Congress (SANNC) is formed in Bloemfontein.
1913 - White miners declare a strike at the New Kleinfontein mine. Industrial action spreads and by July the miners are preparing to declare a general strike.
1914 - The Railwaymen's Union orders a strike.
1915 - Johannesburg's’ new Town Hall is used for the first time.

New Town Hall. Postcard.

1917 - Johannesburg Town Council rents an unused mine compound from the Salisbury Jubilee Mine, which is converted to a hostel for 1000 men.
1918 - 152 strikers are arrested and sentenced to two months hard labour for breach of contract under the 'Masters and Servants Act'.
1919 - Around 70, 000 Black miners go on a peaceful strike, government troops break up workers' meetings, killing 11 people.
1920 - Black miners go on strike. Riots break out.
1922 - White coal miners go on strike. The University of the Witwatersrand is inaugurated.
1923 - First official radio broadcast takes place in Johannesburg. The ‘Native Act' is passed.
1924 - Extensions to the Western Native Township are begun.
1925 - The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, visits Johannesburg.
1926 - The Eastern Native Township is also established.
1927 - The first traffic light is installed in Johannesburg.
1928 - Johannesburg is accorded city status. Johannesburg Council appoints a Committee to deal with Native Affairs.
1930 - The number of houses built at Western and Eastern Townships reaches a total of 2625.
1931 - Britain abandons the gold standard, leading to a rise in the gold price.
1932 - The Union of South Africa abandons the gold standard.
1933 - Municipal water supply is provided to Newclare.
1934 - Klipspruit Location is renamed Pimville.
1935 - 27 water taps are installed in Sophiatown where water is sold by the bucket.
1937 - A fall in the value of gold shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), many businesses and individuals go bankrupt, which beame known as 'Black Friday'.
1939 - The total number of houses for Black residents provided by the Johannesburg City Council reaches 8700.
1944 - 4042 breeze block shelters are erected in an area known as 'Shantytown', located between Orlando East and Orlando West.
1946 - The Moroka Emergency Camp is laid out, providing 11, 000 sites, 6x6m in size.
1947 - Baragwanath Hospital is taken over to serve the needs of the Black community.
1948 - 1800 patients are moved to Baragwanath Hospital from the Johannesburg General Hospital.
1949 - The gold price rises by 44%.
1950 - The ANC calls for a general strike. The police kill 18 people in Alexandra.
1951 - The Bantu Building Workers Act is passed.
1953 - In Johannesburg 35, 000 sites 12x21m each are surveyed.
1954 - The Johannesburg Municipality creates the Housing Division as a separate department.
1955 - A Resettlement Board is formed to undertake removal of Blacks from Johannesburg's western areas.

Protest march against forced removals from Sophiatown

to Soweto. The making of Soweto.

1956 - 14 000 Johannesburg Mining Houses are built.
1957 - The ANC organises the Alexandra Bus Boycott campaign.
1948 - 1800 patients are moved to Baragwanath Hospital from the Johannesburg General Hospital.
1949 - The gold price rises by 44%.
1950 - The ANC calls for a general strike. The police kill 18 people in Alexandra.
1951 - The Bantu Building Workers Act is passed.
1953 - In Johannesburg 35, 000 sites 12x21m each are surveyed.
1954 - The Johannesburg Municipality creates the Housing Division as a separate department.
1955 - A Resettlement Board is formed to undertake removal of Blacks from Johannesburg's western areas.
1956 - 14 000 Johannesburg Mining Houses are built.
1957 - The ANC organises the Alexandra Bus Boycott campaign.
1960 - Some 69 residents of Sharpeville are massacred by police during a Pan African Congress (PAC) protest meeting.
1961 - South Africa becomes a Republic.
1962 - Liquor becomes legally available to the Black community.
1964 - Permission is granted for the construction of a direct access road to Soweto.
1976 - School-children in Soweto go on strike, over 1000 people are killed in the clashes.
1980 - 53 clergymen are arrested in Johannesburg and charged under the Riotous assemblies Act.
1981 - The Sowetan hits the streets.
1982 - A mother and her 4-year-old daughter are killed when council efforts to demolish a neighbouring building crash onto them.
1983 - A bomb explodes in a synagogue in Johannesburg a few hours before State President Viljoen is due to attend a ceremony.
1984 - The new constitution comes into effect on 1 September.
1985 - PW Botha announces proposals to release Nelson Mandela, Mandela turned down the offer of release.
1986 - An explosion at a police station in Johannesburg is thought to have been caused by a bomb.
1987 - A bomb explodes in a department store in Johannesburg.
1988 - 17 anti-apartheid organisations are banned, including the UDF, Azapo and Cosatu.
1989 - The NP wins the election in September and FW de Klerk becomes the President of SA.
1990 - Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years in captivity.

Nelson and Winnie Mandela upon his release from prison.

1991 - Black school-children are admitted to 205 of 2000 previously Whites-only schools where parents have voted for integration.
1994 - First democratic elections
1997 - ‘Triomf’ reverts its name back to ‘Sophiatown’

1999 - Gandhi Square construction is completed.

2001 -  Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is founded.

2003 - 44 Stanley and adjacent developments founded. Nelson Mandela Bridge built, improving the connection between the city and Braamfontein

2007 - The Alexander Theatre re-opens in Braamfontein.

2009 - Arts on Main and Maboneng founded

2010 - World Cup comes to South Africa. Gautrain phase I is launched. 70 Juta Street and Randlords in Braamfontein are launched

For a more detailed timeline of Johannesburg follow the following links:

1800-1899

1900-1976

1980-1991

Site Selection

Task one

Task one of the brief asks for the selection of one out of the three available sites. A choice that should be based on my understanding of the entire brief, a response to the history of Johannesburg and a community identity/individual as the user.

Site options - Johannesburg, Gauteng

Unpacking the Brief

History|Meaning

This project investigates a series of 'Urban Enclaves'. Through an analysis of history and meaning, past and present we are tasked to unwrap any evident and disconnected linkages with the context and meta-narratives within Johannesburg. Part of the analysis a focus on both perceived and actual communities, as well as their associated and definitive landscapes/nodes.

I proceeded to extract the really engaging ideas, ideals and guides out of the brief. I took these words and connected them with relevance to the brief as a whole. This revealed some principles, links and foci to take forward to the site selection and analysis.

Brief Unpacking Web

Urban enclaves, connections to surrounding fabric, perceived and actual communities, communal gathering space, trade fringe, history and meaning, public function, information point and route and their associations/links are the principles that will form the fundamental drive going forward in this project.