Case Study 1

BLDEA'S V.P. DR. P.G.
HALAKATTI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
SUBJECT :THESIS SEMINAR
TOPIC :CASE STUDY OF MAPUNGUBWE

INTERPRETATION CENTER
NAME : SHRUTI DEOGIRI
SEM : VIII TH
VTU : 2BL16AT027
LOCATION :
WORLD MAP AFRICA MAP

SOUTH AFRICA MAP
LIMPOP MAP
MAPUNGUBWE INTERPRETATION
CENTER
Mapungubwe, located on South Africa's
northern border with Botswana and
Zimbabwe, prospered between 1200 and
1300 AD by being one of the first places
that produced gold, but after its fall it
remained uninhabited for over 700
years, until it's discovery in 1933. The
society living in what today is Unesco
World Heritage Site, is thought to have
been the most complex in the region,
implementing the first class-based social
system in southern Africa. And besides
the cultural heritage, Mapungubwe is
also home to an immensely rich flora
and fauna, including over 1000 years old
Baobab trees and a big variety of animal
life, including elephant, giraffe, white
rhino, antelopes and 400 bird species.
ARCHITECT VISION :
In this surreal setting Peter Rich has designed a 1,500 sqm
visitor's center which includes spaces to tell the stories of the
place and house artifacts, along with tourist facilities and
SANParks offices. The complex is a collection of stone
cladded vaults balancing on the sloped site, against the
backdrop of Sandstone formations and mopane woodlands.
INTRODUCTION :
The Limpopo Valley may be one of the most remote and isolated
places in South Africa. The huge Mapungubwe National Park is
located at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.
Thispark is a property of the South African National Parks
authority (SANParks) who commissioned the Interpretation
Centre which celebrates the ancient civilisation of Mapungubwe,
linked to the Great Zimbabwe. The rocky landscape is a result of
geological events that reshaped the area. At that time the course
of the Limpopo River was also changed; from going towards the
Atlantic Ocean it now headed towards the Indian Ocean.
The vegetation is that of a dry area with mopane and baobab
trees, and could easily be likened to a “hilly” savannah.
Understanding the landscape is essential to the Mapungubwe
Interpretation Centre as the whole design and architecture of this
building is focused on its integration into the natural landscape of
the park.
The Interpretation Centre is located past a pond, on the side of a
mesa that sisters the main mesa of the Heritage Site, the
ceremonial centre of the Mapungubwe civilisation, one kilometre
away, close to the entrance to the park.
Peter Rich, head of Peter Rich Architects, has taught architectural
theory and design for three decades at the University of the
Witwatersrand’s Department of Architecture in Johannesburg. He
partnered with Michael Ramage and John Ochsendorf for the
Mapungubwe Heritage Centre.
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Limpopo Valley is located in the north of South Africa at

the confluence of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The
Mapungubwe civilisation is a kingdom dated between 1075
and the 14th century. We have very little information about this
kingdom since there is no written documentation about it and
the oral traditions of the region do not mention it.
The site was discovered in 1933; it was declared a World
Heritage Site in 2003, as a Cultural Landscape. The
landscape is characteristic of a savannah with mopane trees,
huge baobabs and thorny trees forming the vegetal cover that
is intricately tied to the rocky sandstone formations all around.
The Mapungubwe civilisation produced historical artefacts that
show the brilliance of this civilisation and its commercial links
to Egypt and Asia. The famous Golden Rhino was discovered
on the historical ceremonial mesa of Mapungubwe National
Park.
HISTORY OF THE INCEPTION OF

THE PROJECT
The pre-existence of traditional African states
and kingdoms has always been a very
controversial issue in South Africa during the
time of Apartheid. However, when this
regime ended, the South African government
decided to emphasise the legacy of those
kingdoms. Research that had been halted – or
simply not taught – resumed, and the
government decided to revive these studies.
When the area was granted World Heritage
status in 2003, this boosted the policy to
develop Mapungubwe and the Interpretation
Centre followed as a result.
LOCAL ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER,
including prevalent forms and materials
It is very difficult and tricky to relate Mapungubwe to any existing
form of architecture nearby. There are no inhabitants close to this
area; this huge reserve is totally free of any human presence. After
flourishing for centuries, the area has been long abandoned.
However, different ethnic groups of the region claim traditional
ownership of the land. This became a serious issue for the project
which the architects had to confront by ensuring that their building did
not refer to any one particular group, as this would have raised
controversy.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
It is located at 29°23’E and 22°19’S; the site is in a semi-arid climate.
Maximum temperatures average between 25°C (June) and 32°C
(January). Peaks occur in summer (45°C). Minimum temperatures
average between 9°C (June) and 21°C (January).
Annual rainfall is around 400 millimetres and there are approximately
10 rainy days a year. At the time of the visit, there had been flooding
after heavy rainfalls, occurring after a two-year period of draught.
IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS OF THE SITE

The project site is empty of human presence. The nearest inhabitants
are those from game farms, several kilometres away.
TOPOGRAPHY
Mapungubwe sits between 300 to 780 metres above sea level. The
site is very rocky and hilly, the result of important seismic movements
that even changed the direction of the flow of the Limpopo River from
towards the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. The sandstone rocks
are everywhere in the environment and form the specific nature of
the area, together with the baobab and mopane trees.
BUILDING DATA
The ground floor is 1,130 square metres, while the total area is
2,750 square metres.
The Centre sits on the side of a mesa. It is formed of a series of
vaulted forms linked by outside areas in a combination of “ins
and outs”. Access to the Centre is via a small bridge, which also
gives the first indication about the ideas behind the massing of
this project: to keep the ground untouched in respect for the
sacred nature of the site. The project itself is a series of vaulted
forms of different sizes and structures built in light earth bricks
and covered with sandstone. All the vaults are just laid on the
hillside with complete respect for the natural environment. No big
earth-moving works or embankment projects were carried out.
The different parts of the programme were just laid on the hillside
as though it might have resulted from a natural geological event.
SITE PLAN
SECTIONS
CONCEPT OF VULTING :
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The general programme was very precise, and the architect also
had to devote much attention to the social and political
environment. The Interpretation Centre is composed of a
museum, including an introduction hall where the general history
of Mapungubwe is told with information on the context, different
rooms hosting exhibits of the artefacts found in Mapungubwe, the
history and social organisation of the kingdom and a sacred place
dedicated to remains found in the area.
Facilities were developed for the visitor (coffee bar, restaurant,
shop, etc.).
Offices for SANParks are included within the complex. The
building, of course, had to take into account the climate of the
region and the arid conditions.
An outdoor amphitheatre and facilities for researchers are
included in the programme.
Different tribal claims on the land also made it difficult to relate to
one particular group in the region. The architect had to be very
careful to avoid any potential controversy in his proposals
LANDSCAPING
There has been no special landscaping. The natural
environment is the landscape. Therefore, the architect decided
to respect it and to integrate the building into the dramatic
existing landscape of stones and hills.
STRUCTURE, MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
The structural system of the vaults is impressive. This is a
revival of a 700-year-old vaulting system of the
Mediterranean area. These vaults are footed on thick
sandstone walls stressed in compression. The largest
vault spans 14.5 metres with a thickness of 30
centimetres. The vaults are made of thin, non-fired
stabilised-earth tiles. They form a double curved structure
that was constructed with minimum formwork.
Barrel vaults are used as formwork for the horizontal
slabs.
The whole design was based on static graphics, allowing
a continuous review of the shapes of the vaults while
resolving the structural problems.
The stress in compression is very low. The parabolic
forms allow this stress to be transferred vertically to the
walls. Horizontal thrust is, of course, much higher and is
resolved on the largest vaults with steel tension ties
embedded into buttresses.
Computer calculations have been very helpful in finalising
the structural system of vaults.
MATERIALS
Structural members
• concrete structure and slabs;
• sandstone walls;
• stabilised-earth bricks;
• diverse recycled materials (metal poles, etc.)
Infill materials
• brick walls, with aluminium window;
• recycled plastic sheets;
• glazing
• Renderings and finishes
• earth tiles; x cement plastering;
• recycled copper bars;
• recycled plastic sheets
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
The vaults system used in the building is brand new to the
South African context. Consequently it was necessary to train
unemployed women of the villages next to the site in how to
produce earth bricks Then, finally, unemployed men were
trained to construct the vaults.
Training was conducted by the members of Peter Rich’s team
themselves.
There is an extensive use of bamboo and recycled materials for
other parts of the building. The recessed vaults are used as a
permanent formwork for the concrete slabs.
Walls are built in dry stone using the traditional techniques of
the Ndebele people of South Africa.
BUILDING SERVICES, SITE UTILITIES
Electricity is provided on site as well as water. The sewerage
system is an individual one, specifically designed for the project.
It is notable that, in addition to the thermal characteristic of the
building developed through the architecture and the nature of
materials (thermal slowness), the architect designed a specific
evaporative cooling system for the project. This system uses a
specific feature of thermal exchanges in construction that is
called maximal evaporative capacity of the air. The system is
used in the SANParks office whereas the curators of the main
exhibition halls decided that additional air conditioning was
needed there for the sake of the artefacts.
RESPONSE TO PROJECT BY CLIENTS, USERS,
COMMUNITY, ETC.
What do architectural professionals and the cultural
“intelligentsia” think about the project?
The project is highly regarded by architects, not only in South
Africa but in the African region and all over the world. It has
gained several prizes since its completion, amongst which:
• World Building of the Year, World Architectural Festival,
Barcelona, October 2009
• World Building, Culture Category winner, World Architecture
Festival, Barcelona, October 2009
• David Alsop Sustainability Award x British Structural Awards,
2009
• The Institute of Structural Engineers
• South Africa Absolut Visi Designer of the Year, 2009
• Wienerberger Brick Award, 2012
WHAT IS THE POPULAR REACTION TO THE
PROJECT?
Many articles in South African and American newspapers
emphasise the quality of the work of Peter Rich on the
Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre.
WHAT DO NEIGHBOURS AND THOSE IN THE
IMMEDIATE VICINITY THINK ABOUT THE
PROJECT?
The people we talked to in the Limpopo Valley were mainly
game-farm owners, officers of the park, some tourists. They all
praised the quality of the design and construction.
THANKYOU…….

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BLDEA'S V.P. DR. P.G.

HALAKATTI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

SUBJECT :THESIS SEMINAR

TOPIC :CASE STUDY OF MAPUNGUBWE

NAME : SHRUTI DEOGIRI

WORLD MAP AFRICA MAP

The Limpopo Valley is located in the north of South Africa at

HISTORY OF THE INCEPTION OF

IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS OF THE SITE

STRUCTURE, MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY

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