A RANGE OF BUILDINGS

Featured in this post is a range of buildings showing different styles and purposes. This is no architectural tour in the sense of line, form and general beauty. Instead it looks at purpose and gives a glimpse of perspectives through the ages. I start with a simple roadside picnic spot somewhere in the Western Cape:

Given the long distances one has to travel between towns in this country, it is wonderful to have dedicated spaces where one can safely pull off the road for a break. These picnic spots often have a large tree or two to provide shade – the thatched roof of this one is an indication that large trees are not abundant in this area. Concrete tables and stools are usually provided, along with a litter bin. The ones in the Western Cape are generally beautifully clean. I wish I could say the same of those in the Eastern Cape, which are poorly maintained with the litter bins seldom emptied and the tables and stools often broken or have disappeared.

Another simple and practical design is illustrated by this Forest Hut in the Addo Elephant National Park:

Built from timber, it is fairly spacious inside and each hut is screened from its neighbour by a thick hedge of natural vegetation. The ubiquitous braai is included and there is a microwave indoors. A well-equipped camp kitchen is a short walk away.

Far less attractive to the eye are the number of blockhouses in South Africa, remnants of the Anglo-Boer War. You can read more about this Geelbek Blockhouse near Laingsburg in this post: https://somethingovertea.wordpress.com/2022/06/11/geelbek-river-blockhouse/

Much more attractive is the Cape Dutch architecture as illustrated by this building in the West Coast National Park. Coincidentally, this building which dates back to about 1860 is also named Geelbek – after the Yellow-billed Duck:

A more detailed account of it can be read at https://somethingovertea.wordpress.com/2022/10/27/geelbek-visitors-centre/

We come to my home town of Grahamstown for the final two buildings. The first is the Albany Museum in Somerset Street, which was established in 1855. It is designed in the Cape Dutch Revival style:

Lastly, a visit to High Street one Remembrance Day to see both the City Hall and the Standard Bank:

The City Hall, built in 1882, is an example of Gothic Revival architecture, finished in rubble masonry, with cast concrete dressings. The Standard Bank was completed in 1934. The base of the building, the steps and the surrounds to the entrance doors are constructed in Roman stone, while the remainder of the facade is finished in a rough textured plaster – no glass and steel structures then: banks needed to look solid!