KUYASA
LIBRARY



KUYASA LIBRARY

The challenge was to develop an intervention that re-organised the dominant road alignment to provide safer access for pedestrians and create opportunities for development adjacent to the public transport interchange.

TKLA were appointed by VPUU (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading) as the landscape architects for the framework development and detail designs for the library forecourt.

Integral to the landscape strategy was the integration of cycleways, safe pedestrian crossings from the schools to the station, tree planting strategies, and the design of the library court as a future urban courtyard within the broader precinct.

The planting of trees required careful consideration as the site is situated close to the coast and is exposed to strong and hot sand-laden south-easterly summer winds. The Cape Flats environment in which Kuyasa is situated does not naturally support large shade trees; thus, the appropriate tree palette is limited. In addition, planting nursery grown trees in these exposed harsh conditions is not advisable.

The Kuyasa library and landscaped spaces are strategically placed within the precinct to facilitate commercial and residential development along the vehicular and pedestrian routes, enabling future active safe spaces for pedestrians.
YEAR
2011-2013

LOCATION
Khayelitsha, Cape Town

TEAM
TKLA
Project Manager: VPUU
Architects: CCNI Architects

CLIENT
City of Cape Town
















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