st. lucia heritage park

eco

culture

community

client:

Lubombo SDI / Tourism KZN

location:

St. Lucia
Kwa-Zulu Natal

Development:

The improvement to the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park is commissioned by the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Authority and jointly funded by KZNTA and SANRA as part of the Government Poverty Relief Policy.

The development comprises of:

  • St lucia ablution facilities game rangers accommodation
  • Mkuze game reserve empshopi camp ground ablution
  • entrance gate
  • craft and dining facility
  • game rangers accommodation
  • Siyabonga tourist facility. The Siyabonga Tourist Facility forms part of the infrastructural development and improvement to  the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park.
  • mission rock beach 
  • catalina bay ablution facilities

SIyabonga

The development comprises of:
• siyabonga craft market
• information centre
• dining and proposed restaurant

The project’s involved the creation of a visitors’ gateway to the river, embodying the essence of one of the world’s most spectacular Wetland Parks.

The tourist centre serves as an information point exhibiting the natural history, existing culture and local environment. The water edge is viewed as a significant junction between land and water. Each environment is unique yet inter-related. Siyabonga’s architectural language seeks to express the contrast of water and forest. The tranquility of the area generates the simple planar form and scale of the facility

The wetland vegetation is integrated within the courtyard, expressive of the surrounding mangrove forest.

siyabonga

A revolutionary, single roof structure was designed to seat capacities varying between 45,000-100,000. The use of a geo-structural form reduced the weight and amount of steel needed by 25%, removing the need for superfluous secondary structures.

Skin

An interactive membrane integrated into a sinuous coastal park leading to the development of fluid forms, alluding to the coastal character of Durban.

Flexible bowl

Permanent seating formed by re-usable, mobile form work is integrated with temporary seating to vary with different sporting events. The shape of the bowl allows for a range of sport events to be hosted within the stadium with maximised views on the east-west stands.

Comfortable bowl

Passive, low-tech and low-maintenance environmental systems with the use of ‘smart skin’ infill panels which operate independently to regulate airflow, sunlight and ambient conditions.