Architecture & Heritage
JCAF is located in a former electrical tram shed and substation that formed part of a network of trams that ran in Johannesburg between 1906 and 1961. The building is a listed city heritage site and an important example of the Modern Movement. In 2022 it received the Herbert Prins Colosseum Trophy and Heritage Award.
The renovation of the site preserves the modernist functionalism of the architecture while incorporating new, bespoke design elements that contrast tradition with innovation. The architects’ intention was to conserve the original character of the building in such a way as to ‘touch the building lightly’ by making sure all additions were subtly separated from the old and defined as new. The restoration retains the original brick structure and includes a new customised steel and glass façade to join the two original buildings, and a bespoke steel entrance structure in the courtyard.
JCAF’s 450 m2 exhibition space is a museum-standard environment with UV-filtered glass windows, HVAC air temperature control (18–22° C) and humidity control (55% RH), an FM200-gas fire suppression system, digital security system and an art storage-and-delivery area. A bespoke track system accommodates museum spotlights produced by Procédés Hallier. The result is a museum-standard environment for exhibitions that is the antithesis of the white cube.
Having been a prominent feature in Forest Town for around a hundred years, the building is well-rooted and has already had a life serving the town in a different way … The main access is a pedestrian-only entrance with the new steel structure, which sits along the old tram lines and honours its memory … The entrance structure hides and then reveals elements of the building as you move up towards the reception. On either side of the folded steel structure are two green courtyards which bring softness to the space and allow room for reflection, gathering and sharing with others.
StudioMAS Architects