- Cape Town’s first mass timber dome, featuring a Khoekhoen heritage exhibit, is set to open in Green Point Urban Park on 20 November.
- Inspired by traditional Khoi hut structures, the eco-friendly dome serves as an educational space for learning about First Nations history and culture.
- The Dome Education Centre and Experiential Education Garden offer interactive learning experiences and will be available for educational programmes and events.
The country’s first mass timber dome based in Green Point Urban Park is set to open later this month.
This three-dimensional structure will feature a permanent Khoekhoen exhibition and offer educational programmes to share the history of the First Nations People (Khoisan, Khwe and San).
It will also serve as an outdoor environmental-education space for learners and a safe place for visitors to immerse themselves in nature (“Green Point’s historic three-dimensional timber dome nears completion”, People’s Post, 23 April 2024).
Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and the environment, said the R9 million project will officially open on Wednesday 20 November.
He said the Experiential Education Garden (EEG) is already open to the public and that the Dome Education Centre will be available for bookings for educational programmes and special events.
“The vision of the Dome Education Centre was to make the space a celebration of Cape Town’s Khoi First Nation peoples, who once moved freely across this fertile land with their herds of sheep and cattle.”
Inspired
He explained the idea behind the design.
“The inspiration for the Dome’s design was the simple yet clever traditional Khoi dome-shaped huts. In essence, the structures were a skeleton of flexible branches covered with a patchwork of reed matjies (mats) to give shade in summer, warmth in winter as well as good ventilation.
He said the design of the huts was perfectly suited to the Khoi’s “nomadic lifestyle” as they could be disassembled and carried when the tribe moved on in search of new grazing.”
According to Andrews, the Dome is an ingenious example of eco-conscious environmentally sustainable construction, attracting global attention.
READ | Green Point’s historic three-dimensional timber dome nears completion
Speaking to People’s Post previously, Andrews said this was the first three-dimensional mass timber dome ever to be built. “There are 12 mass timber domes worldwide, all of which are two-dimensional, in that they are made up of 12 or more segments of two dimensions and rely on the human brain to make them look dome-shaped.”
According to Andrews, mass timber is the newest and greenest system of carbon-conscious construction.
“It refers to engineered wood products made by taking smaller wood elements and connecting them with glues, dowels, nails or screws to create larger building components.
“It is strong, durable, versatile and sustainable.”
