Buhle Xhegwana

The proposed project site is situated on the Golden Highway in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, near Mdantsane Correctional Services. It is strategically located near educational institutions and commerce at the heart of the township. The primary objective of this research is to investigate how Amasiko, which encompasses cultural practices and their associated memories within an oral culture, can be transformed into a tangible structure representing the community's heritage. This envisioned architectural form acts as a repository for collective memory, utilizing ethnographic layers of information to construct a "Grand Mnemonic Device" that conveys essential aspects of the culture and its history. This space's purpose is to stimulate the acts of remembering and collecting, culminating in the creation of a "house of memory," bridging the gap between architecture and society beyond mere functionality.

The program implemented within this space mirrors key cultural rituals, including Umgidi (Initiation ceremony), Umshado (wedding), and Umngcwabo (Funeral), with these spaces not only serving to organize the rituals but also to engage the local community. They act as tools for accessing collective memory and cultural practices, reinforcing the strong connection between architecture and society, while enabling the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage within the community