Gerald Phiri

Shadow Sanctuary – A Space of Refuge for Sex Workers addresses gender-based violence in South Africa as a spatial crisis, where urban neglect amplifies harm against marginalised communities, particularly sex workers. Set in Johannesburg’s Pullinger Kop Park—a site of ecological and social abandonment—the project reimagines public space as a tool for spatial justice and collective healing. Through trauma-informed and biophilic design, the Shadow Sanctuary provides graduated zones of safety, care, and empowerment, challenging the carceral logics and erasures embedded in conventional urban planning. Anchored in participatory principles and peer-led initiatives, it integrates wellness, skill-building, and legal support into daily spatial life. This thesis proposes architecture not as a neutral backdrop but as active reparative infrastructure—centering dignity, community, and the right to refuge for those most excluded.