Caitlin Ho

The East Asian populations within Johannesburg have a history as old as the city itself and is a diverse mix of multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multi-cultural peoples. Their position within the Rainbow Nation is often ambiguous, still seen as “the other”.

The design stems from an exploration of the space of Chinatown - of which Johannesburg has two. An understanding is reached by navigating the historical spatial significances of the first “Chinatown” before considering the development of Cyrildene’s Chinatown. Through this, the paper uncovers spatial gaps and opportunities.

Cyrildene Chinatown, as an active ethnic space, has been chosen as a site for an architectural intervention that can act as a catalyst for trans-cultural exchange and community building at all scales as an attempt to begin mending both spatial and social gaps. By supporting the multi-layered communities found within the East Asian population in Johannesburg, it is hoped that inter-and intra-community connections will be strengthened through a space of encounter: combining active learning, celebration of cultural diversity, promotion of community cohesion to combat adversity, revealing under-documented histories of East Asian in South Africa, and work towards a transcultural future.