Michael Liebrich

South Africa's urban planning is a remnant of the historical apartheid laws, with spaces of segregation and divide abundant. Swathes of land that could be used as public green space are instead spaces used to divide racial different ethnic groups. The Athlone Power Station locates itself in one of these spaces of segregation between the Garden Cities of Pinelands (a lush green neighbourhood originally for white residents) and Langa (a black township stripped of the bucolic imagery of the Garden City). For over two decades this relic of industrialisation has sat unused. It acts as a space of historical injustice, of social and environmental toxicity; but on the other hand, also acts as a beacon for community identity and of imbued memories. By re-adapting the site, the space becomes a palimpsest, an overlay of conflicting memories, of current activity, and of forward-thinking innovation and creativity..