The San Culture and Heritage Center in South Africa

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The roof extends beyond the northern glazed facade to shelter against the harsh sunlight.

With the aim of achieving harmonious connection to the land of the indigenous surviving culture of South Africa, a Cape Town based KLG Architects is now in charge of the construction of a museum which is dedicated to the San culture and heritage. Taking a different direction from the traditional museum concept, the project seamlessly integrates the building with its surroundings, crafting an organic landscape that celebrates the San ‘way of life’ according to Designboom website. Conceived as part of the terrain, built along a granite ridge, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean near Yzerfontein on the West Coast of South Africa, with an indigenous planted concrete roof that merges the building into the setting, it’s as an exclusive proposal for !Khwa ttu San Heritage Center that focus on sustainable and ethical design.

The design is conceived as part of the terrain crafting an organic landscape.

Respecting the natural context, the exposed granite rocks become an integral part of an exhibition wall internally. Concrete, chosen for its versatility, structural plasticity, and austere aesthetic qualities, shapes the undulating forms and curves of the roof. The roof parapets are carefully molded to specific curvatures which support the growing medium on top of multi-layered drainage insulation boards. Concrete and steel beams share the load and resulting in cost-effective solutions that minimize material usage.

A specially crafted concrete mix emulates the vibrant colors of the Kalahari San environment on the floor. The custom-cast floor weaves around rocky outcrops respecting the context and the natural site features. KLG Architects design team opts for an ethical approach and embraces sustainable practices, incorporating a technical means of hydronic underfloor heating system and a rigid insulation layer that leverages an ‘active’ thermal mass design strategy to radiate warmth during colder winter months.

Consciously demonstrating a balance between context, material and design methodology through a combination of environmental strategies with contemporary technologies, the structure imbibes non-symmetrical eclipse-shaped Media Center that features a rock store nestled within its tapering walls that channel cool air that circulates through the space and is ultimately discharged at the roof level. The environmentally conscious approaches allow for a climatically stabilized internal environment, significantly reducing the reliance on conventional heating and cooling systems.