Architecture sure is subjective 🙂
“This building couldn’t even succeed as a space for retail. It’s unrealistic to suggest that it was capable of reversing racial segregation and apartheid in the country. And to suggest that, elsewhere in the world, similar modernist monstrosities have come to be loved by the public through experimental outdoor performances is ridiculous. The public doesn’t care enough. And why should they? They’re looking for a place to buy things before catching the bus home. The truth is, retail has never succeeded on ramps. And the UCT sports centre is an absolute fucking nightmare to use. If you ever want to experience a building telling you to go and fuck yourself, try approaching from the North and wanting a beer.
Chris – 2012 – MAHALA
“Dude it is is truly, truly fugly building which is impossible for anyone to use in any sensible way. By all means lets have inspirational architecture but this is not it, time to accept it an move on.”
Mud-debunker – Jan 2012 – MAHALA
“So what to do with a dysfunctional space in a highy prized commercial location that should have national monument status?”
Andy – Jan 2012 – MAHALA
“I cannot think of another building in this country that is so determined to impose its ethos upon those who frequent it, no matter what their practical needs or comfort zones may be. It has loads of dark, damp crannies and dead ends, more amenable to impromptu urination or muggings than healthy social interaction. A nagging reminder of how architects sometimes get the latitude to impose their naive idealism and unsympathetic determination on the lives of many. The sooner it goes and we get the opportunity to wise up, the better.”
Die treadmill van Danville – Jan 2012 – MAHALA
“To suggest that certain users of a building aren’t deserving of a pleasant experience is an example of the same line of thinking that all of the orthodox modernists were guilty of, and the reason that their buildings, and the movement as a whole, are considered a failure and are today only valued by architects.”
Chris – Dec 2012 – MAHALA
“There’s an interesting polarization of opinion and intent taking place. Pragmatists and contemporary aesthetes clearly want the Werdmuller monstrosity razed to the ground. Conceding to this would uphold the likes of Cavendish as a social success, which is why the die-hard socialists want to see it stay. But within this struggle lies the sickest message of all, that concession to utopian ideals devoid of practicality and alignment with human nature will deliver nothing but ugly grey disfunctionality sustained by dogma alone. Look at the Eastern Bloc architecture from the Cold War – the similarities are striking.”
Ed Ifice – Dec 2012 – MAHALA
“I think it’s sad that a boring box like Cavendish becomes the coolest mall in Cape Town, yet a true highlight of South African modernist architecture stands rotting due to public indifference. Also, a bit amazed that something this controversial has failed to stir debate. It says a lot about the public and the mediocrity we aspire to in this city.”
Urban Rambler – Feb 2012 – Skyscraper City
“Clad the bastard in copper, give it new fixtures and make a creative hub or SME incubator out of it !!”
Marsupalami – Feb 2012 – Skyscraper City
“If this was a Le Corbusier building it may be a different story but what it seems is similar to everybody wanting to keep and protect the fake and rip off pairings of the Mona lisa. Yes the original has merit and should be kept, but do you keep every single rip off version ? some are better trashed and replaced as the original will always exist.”
SA Boy – Feb 2012 – Skyscraper City