Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature

Eleven buildings and 96,126 m² for a new province, won in open competition.

The brief

The new province of Mpumalanga needed a legislature and offices for its departments. The client wanted the departments close together, so they could consult and work with each other without wasting time travelling.

The site was partly a protected natural area overlooking the Crocodile River, with flood lines, a belt of indigenous trees to protect, a height restriction and a very large parking requirement.

The idea

The multi-level parking deck forms a semi-circle on the outer edge of the site. The administration buildings face the river and botanical gardens, linked by walkways to a central facilities building with dining and meeting rooms.

A single linking walkway acts as the security threshold: once inside, people move freely between departments to each one's reception.

Building skills

The contractor had to run on-site training in bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, concrete work and foremanship. Trainees who reached the required level received a certificate and then worked on the main buildings.

The result

The team pre-qualified in July 1997, was announced as winner in September 1997, and construction finished in 2000. The project comprises 11 buildings with a total area of 96,126 m². The judges in Berlin said they were "pleased to see a medium-sized African project that does not mimic European or American aesthetics".

The practice returned in 2016 to design a new examinations centre.