The Arch for Arch is an architectural structure and monument located in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, created to commemorate the life and work of Desmond Tutu. Commissioned by

Design Indaba Design Indaba is a trademark and brand founded and run by Interactive Africa in 1995 with a focus on design and under the slogan "A better world through creativity". Consisting of an online publication and a series of events and creative projects, ...

and sponsored by

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, its name is a play on Tutu's widely used nickname, "The Arch". A smaller version of the monument is located in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

, South Africa at Constitution Hill.

Background

In 2016, Design Indaba CEO,

Ravi Naidoo Ravi Naidoo (born 12 August 1964) is the founder of Interactive Africa and Design Indaba, an annual three day design conference hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as a suite of events such as Design Commons and antenna. Naidoo is also a ...

, was approached by Cape Town mayor,

Patricia De Lille Patricia de Lille (née Lindt; born 17 February 1951) is a South African politician who is the current Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and leader of the political party Good. She was previously Mayor of Cape Town from 2011 to 2018, ...

, with the task of creatively honoring the former Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Through discussions with sponsor, Liberty, and input from Norwegian architecture firm

Snøhetta Snøhetta is the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell mountain range in Norway. At , it is the highest mountain in Norway outside the Jotunheimen range, making it the 24th highest peak in Norway, based on a topographic prominence cutoff. At , ...

and Johannesburg-based urban design firm, Local Studio, the Arch for Arch was conceptualized. The wooden monument was envisioned as a public celebration of Tutu's legacy and impact on the people of South Africa.

Architecture and location

The Arch is a tribute to the values of the South African Constitution along with it being a tribute to Tutu and the 14 arches that form the arch also serve to highlight the 14 chapters of the South African Constitution. The structure stands at 9 meters tall. Designed by Snøhetta co-founder,

Craig Dykers Craig Edward Dykers is an American architect and founding partner of the architecture firm, Snøhetta. History Craig Dykers was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1961. In 1985 he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University ...

, with support from Local Studio's Thomas Chapman, the physical structure of the Arch for Arch consists of 14 individual arched beams of wood, which together form a dome. Swissline Design Timber Engineers, The Structural Workshop (Pty) Ltd and Smart Civils were involved in its construction. Arch for Arch was installed beside historic St. George's Cathedral on Cape Town's Adderley street. It is situated on the oldest pedestrian thoroughfare in the country - Government Avenue. The

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north ban ...

, the Slave Lodge, and the

Company's Garden The Company's Garden is the oldest garden in South Africa, a park and heritage site located in central Cape Town. The garden was originally created in the 1650s by the region's first European settlers and provided fertile ground to grow fres ...

are all within walking distance.

Unveiling

At the 2017 Design Indaba Conference, a prototype of the structure was first unveiled to the public during the event's finale. Archbishop Tutu, Craig Dykers, and Thomas Chapman were all present for the occasion. The Arch for Arch had its official unveiling on October 7, 2017 which was on Tutu's 86th birthday. A private service was held at the St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town in his honor, attended by notable people, including

Albie Sachs Albert "Albie" Louis Sachs (born 30 January 1935) is a South African lawyer, activist, writer, and former judge appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela. Early life and education Albie Sachs was born on ...

Cheryl Carolus Cheryl Carolus (born 27 May 1958) is a South African politician. She was born in Silvertown, on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Carolus became involved in politics while still at school and became an activist after joining the United Democratic Fro ...

, and Mamphele Ramphela, as well as the greater Tutu family. A smaller version of the Arch For Arch monument was unveiled at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on December 20, 2017 to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of South Africa's Constitution.

References

{{Reflist Architecture in South Africa Wooden buildings and structures