2.4 NATURE OF THE SPACES:
The Centre as a whole should be clearly and strongly linked to the town of Hankey by means of at least one pedestrian route. This will make it easily accessible to the local inhabitants of the town, as well as provide visitors to the Centre with a path into Hankey, which is necessary in order for the development to have any economic impact on the town.
The external arrival area should be welcoming to visitors, and from it the path to the gravesite should be clearly visible. It should be landscaped with special attention given to natural textures and surfaces.
The parking area should be sensitively landscaped and integrated into the natural environment. Access from the tarred road needs to be clearly visible and safe.
The building(s) should clearly convey the identity of a Cultural Centre of national significance.
The multi-purpose space should be as flexible as possible, allowing for conferences with seating, community functions such as wedding receptions, as well as traditional dance, music and performance workshops and rehearsals. It should be easily sub-divisible with its own access and security control.
The multi-purpose space and kitchen facility should be placed close to or off the entrance space to permit the private hire of the venues after hours, while access to the rest of the building(s) is denied.
The retail outlet should be easily visible and secure. Adequate provision must be made for the servicing of all spaces, as well as deliveries and staff parking.
The reading and reference space will accommodate a library of books and visual material pertaining to the KhoiSan culture, the story of Sarah Bartmann and human rights in general. It will be staffed by a librarian and will be accessible to scholars, researchers and other interested people. It should be a quiet open plan space with strict access control and security.
The exhibition spaces should be varied and diverse, allowing for interactive multi-media displays such as holograms, music, poetry reading, narratives, video screenings and computer monitors as well as more traditional exhibition methods. Spaces should be created for freestanding 3-dimensional displays such as sculptures, cultural objects and artifacts, models and display units. Vertical surfaces should be provided for the exhibition of paintings, photographs, maps, documents, etc.
There will be an emphasis on the preservation and continuation of KhoiSan skills and traditions, therefore “living” or active exhibitions are an important part of the Centre. Story-telling, part of the continuation of the oral tradition, is central to the KhoiSan culture. This should be accommodated for in the exhibition areas, as well as outdoors through the creation of suitable seated areas of different sizes. Similarly spaces for the performance of rituals and dances should be designed both internally and externally. These spaces should be as flexible as possible so that they may be used for other purposes when not used for performance or ritual. Protection from the elements should be provided wherever possible.
The living exhibition spaces form part of the active exhibition spaces, even though they are working spaces. They will be used for demonstrations of the making of tools, craft, music, jewellery, utensils, etc. Cultural objects and artifacts made here will be sold in the retail outlet, and it is envisaged that visitors to the Centre should be able to view the creative processes taking place in these spaces.
The place of rest and refreshment may incorporate a traditional cooking area. It should have a covered component for use in bad weather. It should be easily accessible to visitors as it is another form of living exhibition similar to dance, music, poetry reading and crafting.
The indigenous garden and nursery will convey information on plants used for medicinal and other purposes. Some plants will be for sale to visitors. The garden should be a contemplative place for healing and reflection.