Intersections, 2012

A series of 5 large format photographs. 4"x 5" color negatives scanned and printed on archival pigment paper, 20"x 25" edition of 5.

In the Western Cape, South Africa context, a peculiar phenomenon has emerged: meticulously planned townships, complete with intricate waterways, well-paved roads, and a comprehensive infrastructure, stand conspicuously uninhabited. Unlike the historically marginalized townships, these new developments target an emerging, affluent, and upwardly mobile middle class. This shift in demographic focus represents a complex interplay of socioeconomic and racial dynamics deeply rooted in the architectural and planning theories that have historically shaped South African urban landscapes.

The conceptual underpinnings of these townships can be traced back to seminal movements in architecture and urban planning. Le Corbusier's 1922 utopian vision, Ville Contemporaine, profoundly impacted the white South African conceptualization of townships as spaces for the "positive yet controlled movement" of a black labor force. Similarly, the influence of Ebenezer Howard's Garden Cities is palpable in the township plans, which often feature meticulously designed boulevards and neighborhoods arranged in aesthetically pleasing, curving grids. In the 1950s, a cadre of architects from the prestigious University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg sought to address the so-called "native housing problem" by designing a series of matchbox houses. These sterile architectural forms subsequently proliferated across the sprawling landscapes of South African townships.

Liza Findley and Liz Ogbu illuminate the historical lineage of architectural theories that have been instrumental in shaping South African townships' spatial and social configurations. Often imported from Western contexts, these theories have been adapted to serve specific racial and socio-economic agendas, reinforcing the townships as racial constructs. Therefore, the uninhabited townships of the Western Cape serve as both a testament to and a critique of these historical and theoretical legacies. They raise pressing questions about the efficacy of planning models that, while aesthetically appealing, may not align with the complex socio-political realities of contemporary South Africa.