A model of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, which will be built on the Foreshore.

The dream of building The Desmond Tutu Peace Centre in the heart of Cape Town is moving closer to reality.

Planning by the design teams from two award-winning architect firms – VVMMA and Luyanda Mpahlwa’s DesignSpaceAfrica – is at an advanced stage and construction is expected to start towards the end of the year.

The site is a prime piece of land opposite the Cape Town International Convention Centre and adjacent to the Cullinan Hotel, in the heart of the city’s financial district and was donated by the City of Cape Town.

The architects have introduced the concept of ‘pathways to peace’ within the peace centre and have created a public meeting square and urban park with multiple access points in front of the building.

“Much like negotiations towards peace, visitors will have the freedom to choose their own pathways to peace,” says Nomfundo Walaza chief executive of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.

To achieve this, the functions and spaces of the centre at ground level will be covered by a layer of soft landscaping crisscrossed by pathways and routes starting and ending at sidewalk level, which present a variety of access opportunities.

“The Desmond Tutu Peace Centre represents hope. It talks to the notion that people can co-exist in peace, that we can celebrate diversity and our differences. If we live by the pillars of love, hope, tolerance and courage, then it is possible to co-exist in peace, and sustain peace,” says Walaza.

“The building that is planned is the practical manifestation of this thinking. It will live on, and house the archbishop’s legacy. It will help provide the tools for making peace and teach young people how to become agents for change. It will provide a safe space where nations can broker peace. It will be a place where the marginalised can be heard. And it will also provide a place where The Elders can meet.”

The architects went on a quest to try and encapsulate a vision of peace as personified by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“We held workshops about what peace means and looked for local references in African metaphors. We discussed how, if you’re not in a place of peace, you would get to a world of peace. You have to get from point A to B somehow and you may be assisted. There’s no formal, classical order. You can’t get there in a direct, linear fashion,” says Anya van der Merwe, director of VDMMA.

Entering at ground level people will be welcomed into a large foyer and from there can meander into the interactive museum, a resource centre housing writings and archives, meeting and teaching facilities.

The upper levels of the building will contain the centre’s programme and administrative offices, and the personal offices of Archbishop Tutu.

“The peace centre has been designed in an environmentally responsible way to reduce energy and water usage, carbon emissions, and promote the use of recycled and ‘recyclable’ materials and components,” says van der Merwe.

“It will one of the greenest buildings yet to be constructed in South Africa. Msingi Projects has appointed sustainability experts from Adaga Energy to ensure the project achieves the highest possible rating for a healthy building. They intend registering an application for Green Star South Africa certification through the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).”

Energy, transport, water, materials, land use and emissions are among the factors to be evaluated. A four star rating signifies best practice and five stars point to South African excellence. A six star rating recognises world leadership.

Alistair Stewart, a sustainability engineer from Adaga Energy, says the company will collect and present evidence to GBCSA to show that energy and resources are being used in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way.

Although South Africa is a relative newcomer to green building, the technical manager of GBCSA, Jason Buch, says awareness is rapidly growing and SA is expected to follow the patterns of other countries such as the US and Australia where virtually all new buildings are built green.