Cato Manor Museum Wins Top Award!

Rodney Choromanski receiving the Grand Prix award at the Africa Architecture Awards, September 2017
Rodney Choromanski receiving the Grand Prix award at the Africa Architecture Awards, September 2017

Last year we wrote about the Umkhumbane Cultural and Heritage Museum in Cato Manor. The museum, which forms part of a larger cultural precinct, was designed by local Durban firm, Choromanski Architects, who were awarded the job as part of an architectural competition that took place in 2003. The building, which was one of over 300 entries, took the top Grand Prix at the inaugural Africa Architecture Awards that were celebrated at the end of last month.

Deputy head of Libraries, Heritage, Arts and Culture, Guy Redman, said of the project, “Our aim is to transform the Cato Manor community, create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in the area. Through this museum, we will be able to tell our own stories and educate people about our rich heritage”. And it seems from this recent accolade that the project is off to a fantastic start, as something that the Cato Manor residents, many of whom were witness to one of the largest forced removals during apartheid, can be truly proud of.

Image courtesy of Nina Saunders

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