FSPC 103A
Year: 2020
Location: Bloemfontein, Free State. South Africa
Location: Bloemfontein, Free State. South Africa
Project: University of the Free State, Department of Architecture
The Free State Psychiatric Complex 1883 and was the first complex dedicated to treating patients with mental health afflictions within central South Africa. Building 103A in 1917 and was the first of three similar buildings built on the site but has unfortunately fallen out of use in recent decades. The project brief asked to treat the building as a national heritage site when intervening and although it has fallen derelict the outstanding original craftsmanship has remained intact and so has most of its structure.
FSPC 103A was thus adaptively reused to link with a nearby tertiary institution in terms of accommodation, classrooms and sports fields on the larger spatial development framework.
Most of the building was preserved on ground floor. The building was extended within the same typology ensuring a continuation of material use. Extensions on ground- and first floor was slightly tilted to face true North and subtly indicate it much newer status. The use of red brick on ground floor was adapted, but a slightly lighter brick tone was chosen for new sections along with a interpreted version of the existing traditional arches. First floor structure was clad with CORTEN steel for a striking juxtaposition that is still critically regionalist.
The central courtyard can be seen to have classrooms in the center with sloping green roofs on either side ensuring privacy for rooms opening into the courtyard.
