Construction World December 2023

SPACE WEATHER CENTRE FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL SPACE AGENCY T he building was inspired by the beautiful magnetic fields that are observed by its scientists. These and specialized tests were undertaken regularly to check the building works were not interfering with the readings.

evocative elliptical curves and solar flares informed a unique building typology. Curved shapes and vertical planes break the building’s façade into portions, with key areas being celebrated with sculptural volumes and spaces which can be seen in the main entrance, lecture hall and boardrooms. The building needed to accommodate SANSA scientists and staff members and cater for visits by the public. SANSA hosts many school children of all ages every year, to teach and educate them about science and space. SANSA provides tours for the public and hosts monthly lectures, for a wide audience. The building is divided into a public area and includes the lecture hall, and a large foyer for events. The private office area is access controlled and comprises offices and boardroom facilities. These areas are distinguished through different colours. The public areas have bursts of bright colours to create a stimulating and exciting space to visit. The office wing has a toned down colour scheme of blues and greys with soft timber joinery, to create a calming environment in which to work. The construction of all buildings within the observatory needed to be non-magnetic. Therefore, the use of metal and steel products were kept to a minimum. Fibre cement roof sheeting was used to replace standard metal roof sheeting. All roof trusses were carefully designed using timber. This was especially challenging with the larger spans inside the foyer and lecture hall. The new Space Weather Centre building is one of five designated space weather information providers for the aviation sector in the world. The construction of all buildings within the observatory needed to be non-magnetic. This is due to the sensitive equipment around the site that monitors magnetic data, this data needs to be accurate and tracked over a 24-hour period. All roof trusses were carefully designed using timber. This was especially challenging with the larger spans inside the foyer and lecture hall. The site was constantly monitored for magnetic interferences,

The new Space Weather Centre building is one of five designated space weather information providers for the aviation sector in the world. The first one of its kind on the African Continent and greater Southern Hemisphere. The project aimed to follow a different type of architecture to highlight the interesting work the scientists study - the sun’s impact on the earth’s magnetic fields. This inspired a sculptural type of architecture with curved walls and features throughout the building. The building was designed to sit in the fynbos landscape comfortably, with its sculptural shapes emerging from the fynbos vegetation. Before site preparation a full botanist study was undertaken to ensure that no endangered plants were discovered on the site. All tortoises were carefully relocated to a safe location before construction began. Protection of all the large Proteas and fynbos bushes was ensured during the length of construction. All new landscaping introduced at the end of the project was local endemic and water wise species for the drought prone area. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: AVNA Architects • Client: South African National Space Agency • Architect: AVNA Architects • Project Manager & Principal Agent: Schoonraad Architects • Quantity Surveyor: Farrow Laing • Engineering: NWE Consulting Engineers • Contractors: Edge to Edge • Landscaping: Revive Landscaping

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22 nd Best Projects Awards 2023