WILLIAM KENTRIDGE AT THE ZEITZ MOCAA: REPURPOSING GALLERY SPACES FOR THE EXHIBITION
Zeitz Mocaa, Photo by Iwan Baan (above left) Exhibition Image by VDMMA (above right)
Original Museum Design : Thomas Heatherwick Studio, London UK
Executive Architects : VDMMA | JPA | RBA
Exhibition Curation : Azu Nwagbogu and Tammy Langtry Curatorial Assistant
Exhibition Design : Sabine Theunissen
The task – to adapt the existing cellular gallery spaces to meet with the requirements of the ‘Why Should I Hesitate’ exhibition design.
Statement by Zeitz MOCAA :
‘The exhibition is the largest exhibition held in Africa in over a decade and will be hosted simultaneously in two parts, alongside the Norval Foundation‘s 'Why Should I Hesitate: Sculpture.’
The brief required linking previously separated gallery ‘cells’ into larger spaces to house an exhibition of this kind and scale. The spaces had to be enlarged to accommodate the monumental sketches, drawings and parallel screen animations.
Level 3 layout plan showing new spaces (above)
detail studies for floor and wall junctions (above)
There was more to the refurb than just moving walls.
The raised floors in the galleries serve as a plenum for circulating air, cooled by the Silo District wide sea water cooling plant.
Electrics, BIM, sprinklers and rational fire design all required intricate design collaboration with consulting team and the contractors.
Image by William Kentridge created during construction work (above left) | stripping back, exposing, protecting and re purposing (above centre) | the brief called for stripping back and revealing some elements of the original building ; concrete columns (above right)
'more sweetly play the dance’ by William Kentridge (above)
All existing surfaces and fixtures to remain had to be carefully protected through out.
The program of the works was sequenced in detail to meet the fixed deadline of the exhibition opening date of 24 August 2019.
The exhibition will run until March 2020
Additional thanks to: Ann Roberts, Okhela Gampu, Tammy Langtry, Jeff Lin, Adam Ozinsky, Dale Gay and all the others that made this possible
For more information regarding the exhibition, please click on the image below
