Between boundaries: a new border post at Beitbridge

[摘要] The current perception that engulfs borders and their posts is one of fear, apprehension andhostility. The essay seeks to formulate a new approach through which to view a border. Borders areplaces of cultural collision and richness, forming a type of hybrid, described best through themetaphor of theatre. This exploration is divided into three topics, namely security, immigration andthe human experience, and culture and the border as theatre. Conceptual architectural projects byLebbeus Woods, Office KGDVS and Rem Koolhaas are examples of how this thinking can be realisedthrough architectural possibilities.It is therefore the intention of this thesis to express these ideas through the proposal of a newborder post at Beitbridge, situated between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The development of noman’s land, or the 'Space of Cultural Possibilities’ provides an opportunity to create a platformwhere the random encounters between travellers is encouraged. The transition from one country toanother becomes a vibrant an unanticipated experience that seeks to shift the negative perception,built on fear, illegality and the questioning of one’s identity, to one that exposes the cultural richnessof a place where multitudes of nationalities are filtered through a single gateway.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand