LEEUPAN REGIONAL PARK AND ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE

“In responding to the dense meanings of the landscape, it was decided to design spatial interventions that evoke interest and hint at content, rather than to translate ideas literally into form.  As with the ecological education, the content (for example the islands slave history) is to be accessible through a digital field guide.

The … landscape design does not attempt to stylistically reflect any one of the many cultures … but rather takes cues from local patterns … and contemporary landscape architecture design ideas.”

The Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni suggested in 2004 that funds be allocated to a wetlands project.   The Department of Environment and Tourism identified the Leeupan in the eastern region of Ekurhuleni as the site.

In 2005 Environment and Tourism and Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, decided to merge two project namely the Leeupan Wetlands Project, which included an Environmental Centre and the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct that included a Narrative Centre, Multi-purpose  Arts and Craft Centre, Amphitheatre and the OR Tambo Memorial.

The projects where based in the same area namely Watville, where the Tamboville Cemetery is located with the grave of the late OR Tambo and Leeupan  a wetland and open space system that was separately envisaged for the location of the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct.

The Leeupan site has been undermined and a Rand Water servitude runs along the western side of the site putting great constraints on the placement of buildings.  A Land Development Plan was completed for the site and the upgrade of the Tambo Cemetery was completed.

The Environmental Centre, the Multi-purpose Arts and Craft Centre and the OR Tambo memorial were incorporated into the plan and their implementation was completed in 2013.  The project was designed along green principles which includes solar power, stormwater harvesting, the use of an indigenous planting palette.