Gilfillan Park

Jeppestown, Johannesburg

KWPCREATE

The Gilfillan Park project brief was to upgrade an existing park located within the dense, crowded city precinct of Jeppestown, Johannesburg. The original park was well-used by a wide range of users, primarily from underprivileged backgrounds living in adjacent apartments.

The design seeks to create a community park by enhancing the existing uses while making it safer, more accessible, attractive and functional, but without diminishing the strong sense of place or limiting possible future uses. The design represents a process inclusive of public participation and the consideration of previous schemes.

The park cost R15 000000 to construct and includes a variety of active recreation activities. They include a 7-a-side soccer field and bermed spectators’ lawn area, netball nets, perimeter jogging track and outdoor gym equipment. A children’s play area offers passive recreation and is protected by bollards, fencing and specially specified vandal-proof play equipment. Community events are accommodated in the amphitheatre comprised of seating and a small stage. Robust hard and soft landscape materials were used throughout with some elements, such as seating walls providing dual functionality as games areas. This is duality is achieved by casting chess, morabaraba and mancala play surfaces into the seat tops.

https://www.kwpcreate.com/

https://www.kwpcreate.com/post/3617/gilfillanpark/

https://www.joburg.org.za/media_/Newsroom/Pages/2019%20Newsroom%20Articles/October%202019/Gilfillan-Park-commended-at-Ilasa-Awards-2019.aspx