The Lantern House project was conceived as a way to repurpose defunct electrical sub-stations into spaces that can benefit and serve the community positively.

 

Sub-stations were originally built to house technical hardware of their time. In recent years, technological advancements have resulted in more compact hardware. This meant the full space allocated to the sub-station was no longer needed and these structures are often left unoccupied – as experienced with the Goud Street substation.

 

Using revolutionary building technology, sustainable building practices and a world-class design, the proposal for the transformation of the Goud Street Substation now realises a landmark community centre in Eldorado Park and one of the first cross-laminated timber buildings of this scale in South Africa – it is an architectural attraction that aims to be a catalyst of change for the community.

 

Eldorado Park, due to its historical and social context, proved to be a worthy home for the ground breaking project. Overlooked and underserved, the community is in need of an aspirational space that can offer residents a safe and engaging third space. The community centre will serve as a mixed-used space, bringing new amenities to residents. The facility will provide residents with a library, co-working space, amphitheatre, lookout deck and interactive event spaces. Through its development, the Lantern House project will bring quantifiable socio-economic change within the community as a testament to the power of regenerating social infrastructure.