Contested modernism: post Slums Act public housing in Cape Town

Abstract

Following the introduction of the Slums Act by Central Government in 1934, the Cape Town City Council embarked on an ambitious public housing project linked to slum clearance being undertaken in the inner city areas of the Bo Kaap and District Six. The housing was intended for the people displaced by the clearances and provided an opportunity for the city to create racially segregated residential areas for Coloured people in addition to the already established African residential area of Langa. The city council adopted modernist design principles and aesthetics for these housing schemes, despite the fact that their approach to housing for White housing remained focused on conservative detached houses. It appears that they were willing to experiment with modernism for those they viewed as ‘Other’ as they tentatively engaged with the modernist discourse. This paper examines the situation that existed in Cape Town in relation to international trends and relates these to the actual projects.