Atlas of world architecture features Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves visitor centres

The Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves Visitor Centres are both featured in the first edition of the Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture, published in 2008.

The Phaidon Atlas includes details of 1037 of the world’s most outstanding, unusual and remarkable works of architecture, built since January 2000.

The buildings selected range from huge stadiums to private homes, and were chosen by a team of experts to reflect both well-known and virtually unknown architects across the globe, including “the next generation of emerging architectural stars”.

The Sterkfontein Visitor Centre (on page 601 of the comprehensive hard-cover edition) is featured as a purpose-built building which complements the area in which it is built, respects the wetland it inhabits and preserves the collapsing limestone caves nearby.

According to the entry, the building’s “presence in the wide veld provides a visual starting point for interpreting the landscape’s history and significance”.

The Maropeng Visitor Centre entry fills an entire page (pg 602), with five large, full-colour images showing the interior, exterior, front and back of the building, including the dramatic spiralling staircase leading to a skylight ceiling.

“In contrast to many African museums which lack supporting infrastructure, the Maropeng development promotes the role of technology in human development, with an emphasis on discovery,” reads the entry.

The Phaidon Atlas is available on Amazon.com and Kalahari.net.