Archive and Exhibition Centre
Our aim is to portray history in a new and contemporary manner.
The Exhibition Centre embraces:
- fresh thinking and innovation
- a people-centred organisation
- to portray innovation and creativity in showcasing history and historical events
The foyer, reception area, archival store and the rest of the interior:
- present the past and present in a contemporary manner
- portray the history of this proud institution
- acknowledge the contribution of our diverse staff and student compliment
- the design is a merger between traditional office design and a more contemporary look and feel
An Archive is a collection of historical records and contains primary source documents, records, objects, artefacts, etc. that have accumulated over the course of an organisation’s lifetime.
In general, archives consist of records that have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation on grounds of their enduring cultural, historical or evidentiary value.
The main aim and focus of this radical change is, to change the perception that archives are generally “dusty, old historical elements/manuscripts”, but rather to get more people actively involved in enjoying the evolution of historical circumstances in a new fresh environment.
Operating hours: Monday to Friday 08:30 – 16:00.
Goldfields Auditorium
The venue is situated on the University's North Campus, University Way in Summerstrand.
The venue has cinema style seating with 654 seats. A large stage upfront, with ample access for easy set up and technical deliveries.
The acoustics lend itself perfectly to concerts, choir festivals and events of this nature.In addition to this it is widely used for award ceremonies, large conferences and seminars.
This venue is situated directly opposite the North Campus Conference Centre is is therefore often used in conjunction with the Conference Centre for Conferences requiring more venues or a large plenary venue.
Ball and Claw
This style was developed in Holland around the very early 1700’s. The inspiration came from a Chinese motif of a dragon clutching a pearl. The design evolved into a claw clutching a ball, which made its way from Holland to England and from there to America and Africa, all within the first part of the eighteenth century. There are two variations: a lion’s claw, which is more popular in England, and an eagle’s claw, which is more popular in America and Africa.
Beaded Chandelier
The beaded chandelier is associated with the Xhosa culture, but now with a new look, not as decorations or jewellery, but contemporised and transformed into a chandelier. Yet depicting the Xhosa culture in a more up-market way