Cape Town - A double-storey shack project in Khayelitsha is going head-to-head with the multi-million rand Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art at the Waterfront as one of the “the most inspirational and significant new buildings created across the globe”.
Both the Zeitz and the Empower Shack project have been included on a list of 62 of the world’s best new buildings drawn up by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Along with the other projects on the Riba International List 2018, these two local buildings have been described by Riba president Ben Derbyshire as the world’s best new buildings showing “most impressive architectural talent”.
The Empower Shack project in Khayelitsha is under consideration for a prestigious international award. Picture: Liam Leonard/Ikhayalami
The shack project is being developed by Ikhayalami, an NGO focusing on housing innovation in informal settlements, and the Urban Think Tank, based at the Swiss Institute of Technology, ETHZ, in Zurich.
The Riba International List 2018 Royal prize will be awarded in December.