The South African Laureates of the Noble Peace Prize, Albert Lituli (1960), Desmond Tutu (1984), F.W.de Klerk (1993) and Nelson Mandela (1993) were commemorated for their individual contributions to achieving peace and democracy, in the design of an iconic space in the V&A Waterfront.
OvP were appointed to provide a suitable design response for locating and siting the proposed sculptures commemorating the Nobel Peace Laureates for their individual contributions to achieving peace and democracy at different times in South Africa.
The urban location in the Pier Head Precinct is framed by existing buildings and offers iconic views of Table Mountain as the backdrop to the space.
An interesting design process followed, which included a design competition for the sculpture which was the subject of intense adjudication, resulting in the award of the four figures to the sculptor Claudette Schreuder and a fifth sculpture to Noria Mobasa, which acknowledges the contribution of women & children to attaining peace in South Africa.
The larger than life bronze sculptures of the four laureates reflect the ambiguities of the search for an ‘African’ identity in the post-apartheid South Africa.
OvP decided that instead of the figures being mounted on a pedestal, that the figures should appear to ‘walk-amongst-the-people’, but to emphasize their relevance and add gravitas to their stature that they should also be somewhat formally arranged on a publicly accessible flush sunken granite surface, with the Mountain backdrop behind for maximum photographic opportunity.
The somewhat ‘cartoonish’ form and scale succeed in creating an ambiguous, somewhat dynamic duality in relation to human scale.
This experience has proven to be a visitor favourite, recognised as one of the essential tourist stops in Cape Town.