New museum in Cape Town

The brand new Cape Town Museum, which will be located in the old Standard Bank building in Adderley Street was launched on 1 September 2015 by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) and the Department of Transport and Public Works (TPW). The official opening will be announced in the near future.

New lease on life

This 1880s heritage building was known to many as the “Queen of Adderley Street”. It has now been given a contemporary purpose that reflects the diversity of the City and its heritage.

The Cape Town Museum is a new-generation heritage institution that will provide innovative ways for local residents and tourists to interact with the collection. It’s expected that the museum will first be proclaimed as a provincial museum and then become a regional museum for the City of Cape Town metropolitan area.

It will become a key access point for residents to get an overview of the history and development of their city. The museum will also act as a reliable introduction for tourists to Cape Town.

Exhibitions

The museum will be hosting permanent exhibitions on the history and development of Cape Town from the earliest times. Visitors can also expect to see exhibitions on contemporary Cape Town, and on the Cape Town of the future.

There will also be gallery space for special temporary and travelling exhibitions of, for example, works in the Western Cape Government art collection, and historical photographs and artefacts from the Western Cape Archives and Records Service. Other exhibitions, including international exhibitions, will also be presented in this venue as the opportunities arise.

The museum’s goal is to reflect the diverse heritage of all the people of Cape Town. Members of the public and heritage organisations are encouraged to make submissions about what they would like to see in the displays. If this important goal is met, locals  will benefit from a sense of belonging and identity as they engage with the collection.

Suggestions can be sent to the following dedicated email address: capetownmuseum@westerncape.gov.za

New office space for DCAS staff

Minister Grant said that “by relocating DCAS staff to the Old Standard Bank Building, office space requirements will be reduced by 1 200 m2, meaning a potential saving of over R646 000 a year. It is clear that we are making progress in our aim to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of our property holdings.”

The Cape Town Museum and associated office space for DCAS staff shows how the preservation and promotion of heritage can be brought together to reduce operating costs, and boost urban renewal and social cohesion in the city centre, better together.

Working together to preserve Cape Town’s heritage

Johan van Wyk, Standard Bank Provincial Head for the Western Cape said “Standard Bank has a proud 153 year heritage in South Africa. Having grown from a single branch in Port Elizabeth to a bank that employs more than 50 000 people across 20 geographies on the continent, Standard Bank’s proud to be a part of the City of Cape Town’s past and future history, and hope that the Queen of Adderley Street will continue to serve the people of Cape Town with duty and dignity, as she has done for more than 130 years.”